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Food recycling success

November 24, 2022

A trial project to recycle food waste in Penryn student residences has been so successful it’s being rolled out across our campuses.

The scheme began in May (2022), when the FX Plus Facilities team teamed up with Cornwall Waste Solutions to encourage students to separate food waste in some of the some Glasney Village blocks, at Penryn Campus.

It was later expanded to more student residences, including Packsaddle, and now new food waste bins have been installed just outside AMATA Cafe, in the bin compound near the AIR building and at Falmouth Campus. Even more locations will be added soon.

This has already led to a big increase in food waste being sent to an anaerobic digestion plant, where it can be turned into electricity, fuel and fertiliser. In September/October 2021, 1.5 tonnes of food waste was to anaerobic digestion facilities – this was from the kitchens of the main campus catering outlets at Falmouth and Penryn. This year, in the same period and with the addition of the new food waste bins, 2.5 tonnes has been sent.

Casey Thomas, Head of Facilities Management, said: “Thanks to the innovation of the Facilities team, this project is already making a significant contribution to supporting Falmouth and Exeter universities in their aims to make our campuses more sustainable.”

If you have any questions or suggestions, please email recycling@fxplus.ac.uk for more information.

For tips about how to reduce your own food waste, see https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

About FX Plus

Falmouth Exeter Plus (FX Plus) delivers shared services for Falmouth University and the University of Exeter in Cornwall to ensure a top quality experience for students, staff and all users of Falmouth and Penryn campuses.

Our vision is to provide ‘Exceptional environments that enable talented and creative minds to thrive’.

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Hattrick of apprenticeship awards

November 22, 2022

FX Plus Deputy Security Manager Lois Craze has become the first ever triple winner at the Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards 2022.

Lois completed her hattrick by winning the Management category, the Achiever of the Year, which was decided by public vote and the top, Cornwall Apprentice of the Year titles.

The awards, organised by Truro and Penwith College, celebrate exceptional achievement and highlight the positive impact apprenticeships are having on future skills as they equip learners and workplaces with the tools to succeed, move with future economic developments and boost businesses.

Lois began her apprenticeship in Leadership and Management (ILM Level 3) started in March 2020, two weeks before the first COVID-19 lockdown. Whilst working to support our campus community throughout the pandemic restrictions, she achieved a Distinction in October 2022.

Holly Day and Neil Caddy from Pirate FM presented the awards at a gala awards dinner on Friday 18 November, where Lois was described as, ‘invaluable and an absolute inspiration to her team,’ Lois not only recruited an effective team during a departmental restructure but implemented policies and procedures that have improved services. Lois works with the Police to benefit the safety of students at the university and launched the SafeZone app on campus which has vastly improved response times to emergency and first aid calls.

Lois said: “I am completely overwhelmed to have won so many awards and to be the first ever triple award winner. My apprenticeship was the hardest thing I have done, mainly due to the lock down and not being able to take part in face to face dicussions and lessons. 

“My apprenticeship was a mix of practical observations, knowledge assignments, exams and finally a two-hour interview from an End Point Assessor to get my final grade. With the amazing support of my managers and head of department at FX Plus and my college learning advisor I was able to achieve a distinction which I am super proud of.”

Paula Sanderson, FX Plus Managing Director, said: “This is an amazing achievement. Lois has shown what can be achieved with support and the will to succeed and is a great example to inspire us all at FX Plus.”

For more detail about Lois’ success and other award winners, please see the Truro and Penwith College news piece.

About FX Plus

Falmouth Exeter Plus (FX Plus) delivers shared services for Falmouth University and the University of Exeter in Cornwall to ensure a top quality experience for students, staff and all users of Falmouth and Penryn campuses.

Our vision is to provide ‘Exceptional environments that enable talented and creative minds to thrive’.

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New foodbank collection on campus

November 16, 2022

We’ve teamed up with Penryn and Falmouth Foodbank to offer a food and toiletries collection point in the Lower Stannary, Penryn Campus, which will be available from Monday, 28th November.​​​​​​​​
The Foodbank is a community organisation that works to support local people who find themselves unable to feed themselves or their family.​​​​​​​​
Perhaps you have a suitable new unwanted item, or when you are shopping, you can pick up an item needed by a local person in crisis.

Here are the items that are currently needed along with non-perishable foods:​​​​​​​​

Urgently needed:​​​​​​​​

  • Nappies – size 5 and 6​​​​​​​​
  • Baby food (jars) and baby snacks​​​​​​​​

Generally needed:​​​​​​​​

  • Deodorant for men​​​​​​​​
  • Washing tabs (non-bio)​​​​​​​​
  • Dried dog food​​​​​​​​
  • Biscuits​​​​​​​​
  • Shaving foam​​​​​​​​
  • Coffee​​​​​​​​
  • Tinned fruit​​​​​​​​
  • Rice pudding​​​​​​​​
  • Tinned corned beef​​​​​​​​
  • Tinned ham​​​​​​​​
  • Crisps​​​​​​​​

Thank you for your support.​​​​​​​​

About FX Plus

Falmouth Exeter Plus (FX Plus) delivers shared services for Falmouth University and the University of Exeter in Cornwall to ensure a top quality experience for students, staff and all users of Falmouth and Penryn campuses.

Our vision is to provide ‘Exceptional environments that enable talented and creative minds to thrive’.

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Thousands raised for Pack for Life

November 14, 2022

Students and staff have helped to raise £9,675 and to divert 5.5 tonnes of ‘waste’ from landfill via the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Pack for Good campaign this year.

This means that the equivalent of 32,462 kg of CO2 emissions were prevented.

The FX Plus Halls team has been supporting the Pack for Good campaign since 2015 and organises all collections. Since then, almost £60,000 has been raised for the cause so that. as well as the carbon saving, thousands have been raised for life-saving research.

Pack for Good encourages students who are moving out of their accommodation to donate unwanted items including books, household goods and clothes. University, FX Plus and Students’ Union staff are also invited to donate using collection points at Falmouth and Penryn campuses.

According to the most recent (2022) BHF report, 691 bags were collected from FX Plus-run and private student accommodation (and staff). And since 2015, 34 tonnes of unwanted items have been diverted from landfill.

Our Halls team supports Pack for Good every year and organises collection points around student accommodation areas, on and off campus, including a main point at Glasney Lodge Reception.

The Halls team also collects unwanted items for local food banks, with trolleys in Glasney Lodge.

All BHF standard shops have recycling services for textiles, books and most homewares. In 2021/22 and, in that year, 14,000 tonnes of ‘pre-loved’ clothes were sold. Through re-use and recycling, the BHF saved more than 57,000 tonnes going to waste, avoiding 130,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the BHF:

• In the UK more than half of us will get a heart or circulatory condition in our lifetime.

• Since the BHF was established the annual number of deaths from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK has fallen by around a half.

Smiling BHF staff holding one letter each to spell Thank you

About FX Plus

Falmouth Exeter Plus (FX Plus) delivers shared services for Falmouth University and the University of Exeter in Cornwall to ensure a top quality experience for students, staff and all users of Falmouth and Penryn campuses.

Our vision is to provide ‘Exceptional environments that enable talented and creative minds to thrive’.