Month: May 2025

May 27, 2025

Whether you are cycling on or off campus, it’s important to ensure you keep your bike safe and secure. Following the recent campus visits from Sustrans, the charity making it easier for everyone to walk and cycle, we’re sharing some useful advice, links and practical tips to help prevent your bike from being damaged or stolen. You can read them below, and don’t forget that Sustrans will be back for Falmouth University’s Community Day, on Saturday 31 May at Falmouth Campus, offering FREE Bike Repair, Maintenance & Security Tagging.

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Secure your bike

When leaving your bike, always remember to secure it using a chain or padlock. If you are on campus, please secure and store it in the designated bike racks nearer the centre of campus, where there is CCTV and more people passing by, so thieves would find it harder to go unnoticed and have further to travel before leaving campus grounds. These same principles apply when securing your bike in town.

Security marking

You may want to also consider other security measures, such as bike security marking. BikeRegister marking ensures your bike remains traceable in the unfortunate event it’s ever stolen. Visit the Sustrans website for more information about bike locks and security.

More bike security tips

Visit the following websites for more useful bike security advice:

1. Sustrans Bike Security Advice – short advice video as well as eight key points to locking up your bike safely. 
2. Police UK’s 10 step guide and practical tips how to keep your bike safe and secure.
3. Road Safety Devon & Cornwall – FAQ’s to Operation Snap which is a submission platform for video and photographic evidence of members of the public committing driving offences.

Download our campus safety app!

Using our campus safety app, SafeZone, you are only one button away from receiving assistance from our Safety & Support team. If you have any security concerns whilst on campus, please do not hesitate to report them using SafeZone or by calling the 24/7 emergency line on 01326254444.

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For any direct queries about sustainable travel, cycling, bike security and safety information, please email our Sustainability team on sustainability@fxplus.ac.uk. 

May 8, 2025

The universities and FX Plus are collaborating with Falmouth Town Council by pulling together a team of waste warriors – students, staff members, and local people who are keen to help improve local recycling habits and reduce wastage!  

We’re seeking volunteers to join our ‘Bininfluencer’ event which will take place on Monday 19 May, from 5:50pm to 7:00pm. Participants will join the council’s Environment Officers, our Sustainability Team, and other like-minded people to speak with residents around Falmouth about the new recycling and waste collections, educating people about the changes and encouraging better practices. 

Recycling and waste collections in Falmouth and Penryn changed in March 2025, and since then it has been reported that many students, staff and the wider community are still getting to grips with these changes. The new food waste, recycling and rubbish service in Cornwall now consists of weekly food waste and fortnightly rubbish collections.

By joining forces with the Council to help tell people about the food waste and recycling changes, it is hoped that local recycling habits will improve and general waste will reduce. Educating everyone about the correct disposal of waste using the new bins and seagull-proof sacks provided by the Council is essential to avoid litter and Keep Cornwall Clean.

The Bininfluencer event is open to all – university students and staff, FX Plus and SU staff, and members of the local community too! Please reserve a free ticket here to help us understand approximate numbers joining us on the night.

For more information on the new recycling and waste collections in Falmouth and across Cornwall, head to the council’s webpages.

May 7, 2025

In aid of Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 (12-18 May), our Senior Library Assistant has taken inspiration from our ‘Wellbeing Collection’ to bring you these five book recommendations.

Reading is known to positively impact mental health and offers a gentle way to relax and unwind. It can also improve cognitive function and reduce symptoms of depression, and studies show that reading can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and improve sleep quality. These are all important for good mental health and wellbeing.

Take a look and pick up a book!

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1. Nature Therapy: How to Use Ecotherapy to Boost Your Sense of Well-Being, by Rémy Dambron

Nature therapy is the practice of reconnecting with the natural world – whether you’re looking to reduce stress, improve your physical health or simply spark more joy and meaning in life, this book is the ultimate guide to unlocking the transformative power of nature.

2. This Book Could Help: the Men’s Head Space Manual, by Rotimi Akinsete

Developed in partnership with Mind, the mental health charity, This Book Could Help is filled with straightforward expert advice and simple techniques to help you shake off what other people say you ought to be, prioritize yourself, meet challenges and develop new strengths, in areas such as dealing with stress, motivation, work and life goals.

3. Reasons to Stay Alive, by Matt Haig

Aged 24, Matt Haig’s world caved in and he could see no way to go on living. This is the true story of how he came through crisis, triumphed over an illness that almost destroyed him, and learned to live again and appreciate the little joys and moments of happiness that life brings.

4. University – The Autistic Guide: Everything You Need to Survive and Thrive, by Harriet Axbey

This helpful, informative and friendly handbook is a guide to starting university for autistic young people, including accessing mental health support, dealing with burnout, finding your people and experiencing new opportunities.

5. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith

Drawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, Dr Julie Smith shares all the skills you need to get through life’s ups and downs. Written in short, bite-sized entries, you can turn straight to the section you need depending on the challenge you’re facing, and immediately find easy, practical solutions that might just change your life.

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All these titles are available to loan from our Penryn and Falmouth Campus libraries. You can find the Penryn Wellbeing Collection on Level 1, near the Student Helpdesk, and our Falmouth Library Wellbeing Collection is next to the Illustrated Book Collection.

Check out our full collection through the Resource List, where you can also request items to be collected from either campus library: https://tinyurl.com/ynzvnbdn If you need any further Mental Health and Wellbeing support, visit the relevant student support pages for information on services available to you:  https://fxplus.ac.uk/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support/.