How staff and students can get involved

Sustainability Leaders is a programme for students who work together to deliver sustainability projects on campus and in the local community.

Sustainability Leaders develop their own projects and, with support, training and funding from City's Sustainability team, are responsible for Idea generation, Research, Planning, Budgeting, Implementation and Review.

Sustainability Leaders is not currently running at City this academic year but please sign up to the student newsletter or email us to find out what other activities you can get involved in.

Volunteering is a great way to gain work experience and contribute to the community as a City student.

During the warmer weather, we have regular sessions for students to volunteer in our vegetable garden, or to help look after our beehives. We run a few sessions throughout the colder seasons too, so take a look below to find out you can get involved.

We also have a number of one-off opportunities for our events and other projects. These are all advertised on the volunteering hub, and there are a range of roles available. The volunteering hub can help you locate the opportunities you want, connect with companies that value your skills and experience, and track the impact that you're making.

Whether you're looking to broaden your experience, learn new skills or develop existing ones, make a difference in the community or simply have fun, we can find the right opportunity for you.

Please email the Sustainability team if you have any questions about volunteering.

City are the founders of the London Student Sustainability Conference, which highlights student research and projects which support the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development and create positive impact in the world. The Conference provides opportunities for students to exhibit their work through presentations, posters and performances.

The Conference takes place in February each year and we welcome student applicants from all London universities.

City have now partnered with Glasgow Caledonian University London, University of Greenwich Imperial College London, Kings College London, Kingston University, London School of Economics and Political Science, London South Bank University, University College London and the University of Westminster to support the planning and delivery of the Conference.

City houses Beehives on the roof of Tait building and you can get involved by joining the Beekeeping sessions between the warmer months of March and September. The sessions are run on a drop in basis and volunteers will have the opportunity to look after the hives and harvest the honey (around 10-20 kg a year).

The beehives are supervised by a professional beekeeper, who is an expert in urban beekeeping and a member of the British Beekeepers Association.

Everyone is welcome and if you are interested please email the Sustainability team so we can keep you updated and provide you with more information.

Located between Drysdale and University buildings The Walled Garden is City’s edible community garden for students and staff.

The garden space is looked after by a Community Gardener and student and staff volunteers throughout the year.

We run weekly drop in sessions where you can get involved with a multitude of gardening tasks. This is a great opportunity to learn more about gardening and biodiversity at City, take a break from your studies and connect with others.

If you would like to join us, please email the Sustainability team.

Sustainable City Challenge is a way for staff to support City’s sustainability objectives through their everyday work at City. Visit the Sustainable City Challenge page on the staff intranet to learn more.

Teams and departments can earn points for monthly challenges and running their own sustainability project or campaign (Extra Mile projects). Points are fed into a leaderboard which is used to determine award levels and the annual Challenge winner.

Each month Teams are issued a challenge. This might be an activity that lasts throughout the month or a one off event that can be attended. Challenges will have a positive impact on City’s sustainability, including everyday actions (recycling, printing, procurement etc.) and the targets that City has set to address these. Points are awarded based on the department’s participation and performance.

Sustainability Leaders are a network of staff volunteers located across the institution who are committed to making City a more sustainable place to work and study.

There are number of ways you can get involved. You decide what works best for you, based on your availability and your particular areas of interest.

Activities can include:

• Being a champion of sustainability in your team or department; raising awareness of environmental and other sustainability issues at City and working with colleagues to reduce the environmental impact of your office.
• Sharing information and advice from the Sustainability team with your colleagues and acting as a key contact for your team.
• Volunteering at Sustainable City events and campaigns.

If you are interested in becoming a Sustainability Leader for your office or department, then please email the Sustainability Team.

The roof of Tait building houses City’s beehives. The staff and student Bee Team are responsible for looking after the hives and harvesting the honey (around 10-20 kg a year).

The beehives are supervised by a professional beekeeper, who is an expert in urban beekeeping and a member of the British Beekeepers Association.

We provide sessions for students and staff to learn about beekeeping and managing a hive. Sessions usually run between the warmer months of March and September and are on a drop in basis.

Everyone is welcome and if you are interested please email the Sustainability team so we can keep you updated and provide you with more information.

The Walled Garden is City’s edible community garden for students and staff. Located between Drysdale and University buildings, it is full of fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers.

The garden space is looked after by a Community Gardener and student and staff volunteers. It is a hands-on opportunity to learn more about gardening and biodiversity at City and a great way to connect with others and improve your wellbeing.

We run drop in sessions throughout the year, where you can stop by to take a tour of the garden, help out with gardening tasks and taste the produce!

If you would like to join us, please email the Sustainability team.