Jen Keywood – FX Plus

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Recycling on Campus: Global Recycling Day – 18 March

March 16, 2026

Global Recycling Day takes place on Wednesday 18 March, reminding us all to waste less and make use of the four R’s in our daily lives: recycle, reuse, reduce and recover.

Our Campus Progress: A Record Breaking Year

Thanks to the efforts of students and staff, the 2024–25 academic year saw our largest-ever improvement in recycling rates across both Penryn and Falmouth campuses:

Recycling increased by 16%, saving 165 tonnes of waste from disposal.
General waste reduced by 15%, down to 236 tonnes.
Overall recycling rates rose from 34% to 41% — our biggest year on year jump.

A major factor in this success has been the significant increase in correct food waste disposal. More food waste is now being placed in the right bins and processed through anaerobic digestion — great work, everyone!

To support this, additional food waste bins have been provided to handle the increased volume and make the disposal of food waste easier. New bins with signage are also available across both campuses, making it clearer than ever where to put the correct waste. It is hoped the recycling rate will keep improving.

All of our mixed recycling is taken to Redruth where it is sorted by hand before being taken to recycling plants.

How You Can Help

Here’s how you can continue to reduce waste and support better recycling on campus:

Use our campus A–Z waste and recycling guide to check how to dispose of specific items.
Choose to eat in! Not only do you save money but reusing crockery and cutlery is the most sustainable option. A 20p surcharge is added for all takeaway purchases, this applies to all disposable eco-friendly food boxes, cutlery and cups.
Bring your own reusable cup to save 20p on hot drinks in our campus cafes.
Purchase a Circular & Co cup (£2 small / £3 large) from the Sustainability Café or Fox Café. Exchange it anytime for a freshly cleaned one — or return it for a refund. You’ll save 20p each time you reuse it.

Questions?

If you have any queries about recycling or waste on campus, please email recycling@fxplus.ac.uk.

In 2024-2025, across both Penryn and Falmouth Campuses, recycling increased by 16% when compared to the previous year with a saving of 165 tonnes. General waste decreased by 15% to 236 tonnes. This raised our overall recycling rate from 34% of waste recycled to 41%, which is the largest increase in the recycling rate ever seen on our campuses.

Blocks of compacted plastic recycling towered up.

Man in a high-vis jacket and white hard hat looking at blocks of compacted tins and cans towered up.

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Finding Calm, Community and Support: Meet Your Multifaith Chaplaincy

March 6, 2026

University life is full of moments — exciting ones, stressful ones, and everything in between. Visiting campus can feel busy at times, and it helps to know there’s a quiet place to slow down.

The Multifaith Chaplaincy offers just that. They are peaceful, welcoming spaces for students and staff of all faiths and none — somewhere you can pause, talk things through, or simply sit quietly for a while.

Here to listen. Here to connect.

Our chaplains offer confidential one-to-one listening support, and we also host gentle, inclusive events throughout the term. One of our favourites is the relaxed afternoon crochet group. No experience needed. Sometimes there’s cake (always tea), and the focus is simply on sitting together, making something with your hands, chatting if you want to and just being. These small moments of connection can make a real difference to how supported and less alone we feel.

Where to Find Us

On the Penryn Campus, you will find the Multifaith Chaplaincy in Tremough Barton Cottage 8. This is a cosy, welcoming place on campus where anyone can come to find a bit of peace — whether that’s working quietly, meeting a friend, meditating or taking a breather between lectures.

On the Falmouth Campus you will find our cosy room in the Hub area, near the Employability office. Our hope is to offer a home-from-home space on campus.

We also know that prayer and meditation form an important part of many people’s wellbeing: we have a prayer and meditation room at the Penryn Chaplaincy, and a Muslim Prayer Room in Tremough House.

Meet Gorgi — Your New First Point of Contact

We’re excited to introduce Gorgi, our new Chaplaincy Operations Assistant! You’ll probably see her around the Chaplaincy spaces, particularly at the Penryn Chaplaincy Office, and she’ll often be the first person you speak to when you reach out.

