Campaigns & Initiatives

What are we doing at WU to ensure a Hedgehog friendly campus

• Providing suitable habitats that are accessible.

• Providing a safe place for them to eat and drink.

• Adding purpose-built hedgehog houses to keep them safe and dry.

• Ensuring we have a litter-free campus.

• Undertaking hedgehog surveys around campuses.

• Creating a hedgehog friendly campus group for staff and students.

• Creating awareness through social media, newsletters and events.

• Installing hedgehog crossing signs.

• Including hedgehog awareness on induction for relevant contractors i.e groundsmen to check areas for hedgehogs before strimming or using similar equipment.

The Big Hog-Friendly Lockdown Litter Pick Challenge

Last year WGU took part in the Big Hog-Friendly Lockdown Litter Pick.

Hedgehogs are covered in thousands of spines, making them vulnerable to becoming trapped in litter. Unfortunately, many hedgehogs die every year because of this. Taking part in the competition will clean up your community and save lots of animals.

WGU came 9th out of 22 universities, and together we’ve removed nearly 700 bags of litter from campuses all over the UK and made them a little friendlier for hedgehogs. Well done and thank you to everyone who got involved. 

Found a hedgehog who needs help?

Call Wirral Wildlife Sanctuary, open 24 hours - 01516255464 - Wirral Wildlife Sanctuary.

Are you interested in joining the Hedgehog Friendly Campus group? Email us at energy&sustainability@glyndwr.ac.uk.

Read our hedgehog friendly campus blogs - 

Facts About Hedgehogs - Lauren WGSU

WGU Hedgehog Friendly Campus 

A great webinar about Hedgehog Friendly Campus and what it is all about is now live here - Hedgehog Friendly Campus Webinar

As part of a shared mission to help Wales become the world’s top recycling nation, Wrexham Student Village (WSV) has partnered with Wrexham Council on a series of impactful initiatives aimed at transforming how students manage waste.

Launched during Recycle Week and continuing as part of Go Green Week celebrations, the partnership has focused on improving both the infrastructure and awareness around recycling at WSV. Every flat is now equipped with new colour-coded, reusable recycling bins, making it easier for students to sort materials correctly. Food waste caddies and compostable liners, provided by Wrexham Council, have also been distributed to encourage responsible disposal of food waste.

Throughout the campaign, council representatives Catherine and Millie visited WSV to engage with residents directly. These hands-on sessions included flat visits, recycling tips, and a fun, interactive outdoor activity where students sorted waste into the correct bins—highlighting common mistakes and encouraging more confident recycling.

Key improvements made this year include:

• A revamped flat recycling system with clearer sorting options.
• Weekly lounge checks that now include a recycling review.
• Updated outdoor bins with restricted openings to reduce contamination.
• Clearer signage and visual guides across the site.
• Ongoing monitoring and educational visits from Wrexham Council.

These efforts aim not only to reduce contamination, which can lead to additional waste charges, but also to build lifelong sustainable habits among students. By making recycling easier and more visible, WSV is proud to support Wales Recycles’ mission to reach number one globally.

Thank you to all residents for embracing these changes and playing your part. Every correctly recycled item is a small win for a cleaner, greener future.

Our talented graduate and artist, Olivia Horner, has designed stunning artwork for reusable Huskup cups, now being distributed to WU students. Inspired by our beautiful Communal Garden, Olivia's design features vibrant flowers, bumble bees, and hedgehogs against a neutral backdrop.

This initiative aims to reduce single-use cups on campus, aligning with our sustainable efforts. The cups, funded by Wrexham Students’ Union, are a step towards a greener future.

“I’m proud to have my design on these cups, encouraging sustainability at Wrexham University,” Olivia shared.

Join us in celebrating this eco-friendly move! Check out Olivia’s amazing work on her website and social media:

• Website and online shop
• Instagram 
• Facebook

Read the full article here: https://wrexham.ac.uk/news/articles/wrexham-graduate-designs-reusable-cup-to-encourage-reduction-in-single-use-waste/ 

Cycle scheme

Wrexham University Sport offers a cycle hire service for use by staff and students to travel between campuses and around Wrexham. (£10.00 for 7 days hire). There are currently 14 cycles available for hire (two of these are on the Northop campus) and can be hired for up to 7 days at a time.

There are many reasons why cycling to and around campus will be of benefit to you, besides its obvious environmental advantages:

• Keep fit - Cycling is a fantastic way to keep fit and can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Save money - Riding a bike is significantly cheaper than driving a car. Once you've got your bike it needs no fuel, insurance or tax...and it costs nowhere near as much to start with!
• Go faster! - Commuter challenges in other UK cities have shown that the bike is the quickest mode of transport in congested urban traffic.
• Stay young! - Regular cyclists enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person ten years younger. (Source: National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Foundation, Sharp).
• Washing facilities - The University has showers available for use in the sports centre.
• Free and convenient parking - Ever see a cyclist looking for a parking space?! The University provides a large amount of cycle storage across campus...just find a space for your bike in one of the many facilities on campus and remember to lock it up!

