Friday, 27 September 2019
A Nottingham scheme which has encouraged students in the city to donate tens of thousands of bags of unwanted items to charity has been recognised with a national award.
The Pack for Good Campaign offers university students and staff the opportunity to donate items such as clothes, electricals, books and furniture that might otherwise go to landfill to British Heart Foundation collection banks on campus and in the local community.
The successful partnership – involving Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council – was named winner in the Retail Partner category at the British Heart Foundation’s Heart Hero awards at a star-studded ceremony in London.
Dedication and hard work
The campaign was launched seven years ago as part of an initial partnership between Nottingham Trent and the BHF, previously known as ‘Give it, Don’t Bin it’.
From here, it quickly expanded, with NTU bringing The University of Nottingham and the City Council on board as part of a city-wide approach.
Since then, a staggering 60,000 bags of donations, plus furniture and electrical items, has been collected, raising £800,000 for BHF research heart and circulatory diseases and their risk factors.
Jamie Dickinson, Off-Campus Student Affairs manager at The University of Nottingham, said: “This award is recognition of the dedication and hard work partners put in to ensure Nottingham students have the means to donate and not waste their unwanted items. This award has inspired us all to go the extra mile and we can’t wait to hit that £1m mark for the BHF. I’m optimistic that the generosity and effort of our students will ensure this milestone is reached very soon as the Nottingham Pack for Good campaign goes from strength to strength.”
Charmaine Morrell, Sustainable Development Manager at Nottingham Trent University, said: “I’m thrilled we have won the Heart Hero award – it is great recognition for the Nottingham partnership, showing what can be achieved together. Through the generosity of Nottingham’s students and staff, we have raised significant funds to help BHF continue their vital work.
“The donations have funded research grants, training and providing vital equipment, including defibrillators. To have diverted 60,000 bags from waste to this great cause is a huge achievement, but we won’t stop there. We will continue to work together for this life-giving cause.”
Team effort
Councillor Rebecca Langton, Portfolio Holder for Communities at Nottingham City Council, said: “This is a real achievement and we’re delighted to have been involved in this project, which makes such a difference to the work of the British Heart Foundation.
“It has been a team effort with the BHF and two universities – our role includes helping to spread the word, door-knocking, posting leaflets and helping collect the recycling bags, while ensuring that the BHF also has a sufficient number of recycling banks offering students the opportunity to recycle.”
The BHF Heart Hero Awards celebrate individuals of all ages who have shown immense strength in the face of adversity or have made a significant impact in helping those living with heart and circulatory diseases.
The event at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, on Friday 20 September, was hosted by Vernon Kay, and the award judges included The Duchess of York, Penny Lancaster and Luke Pritchard from the indie band The Kooks.
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Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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