Announced last week (Nov 27), the Green Hub fought off competition from Barnfield West Academy and the Wardown Bridge restoration project to win the award.

The Green Hub, which launched in 2013, aims to raise awareness of environmental issues, while empowering students to turn their own sustainability ideas into reality.

Tom Ball, the Green Hub Coordinator, said of winning the award:

“It is an absolute privilege for Beds SU Green Hub to have won the Environmental Achievement award.

“It is extremely encouraging to receive such positive community support for a valuable local green project; testament to all of the hard work put in from both staff and students at Beds SU and the University of Bedfordshire.”

One of 26 SU-run greening projects funded by the National Union of Students’ Green Fund, the Green Hub leads on a number of projects that encourage students to lead greener lives.

From the Zero Waste scheme, via the student beehives known as Beds Buzz, all the way to the Beds Green Garden – allowing students to grow their own food – the Green Hub is Beds SU’s lynchpin of greening the curriculum and building a healthy campus.

Supplementing such schemes, the Green Hub regularly gets involved in sustainability campaigns, contributing to Green Week 2016, the Student Switch Off and supporting the University’s Fairtrade focus.

Joining the Green Hub at the Awards was Radio LaB, the University’s student-run community radio station. Nominated for the Community Project of the Year category, Radio LaB finished runner up in the People’s Choice Award, voted for by the public.

Radio LaB coordinator Terry Lee said:

“This is a great endorsement for the work we are doing at Radio LaB, and we were honoured to have made the shortlist.

“As the University’s community radio station, our aim is to give a voice to the various youth communities within the student body, as well as Luton as a whole, and we will continue to create programming and projects of this regard going forward.”