Her role is all about making sure you feel welcomed, supported, and connected to the right person or service — whether that’s arranging a chat with one of our chaplains or signposting you to wider wellbeing support across the university. Sometimes the hardest part is simply taking that first step, and Gorgi is here to make that as easy and reassuring as possible.

If you’re passing by, pop in and say hello — she’d love to meet you.

On University Mental Health Day (and Every Day)

University Mental Health Day (12 March) is a reminder that mental health support can take many forms. Sometimes it’s a conversation. Sometimes it’s prayer or meditation. Sometimes it’s tea, biscuits, and a crochet hook. Whatever support looks like for you, the Multifaith Chaplaincy is here — offering warmth, community and a place to simply be. Visit them when you’re next on campus or contact them on chaplaincy@fxplus.ac.uk and 01326370744.

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Women of the Gorsedh Exhibition

March 4, 2026

Throughout March (2-31), the Library, Archives & Special Collections at Penryn campus are hosting Women of the Gorsedh, an exhibition that coincides with St Piran’s Day (5 Mar), International Women’s Day (8 Mar), and Women’s History Month.

Women of the Gorsedh celebrates the lives, contributions, and lasting legacies of the women connected with Gorsedh Kernow, as represented within our Library, Archives & Special Collections. Drawing on material from the Gorsedh Kernow Bardic Collection, the Falmouth Art, Theatre & Performance Collections, and the Institute of Cornish Studies, the exhibition brings together stories of both well known and lesser documented women whose creativity and commitment have shaped Cornwall’s cultural landscape.

While some figures are richly represented in our collections, many others remain partially hidden within wider historical narratives. This exhibition seeks to foreground these voices, exploring their bardic roles, creative practices, community involvement, and broader cultural impact. Through their stories, we celebrate the diverse ways women have helped to sustain, enrich, and carry forward Cornish heritage.

The exhibition is on display at Penryn campus Library, beside the Student Helpdesk, and in the display window on the ground floor of the Exchange building, outside Archives and Special Collections.

For more information about the exhibition contact archives@fxplus.ac.uk.

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Tree Planting Sessions Begin at Penryn Campus

March 3, 2026

Tree planting sessions have officially begun at Penryn Campus! Last week (25 Feb), the FX Plus Grounds and Gardens team supported a brilliant group of student, staff and community volunteers who helped transform a patch of brambles into the beginnings of a new fruit‑tree orchard.

This small corner of campus, located beside the boardwalk between Old Lane and the Studytel building, will grow into a welcoming space for both people and wildlife to enjoy. And it’s thanks to the enthusiasm of our campus community that the project is already taking shape!

These sessions form part of a wider series of sustainability events taking place on the Penryn campus from now until May 2026. The programme focuses on increasing tree and wildflower planting and improving habitat maintenance to support biodiversity.

The Penryn campus Sustainability events are expected to take place weekly or bi‑weekly on Wednesday afternoons, depending on the weather and availability of resources. All staff, students and members of the public are welcome to join in. The events are organised by Maisie Williams, our new Sustainability Intern, a Conservation Biology and Ecology Undergraduate from the University of Exeter.

If you’d like to get involved and don’t mind getting your hands a little muddy, the next tree planting session is Wednesday 4 March, 2–4pm.
Meeting point: Outside the Penryn Campus shop (What3Words: ///kept.vitals.dispenser). Tools will be provided. Please wear sturdy boots, gloves and old or waterproof clothing.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the first session! Let’s keep growing something special together.

For more information or to sign up, email M.Williams15@exeter.ac.uk. You can also visit Eventbrite for full details and to explore future Sustainability events.

Volunteers planting a young tree in a muddy hole wearing gloves, boots and wrapped up warm.

A planted tree in the orchard with a gardening fork int he ground next to it.

