EARLIER this month, Wiltshire College & University Centre was recognised among leading UK and Irish institutions at the 2025 Green Gown Awards, earning a place on the shortlist for ‘Sustainability Institution of the Year‘. Judges commended the College’s rapid progress and growing leadership in sustainability.
Although we didn’t take home the top category award, the panel delivered exceptionally positive feedback – describing us as an institution showing remarkable momentum and highlighting the scale of progress achieved in just three years.
They highlighted our strong regional leadership, innovative technical projects – including the Micro Anaerobic Digester and the Green Skills Innovation Centre – and our commitment to embedding sustainability across all learner groups.
The judging panel also recognised the positive impact our apprentices are having in bringing sustainable practice into local industries and praised the College for tackling its high-impact areas, such as our agricultural footprint. Overall, the judges felt our ambition and boldness place us firmly among the sector’s leaders in sustainability transformation.
Delivered by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) in association with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Green Gown Awards celebrate outstanding sustainability innovation across further and higher education.
This year’s event brought together 112 finalists from 76 institutions at a ceremony held at the Library of Birmingham on Thursday 6 November.
While the ‘Sustainability Institution of the Year’ titles were awarded to De Montfort University and Nottingham College, our recognition as a national finalist reflects the ambitious work underway across our campuses and community.
Our Deputy Principal, Steve Campion, attended the awards ceremony alongside Principal and CEO, Iain Hatt, and Director of Business Development, Martin Reeves.
Steve said: “It was a fantastic evening celebrating sustainability across education. Being recognised at this level is a huge achievement, and the judges’ feedback shows we’re making a real impact. We may not have won the top award, but their comments highlight just how far we’ve come in a short time. I’m incredibly proud of our staff, students and partners – their commitment is what makes this progress possible, and we’re determined to keep building on it.”
The judges praised several areas of strength in our sustainability journey, including:
- Rapid progress since launching our sustainability strategy in 2022
- Strong leadership in the region and active involvement in local skills and sustainability partnerships
- Innovative technical projects such as the Micro Anaerobic Digester and Green Skills Innovation Centre
- Embedding sustainability skills across learner groups
- Apprentices sharing effective sustainability practices with employers
This recognition reflects a wide range of sustainability initiatives already underway across our sites – including the installation of more than 800 solar panels across our campuses.
We’ve also developed the Lackham Eco House with Good Energy, expanded our green skills training, and continued to invest in energy-efficient facilities, EV charging and biodiversity projects across campuses.
More than £1 million in combined investment, including support from the Department for Education and Wiltshire Council, has helped drive these improvements.
We continue to embed sustainability across our curriculum, campus operations and community as we work towards our target to halve emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2040.
Learn more about our sustainability journey
Discover the projects, progress and commitments shaping a greener future at Wiltshire College & University Centre.