How the scheme works

If you would like to hire a Pool Bike go to the reception in the sports centre. You will need to show your valid student/staff ID card and will be asked to sign a booking form, and you will need to read and agree to the terms and conditions of hire.  

You will then be given the bike, bike lock/keys and safety equipment, all of which are listed on the booking form you sign.

All campuses have facilities to store your bike and clean you up, with showers at the sports centre in Wrexham and Mitchelmore building in Northop.

No-one knows a city better than the cyclists who ride there every day – the best routes, the tricky junctions, and bike-friendly cafés. Share your knowledge about Wrexham routes here.

Wrexham University are a member of Wrexham Forest Partnerships which is a group of organisations from across Wrexham County that meet regularly to support WCBC Tree & Woodland Strategy. Wrexham University have signed up to the Woodland Pledge which supports woodland creation, conservation, celebration and commendation. 

Nearly 40% of journeys that are less than two miles are made by car. Short car trips create much higher levels of harmful emissions, as engines are not operating at their optimum temperature.

Many short journeys could easily be made on public transport making a surprising difference to your carbon footprint.

Train

Plan your journey

Bus

Wrexham buses

Flintshire Bus timetable

Go Green Week: University and Students' Union Promote Sustainability

In March, the University and the Students’ Union joined forces for a vibrant Go Green Week, inspiring students and staff to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. 

Make a Pledge & Make a Difference 

Throughout the week, the initiative encouraged everyone to make pledges for sustainability. The Pledge-Bola, stationed at various campus locations including Regent Street, Student Union and Main Reception, invited participants to commit to actions such as having a weekly Vegan Day or using choosing to refill their water botle. Exciting prizes, including stainless steel lunchboxes, bamboo cutlery set and Huskups, were up for grabs. 

Event Highlights 

• Clothing Exchange: Glyn’s hosted a popular Clothing Exchange, where participants could swap or take unlimited items. The event also promoted Plastic-Free Periods with free reusable sanitary pads and TOTM sample kits available across several campuses. 

• On Your Bike: Student Union hosted a range of sustainable transport options including the Bike Doctor by Drosi Bikes who maintained staff and student bikes, Transport for Wales and British Transport police 

• Upcycling Workshop by Xplore Nature: Students got involved with extracting dye from flowers and imprinting it on fabric 

• Communal Garden Veggie Planting: We spent the day in the garden bringing it back to life for spring and planting up the veg beds ready for the summer. Staff and student volunteers got involved and have been tending their veg through the spring months 

• Glyns Green Glow up – Glyns hosted a fun green themed night at the Student Union with competitions and prizes for students 

• Making Friends with the Forest: Students had an away to the forest with Xplore Nature at Northop campus and got involved in fun outdoor activities designed to reconnect with nature to reduce stress and anxiety. 

• Food for Thought – Throughout the week we collected food donations from each campus for the local foodbank. Aramark launched their reusable reward scheme for refill drinks and food from the canteen. 

• Go Green Week was a resounding success, fostering a culture of sustainability and environmental responsibility within the university community. 

Fairtrade Certified Products at WU

Wrexham University sells Fairtrade products throughout all its catering outlets, including the Students Union, and offers Fairtrade products at all in-house and external meetings.

Each year for two weeks over February and March, Fairtrade puts a spotlight on trade through Fairtrade campaigns, Together with Fairtrade farmers and workers, campaigners and businesses up and down the country, they highlight the difference Fairtrade can make to lives and communities.

Fairtrade Fortnight Competition to Win Fairtrade Goodies

We run competitions to win Fairtrade Goodies, simply purchasing a Fairtrade item enters you into a prize draw to win some goodies.

In March we take part in Earth Hour.

Each year, Earth Hour, organised by WWF, takes place from 8.30pm until 9.30pm (local time). Every year millions of people, businesses and landmarks set aside an hour to host events, the Universities residents switch off their lights, go outside and make noise for the Earth hour movement.

WU currently have Tenovus Cancer Care Recycling drop off points around our campuses. The aim is to encourage staff, students and visitors not to throw away their unwanted items in a bid to saving the environment.

https://www.tenovuscancercare.org.uk/ 

Dropping your clothes in a Tenovus Cancer Care collection bin means that they will be given a new life. Recycling your old items will not only prevent those greenhouse gases from being emitted but also lessens the need for newly manufactured clothes, effectively cutting down on the environmental damage incurred in the textile manufacturing process.

In 2018 WU started a food collection for unwanted tinned and packet food which is still ongoing today.

The food is donated to our local food bank as residents are departing.

We encouraged residents to get involved to drop off their donated food at our accommodation offices before they checked out of WU accommodation.  

The Foodbank relies on goodwill and support. They always welcome donations and use them to provide help to people in crisis. Over 90% of the food distributed by foodbank is donated by the public – that’s why your food donations are absolutely vital to our ability to give everyone referred to us a balanced and nutritious three day supply of food.

Our Wrexham Students Union are big on sustainability - check out their campaigns