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Eco-Block Pilot Project Completed at Glasney Village

January 20, 2026

The Eco-Block Pilot Project at Glasney Village completed in September 2025, marking an important milestone in efforts to reduce carbon emissions on campus. This innovative project aims to test the use of air source heat pumps as an alternative to gas heating, and for the past few months, Glasney Parc Block A—a residence containing four flats—has been fully heated and supplied with hot water using this technology. The block is now completely disconnected from mains gas.

Fergus Chan, Carbon and Energy Manager at FX Plus, described the project as a significant achievement:

“The Eco-Block Pilot Project is really exciting because it is the first project of its kind implemented on this campus. Over the next year, we’ll monitor performance and assess whether this approach can be expanded across our other residences in Glasney Village, as part of a district heating system.

“It’s provided the opportunity to learn more about emerging green technologies that could support us in making real progress toward the universities’ net-zero targets of the future”.

Other green technologies such as Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels and a Building Management System with Automatic Monitoring and Targeting have also been incorporated to generate energy and improve the energy efficiency of the accommodation block.

“Although the installed PV panels do not cover the building’s entire electricity consumption, they do reduce the portion of energy drawn from the national grid,” explains Fergus.

The Building Management System which controls the air source heat pumps, by telling them when to turn on and off, has been successfully operating for just a couple of months now. It will take at least one years’ worth of monitoring and gathering data throughout the seasons, to be able to assess the technology in different temperatures, to get the full picture of the viability of a district heating system using air source heat pumps throughout Glasney Village.

The Eco-Block Pilot project has been supported by the Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, an initiative funded by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, which provides grants to public sector organisations to implement energy saving and carbon reducing technologies in their buildings. This initial phase (Glasney Parc Block A) was awarded a £55k grant towards the £114k total project cost.

Glasney Village, a significant carbon emitter, is the focus of a wider Decarbonisation on Campus project, with specific funding allocated by the University of Exeter and Falmouth University to fund projects to reduce carbon on their shared campus at Penryn.

In the future, following the outcome of the Eco-Block Pilot project, it is hoped that more air source heat pumps could be installed and connected across numerous residence blocks at Glasney Village, to realise the efficiencies and carbon savings associated with a district heating system and to move away from using natural gas to heat student residences entirely.

For more information about this project or if you have any questions about sustainability on campus, please contact the Sustainability team on sustainability@fxplus.ac.uk.

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Liftsharing Community Launched to Support Car Sharing Activity

January 11, 2026

The University of Exeter, Falmouth University, FX Plus and the Students’ Union have recently established a Liftshare community to support Cornwall based car sharing.

Did you know? Single occupancy car journeys are one of the worst emission offenders depending on the type of vehicle that you drive. It accounts for an estimated 18 million tonnes of CO2e emissions per year (approximately 25% of all UK transport emissions).

Car sharing is a practical way to reduce your individual carbon footprint while getting around, as well as helping the universities and the UK who are working toward achieving net-zero emissions targets.

There are many other personal benefits to car sharing, such as reducing your travel costs (fuel and parking charges) by splitting these between the driver and passenger(s). Social benefits can include the potential to meet new people in your area. Car sharing can also reduce traffic and parking congestion within the local community.

The ‘Penryn Campus’ community is available for all staff and students to join via the Liftshare app. The app offers a safe and secure platform to help drivers and passengers find car sharing companions for the journeys they regularly take.

Despite the name, the Penryn Campus community covers all our Cornwall campuses — Penryn, Falmouth and Truro — and other journeys too.

The success of the Liftsharing-app relies on the number of staff and students who join the community. The larger the community, the greater the chances of drivers and passengers finding a match for their car share journey.

For those who are successful in finding a car sharing companion, you are able to ‘authenticate’ your journey each time in the app. It is really important to do this as it allows the Sustainability Team to see how many people are using the car sharing app and what kind of journeys they are making. This may help inform future functionality and benefits of the scheme.

Liftshare is a UK independent app run by Mobilityways and is not owned or managed by the universities or FX Plus. Using Liftshare is optional, voluntary and at the individual’s own risk.

