Cath Ashenden – FX Plus

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Celebrating Sustainability: FX Plus Fairs Inspire Green Action Across Campuses

April 15, 2025

Students, staff, and visitors gathered at two vibrant Sustainability Fairs hosted by FX Plus Head of Sustainability, Oliver Milliner, and Marketing & Engagement Manager, Jennie Hosken, in partnership with the Students’ Union. Held at Penryn Campus (Upper Stannary) on Wednesday, 19 March, and at Falmouth Campus (Fox Café) on Thursday, 20 March, both events ran from 12 PM to 3 PM, attracting over 200 attendees over the two days, eager to explore sustainable ideas, practices, and connect with local changemakers.

Each fair featured a diverse mix of local eco-conscious businesses, grassroots organisations, SU societies, and talented student crafters, creating a dynamic marketplace that celebrated sustainable living and environmental innovation.

The atmosphere was one of enthusiasm and collaboration. “Just wanted to send a quick thank you and well done for the first day of the Sustainability Fair,” said Students’ Union Vice President, Marketa Carruthers. “I think the stalls were overall really positively engaged with.”

A standout highlight of the events was the giveaway of 200 bags of fresh, locally sourced vegetables—generously sponsored by the FX Plus Sustainability Team and organised by SU society Penryn Produce. Attendees could select three types of vegetables or a mixed-leaf salad, promoting low-waste, healthy living.

Local suppliers such as Trewithen Dairy and Jolly’s Drinks offered free samples and insights into their sustainable practices, while attendees engaged with a wide range of organisations, including:

FX Plus Sustainability Team – Engaged students in the Travel Survey and shared updates on campus sustainability initiatives.
Food & Drink Team – Distributed pre-loved, plant-based cookbooks and gathered feedback on campus catering and the Meat-Free Mondays trial.
Sustrans – Provided advice on walking, cycling, and public transport, distributed free bus tickets, and promoted discounted youth travel in collaboration with Cornwall Council.
Beryl Bikes – Encouraged greener travel by offering 150 free 50-minute e-bike rides.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust – Invited attendees to support Cornwall’s wildlife and wild spaces through memberships and engagement.
Borneo Nature Foundation – Provided a rainforest scent experience and shared information on their conservation work.
SU’s Generation Wild – Promoted nature-based youth workshops and volunteering opportunities.
Wave Rewild Yoga – Introduced eco-anxiety embodiment workshops to support emotional wellbeing and sustainable lifestyle choices.
99p Films – Highlighted upcoming social cinema events, including Hvaldimir and The Forgotten Temperate Rainforest.
RJ Working – Shared their work in youth-led climate advocacy and offered information about internships and creative projects.
Fal Bookbinding Society – Promoted traditional bookbinding techniques using donated materials and encouraged participation in sustainability-focused workshops, including papermaking.
Penryn Press – Showcased student-published materials for sale, produced locally and sustainably in partnership with local printers and Falmouth’s Rubicund Bookshop.

Reflecting on the events, Jennie Hosken said:
“Thank you to all the incredible, energetic, and passionate stallholders who participated in our Sustainability Fairs and helped make them such a success. There was a real buzz at both events, which was very inspiring. We were thrilled to help students, staff, and visitors form meaningful connections with local sustainable initiatives and organisations. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to future events.”

From free ginger beer and plant-based cookbooks to rainforest aromas and sustainable transport advice, the Sustainability Fairs offered a lively and inspiring platform for learning, collaboration, and collective action toward a greener future.

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New Bus Fares, Deals & Bundles

March 14, 2025

New national bus fares have now been set following the expiry of government subsidies. This means many day-to-day tickets have become more expensive; however, this news post outlines the deals and bundles that are available for your commute to-and-from campus and across Cornwall. *

Two mobile apps exist whereby bus deals and bundles can be purchased via First Kernow or Transport for Cornwall. You can also purchase the standard daily rate tickets via the tap-on-tap-off system on buses.

Before purchasing any deals and bundles, it is worth considering your commuting frequency and format throughout the year. There are different bundles available that range from weekly to annual bundles.

If you have any questions, please email the Sustainability team at sustainability@fxplus.ac.uk

_{* All the deals and bundles featured in this article were available at the time of writing it, in March 2025, but may be subject to change. Please ensure you do your own research prior to making any purchase.}

First Bus App Download

First Bus Deals and Bundles:

First Bus age classifications:

Child age: 6-18

Adult: 19 +

Children under 5 travel for free

Tap-on-tap-off fares:

The standard tap-on-tap-off rates are below if you are travelling within the Falmouth/Penryn zone. More information on the new standard rates if you are travelling Cornwall wide (including non-students and staff).

