Forth Valley College has just missed out in winning two awards in the area of sustainability on the same night.
However, this national recognition has shown how the College and its partners are leading the way in sustainability in the further education sector.
FVC were finalists at the Green Gown UK and Ireland awards in the Creating Impact category - the second time in three years they have been nominated for a prestigious Green Gown award - and also were nominated in the Sustainability Action category at the College Development Network (CDN) awards, both held on the evening of Thursday 30 November.
This year – in collaboration with EAUC, the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education, West Lothian College and Borders College – FVC were finalists at the Green Gown ceremony held in the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool.
The same partnership were involved in the submission which reached the final of the CDN awards held at the Radison Blu in Glasgow – where they were Highly Commended (the photo shows FVC’s Operations Manager in Hospitality Karyn King and Martin Loy FVC’s Head of Estates, with the Highly Commended prizes).
In 2021, the College was a finalist in the Green Gown Sustainability Institution of the Year category, and was the only further education institution in the UK up against five universities including: Anglia Ruskin University, University of Edinburgh, University of Cambridge, University of the West of England and eventual winners University of St Andrews.
In relation to the 2023 award submission the collaborating colleges were responding to the 2021 challenge from Scottish colleges to commit to achieving Net Zero by 2040. As a result FVC, Borders College and West Lothian College formed the Central & South Scotland College Partnership (CSSCP), supported by EAUC Scotland.
Being among the smallest FE institutions in Scotland and without staff dedicated exclusively to sustainability, the three colleges developed a new approach to secure additional support. In 2022 the partnership secured a dedicated sustainability resource by hiring a Sustainability Project Manager, whose time and costs are shared by the colleges.
By providing additional resource and knowledge, the Sustainability Project Manager has helped guide sustainability practice and policy at the colleges and to expand this in scope and ambition. This has included securing funding for campus decarbonisation projects through the Scottish Green Public Sector Estate Decarbonisation Scheme and developing updated strategies such as Net Zero Plans, which identify actions to be taken to achieve net zero.
The partnership’s work across multiple institutions has been particularly beneficial as this has allowed for experience and knowledge to be shared, whilst making use of resources efficiently. Based on its success CSSCP are planning to continue the partnership and EAUC are exploring similar partnerships with other institutions.
Rory Hill Sustainability Project Manager for the partnership, said: “We are obviously disappointed not to have won the top prizes at each of the awards ceremonies, but just to be nominated is great recognition and shows that we are definitely on the right path in terms of our sustainability goals and targets.
“The partnership is a strong example of how we can all work together to promote sustainability and address the climate crisis. Working to share knowledge and experience across the partner colleges has been a pleasure and it is great to see the project get the recognition it deserves.”
For more information on the Green Gown Awards 2023 and who else have been nominated, please visit 2023 Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland Finalists | Green Gown Awards