Visit these FX Plus web pages for more information about Car Sharing and Liftshare App Guidance. If you have any questions, please contact the Sustainability Team on sustainability@fxplus.ac.uk.

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National Recognition for FX Plus Archives & Special Collections

December 16, 2025

Falmouth Exeter Plus Archives & Special Collections has been featured in The National Archives’ A Year in Archives 2025! This annual publication showcases inspiring stories from archives across the UK, and our team’s work was chosen as an Enrichment Case Study for 2025.

The case study showcases the creative ways the Nick Darke Archive was revitalised during Falmouth University’s Life, Work, Legacy event, commemorating 20 years since the playwright’s passing.

Carole Green, Archivist and Special Collections Officer, summed up the spirit of the work:

“After fulfilling their original purpose, records may appear to pause in the archive – suspended between past and future. Yet their continued use in fresh and innovative ways breathes new life into them, enriching our understanding of the life and work of Nick Darke and allowing his legacy to inspire generations to come.”

Follow the link and select the ‘Enrichment’ tab to read the case study in full.

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2025 Commuting Travel Survey Results

October 24, 2025

The 2025 Student & Staff Commuting Travel Survey results are in, with over 750 responses collected from across Falmouth University, the University of Exeter, FX Plus, and the Students’ Union. Thank you to everyone who took part—your feedback is helping shape the future of travel to and from our campuses.

Each year, the survey provides valuable insights into commuting behaviours, preferences, and challenges, supporting our shared commitment to improving the travel experience and advancing sustainable transport initiatives as part of the Universities’ climate emergency response.

Key Findings at a Glance

Campus Attendance:

Students average 4.4 days/week on campus; staff average 3.7 days/week.

Commuting Distance:

Students travel 3.7–4.7 miles; staff travel 7.5–8.7 miles.

Journey Time:

Students average 21–23 minutes; staff average 24–26 minutes.

Most Common Arrival/Departure Time for Students:

9am–10am arrival (both campuses), departing 4pm-5pm from Falmouth campus and 5pm-6pm from Penryn campus.

Most Common Arrival/Departure Time for Staff:

8am-9am arrival and 5pm–6pm across both campuses.

Main Transport Modes:

Walking, cycling and bus travel remain popular among students, while staff tend to commute by car.

Students (Penryn campus): Bus (39%), Foot/Bike (23%), Car Share (16%)

Students (Falmouth campus): Foot/Bike (59%), Car Alone (17%), Bus (15%)

Staff (Penryn campus): Car Alone (49.2%), Bus (23.2%), Foot/Bike (18.7%)

Staff (Falmouth Campus): Car Alone (50%), Foot/Bike (22.8%), Train (13.6%),

Top Reasons for Transport Choices:

Students: Convenience, Cost, Travel Time

Staff: Convenience, Travel Time, Difficulty Accessing Public Transport

Feedback Highlights

Students raised concerns about rising bus fares, limited rural transport options, and off-campus cycling safety. Many are choosing to walk to campus to reduce costs, especially following the discontinuation of the U3 bus service.

Staff also noted challenges with cycling to work due to road safety, weather, and terrain, and called for better incentives for sustainable travel. Concerns were also raised about declining bus service quality and the impact of car congestion on local communities.

Next Steps

FX Plus and the University partnership is reviewing the findings to inform future improvements in campus travel infrastructure, services, and sustainability initiatives. This includes continuing to improve electric vehicle, e-bike and cycling facilities on campus, raising greater awareness about incentives for low-carbon commuting and our employee cycle scheme, and doing what we can to influence improvements to bus services to campus.

Since we learned about the bus fare increases and the removal of termly and annual bundles a few weeks before the start of term (Aug 2025), FX Plus and the Universities have done everything possible to get this reversed or at least delayed. We have been in discussions with relevant stakeholders, including Cornwall Council, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, and the transport providers.