Adult (19+): £2.50 per journey

Child (18 and under): £2 per journey

Bundles & deals travelling in the Falmouth/Penryn Zone (Opens in New Tab):

These deals can only be purchased by using your university (student and staff) email address. To purchase a bundle, first download the app and register for an account using your university email address, and authenticate it as instructed.

Once you’re registered and are signed-in, you can locate the Falmouth/Penryn Zone bundles using the same instructions as those detailed in the First Bus: Penryn and Falmouth Spring Term Bundle Deal article relating to purchasing the Unlimited Travel Penryn/Falmouth Term Time Bundle.

Penryn & Falmouth Term Student & Staff Bundle (£110)

If you are travelling frequently within the Falmouth/Penryn zone, this deal gives you unlimited travel for three months. Ensure you purchase this bundle as soon as it is issued to gain the full value of the money before expiry. Ensure you sign up and verify this bundle using your student or staff university email address. You can travel with this bundle on all First buses. For more information, view this deal on the First Bus app.

Penryn & Falmouth Annual Student & Staff Bundle (£280)

If you are travelling frequently within the Falmouth/Penryn zone, this deal gives you unlimited travel from September to July. Ensure you purchase this bundle as soon as it is issued in September to gain the full value of the money before expiry. Ensure you sign up and verify this bundle using your student or staff university email address. You can travel with this bundle on all First buses. For more information, view this deal on the First Bus app.

Cornwall Travel Commuter Club (CCTC) (£100 – was £65)

Signing up to the Cornwall Travel Commuter Club gives you access to purchase the Falmouth and Kernow network deals (more information on these bundles below).

Penryn Campus – Falmouth Zone (deals vary)

You can purchase 5-day, 20-day, weekly or monthly bundles using your student or staff university email address. This deal can be used on any First bus service. Ensure you sign up to the Cornwall Travel Commuter Club prior to purchasing any of these bundles. For any more information, visit the First Bus app or contact their customer service team.

Penryn Campus – Cornwall Kernow Network (deals vary)

You can purchase 5-day, 10-day, 20-day, weekly or monthly bundles using your student or staff university email address. This deal can be used on any First bus service. Ensure you sign up to the Cornwall Travel Commuter Club prior to purchasing any of these bundles. For any more information, visit the First Bus app or contact their customer service team.

Transport for Cornwall App Download

Transport for Cornwall Deals:

Transport for Cornwall have launched a new app that includes deals for 19–25-year-olds. Child tickets (under 19s) are set as the same price. These can be purchased by downloading the Transport for Cornwall app.

19-25 year old bundles:

Unlimited one day travel on buses across Cornwall: £5

Unlimited 7 day travel on buses across Cornwall: £20

Adult bundles:

Adult bus bundles are available on the app based on the standard rates, however you may find bundles available via the Frist Bus app better value for money.

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Festive Student Christmas Markets at Penryn and Falmouth Campuses

November 26, 2024

Get into the holiday spirit by joining us at the Student Christmas Markets.

When and Where:

Wednesday, 27th November: Upper Stannary, Penryn Campus
Thursday, 28th November: Fox Café, Falmouth Campus
Time: 11 AM – 3 PM

Explore over 30 stalls at each market, featuring handcrafted creations by talented students and graduates, as well as SU societies showcasing their festive events and fundraising initiatives.

What’s On Offer?

Discover a variety of unique gifts and crafts, including:

Prints
Handmade jewellery
Clothing
Crochet
Candles
Illustrated Christmas cards
So much more!!

Take the chance to meet the makers, learn about their crafts, and find inspiration for your Christmas shopping—or perhaps treat yourself!

Featured Maker

Amber Spaargaren, a 3rd-year Illustration student, will be at both markets selling stunning prints and gifts inspired by foraged seaweeds from Gylly Beach. She is raising funds for Medical Aid for Palestine, so don’t miss her table!

