UWE Bristol welcomes West of England Mayor for annual Green Week

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, visited UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus during its annual Green Week (3-7 November) to see the sustainability-driven research, innovation and skills initiatives that are helping to power the growth of the region’s green economy.

Following the launch of the West’s Growth Strategy in September, the Mayor met with experts from across UWE Bristol who are actively working across some of the five core growth areas identified in the strategy, including transport, green and sustainable skills, and green jobs.

This included Curiosity Connections Green Futures, a West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA)-funded project, educating children and young people in the West of England on green jobs; research from the Centre for Transport and Society, which has developed an interactive game that supports sustainable transport planning decision making; and research from the Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments which examines the benefits of greenspaces to students and young people.

The Mayor also met with startup SLANT Mobility, which is based at Launch Space – UWE Bristol’s incubator hub for early-stage entrepreneurs and startups. SLANT Mobility, a sustainable transport business, uses modular electric systems in its trailers, enabling more sustainable transportation of goods in urban areas.

SLANT Mobility was a recipient of WECA’s Business Innovation Fund investment last year, which supports businesses to progress research and development activity leading to the creation of novel products.

UWE Bristol’s Green Week takes place annually and celebrates sustainability, community and collective action towards a greener and more sustainable future. It features a diverse programme of events for students, staff and the public, including practical workshops, pop ups and talks from sustainability experts.

Professor Sir Steve West, Vice-Chancellor of UWE Bristol, said: “Green Week is an opportunity for everyone at UWE Bristol to reflect on our shared responsibility for the environment and to consider how individual and collective actions can drive meaningful change.

“We’re glad Helen was able to join us to see the impactful work across research, innovation, green skills development and enterprise that is taking place at UWE Bristol which contributes to the key growth areas identified in the West’s Growth Strategy. Collectively we can support WECA’s ambitions for a greener future for those living and working in the West of England.”

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “UWE Bristol plays such an important role in our region and it was brilliant to visit their annual Green Week in Frenchay, around the corner from where I grew up. As a major employer in the West Innovation Arc growth zone, innovation here on campus by students and staff is creating new jobs – adding to the half a billion-pound contribution that the university already makes to the West of England’s economy. Whether it’s helping get the West moving, cutting pollution, or inventing new products, across sectors, UWE Bristol is powering change for our region and for our planet.”