On 22 September 2025 we attended a Cornwall Bus Services Round table to air concerns about bus services, and to try and find solutions. We want to see lower bus fares and the reintroduction of bundles. However, it has been made clear that the operators are running on thin margins, and fares are currently being supported by government funding.

The meeting saw a proposal for a new stakeholder forum, which will work on the recommended actions from the meeting – including seeking support from MPs in improving the funding model, reinstating lower fares and staff and student bundles, and strengthening the integration between all forms of public transport in Cornwall.

Your continued feedback about this matter is helping to inform our conversations. If you would like to contribute your thoughts, please email the SU on presidents@thesu.org.uk (students) or sustainability@fxplus.ac.uk (staff).

For any questions or further information about the Commuting Travel Survey results, please contact sustainability@fxplus.ac.uk.

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Your Guide to a Safe Bonfire Night – Campus Rules & Local Advice

October 20, 2025

As Bonfire Night approaches, we know many of you are excited to celebrate the season. However, we want to remind all students that bonfires and fireworks are strictly prohibited on campus grounds and nearby beaches.

This policy is in place to keep everyone safe and to protect our local environment and community. We kindly ask you to respect these rules and enjoy a licensed public display instead.

🚫 Why bonfires and fireworks are not allowed:

On campus and beaches:

Local byelaws prohibit fires and fireworks – violations can result in fines, and many areas are monitored by CCTV.

Hot ashes can remain dangerous for up to 48 hours, posing risks to children and pets who may dig in the sand.

Debris like nails and screws from burnt wood can cause injury.

Uncontrolled fires and fireworks can lead to serious accidents, especially in crowded areas.

On beaches specifically:

Fireworks launched without proper equipment can veer off course, potentially hitting homes, businesses, or people.

Beaches are popular gathering spots on Bonfire Night – a misfired firework could cause life-threatening injuries.

✅ What you can do instead:

We encourage you to attend a licensed bonfire or fireworks event instead. These displays are professionally managed and offer a safe, festive way to enjoy the night.

You can find a list of events held in Cornwall on the Falmouth Packet website and Cornwall Live website.

For more safety advice, take a moment to watch this important message from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service. Let’s work together to keep our campuses and local spaces safe and enjoyable for everyone.

Image by Marcello Rabozzi from Pixabay

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A Fresh Start: Discover the ESI Café’s New Sustainability-Driven Menu

October 16, 2025

The ESI Café has reopened this academic year with a bold new menu that’s big on flavour — and driven by sustainability!

Led by Michael Connor, Head of Hospitality and Retail at FX Plus, the café has been refreshed. It now serves a vibrant, ever-changing menu that champions fresh, seasonal ingredients while reducing food waste.

The menu evolves daily based on what’s available, embracing a creative and conscious approach to dining. Each dish is a celebration of upcycled ingredients and inventive cooking. Picture this: surplus heritage tomatoes transformed into a roasted tomato and caramelised onion quiche; a hearty ham hock terrine reimagined as golden sausage rolls; or a leafy salad whipped up into a zesty dressing. It’s food with purpose — delicious, imaginative and planet-friendly.

Image of a quiche on couscous, one of the mains plus salad options at the ESI Cafe.

Image of a kebab on couscous and rocket, one of the mains plus two salad options at the ESI Cafe.

But the transformation doesn’t stop at the food. In collaboration with design studio Perch & Ponder, the café space has also been redesigned with sustainability in mind, featuring recycled wood finishes and a calming, earthy colour palette.

Michael Connor shared:

“We set out to refresh the café offering so that it that reflects what matters most to those who use it, both from an environmental and sustainability perspective but also to be conscious of individuals’ dietary requirements.

“Knowing how important this was to everyone, I wanted to create for them a unique food destination that students, staff, and visitors could all enjoy and was different to anywhere else on campus.”

The relaunch was shaped through consultation with key stakeholders at the University of Exeter, and Michael is keen to hear your thoughts. Share your feedback by emailing foodanddrink@fxplus.ac.uk.

You can explore the example menu, special offers, and opening times here.

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