Festive Food

Wednesday at the Stannary: Indulge in our Festive Street menu available until 12 December. Enjoy a Christmas turkey curry or a butternut squash masala at the Christmas market and top it off with a warm mulled wine or mulled apple from the Stannary Bar!
Thursday at Fox Café: Enjoy Fox Café’s festive menu available every Thursday until 19th December. On 28th tuck into a turkey or nutless roast ciabatta with sage and onion stuffing, sprout and mustard slaw, gravy and crispy roast potatoes.
Christmas Dinner: A traditional Christmas meal with all the trimmings is available at The Stannary every Thursday until 12th December (12pm – 2pm. £9.50).
Festive pizzas at Koofi: Savour a delicious Pigs in Blankets pizza (£9), Brie and Cranberry pizza (£9), or opt for the Ultimate Festive Feast, plus a free crust dipper! (£11).

Support the Community

We’re collecting donations for the Penryn and Falmouth Foodbank to help those in need this festive season. Donation points are located:

Penryn Campus: Lower Stannary, near the Deli Bar.
Falmouth Campus: Outside the Art shop.

Please bring new, sealed, and in-date food items to support this important cause.

Why Attend?

Celebrate the season, support student crafters, and find one-of-a-kind gifts for your loved ones—all while enjoying delicious festive treats. Open to students, staff, and visitors alike, these events promise to make your holidays brighter!

We look forward to welcoming you!

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Lime Tree Avenue

December 16, 2022

Members of Cornwall Ancient Tree Forum (CATF) are working to register Penryn Campus’ Lime Tree avenue for preservation and protection as the trees (Tilia cordata) are aesthetically, historically, and environmentally of great importance.

Tim Kellett and Marion Bryant from CATF and Environmental science student Kira Jefferies recently took measurements of lime tree girth for the Ancient Tree Forum records. Tim, Marion and Kira are also looking for hollowing of trunk and cavities; fungi; lichens in on and around the trees; damage and dead wood in the tree crown; epiphytes such as ferns; climbing plants such as ivy; clematis, honeysuckle and any other plants living on the tree.

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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/

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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.

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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.

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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

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E-bikes for hire

September 22, 2022

New, pay as you ride, electric bikes are now available at Penryn Campus.

As a special, introductory offer, the first 900 students to sign up on the Beryl Bikes app using their university (Falmouth University or the University of Exeter) email address can have up to 30 minutes riding for free.

The Beryl Bikes have been installed as part of a county-wide cycle share scheme funded by Cornwall Council. 50 bikes at 21 stations across Falmouth and Penryn are now available with the scheme being expanded to Newquay, Penzance, St Austell and Truro over the coming months.

The Penryn Campus electric bikes are outside The Exchange, opposite Heart Reception, and along the Old Drive. Those two stations can accommodate 10 bikes as part of the wider scheme.

Their easy availability for campus users supports the sustainability aims of Falmouth University, the University of Exeter and FX Plus and will make it easier for staff and students who want to ride tackle Cornwall’s hills.

Users can pay for use of the bikes by the minute, with a pre purchased bundle or with a 24-hour day pass. For details of other bike locations (including several near Falmouth Campus), how the scheme works, downloading the app and more, please see the Beryl Bikes website.

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Dream Team Graffiti Clean

August 11, 2022

Members of our FX Plus Facilities team have been taking their cleaning skills off campus to help a local community initiative.

The children’s park in Mabe had been covered in graffiti so four of the facilities team stepped up to help other volunteers from Mabe in the clean-up operation.

Facilities Operations manager, Lynn Storey, explained: “I noticed a post on the Mabe Youth and Community Page on social media, which stated that the children’s park had been graffitied badly. I mentioned it to Rick Taylor to see if he had any ideas of how to remove it as we have all sorts of magic potions and equipment that can do wonderful things.

“Rick, Rob Eddy, Richard Barron and Paul Leyes all went across armed like the ghostbusters and completely blitzed it along with other members of the community. Due to the type of material the climbing equipment is made from, the team were a bit worried about how much they would be able to remove however it turns out they removed the lot!

“It’s so important that we can help our local community as much as possible and the whole team believe in this sentiment too. Richard lives in Mabe (as do many others with the Facilities Team) so I know this would have meant a lot for him and his family too.”

The team has since received a message from the chair of Mabe Youth and Community Project: “Lynn….can I just say a massive thanks to Rick and his team – a real A team – who came over today and have managed to remove virtually all traces of the graffiti to the delight of not just me but several adults and their children who were using the park today. They had all the right gear and gave me a useful idea or two for the future. Once again, on behalf of the children of Mabe and MCYP…many thanks.”

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