Category: News

~ minute read.

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’.

~ minute read.

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’.

~ minute read.

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’.

~ minute read.

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.

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’.

~ minute read.

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.”

Playground equipment covered in graffiti
The same playground equipment totally clean
Facilities Team member Rob Eddy looking through a playground tunnel

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’.

~ minute read.

Green Flag Winner 2022

July 26, 2022

The gardens and grounds at Penryn Campus have been recognised by the international Green Flag Award Scheme as among the very best in the world, for the sixth year in a row.

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity sKeep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

Penryn Campus is shared by Falmouth University and the University of Exeter Cornwall and the historic grounds are open to the public.

Oliver Lane, FX Plus Director of Residences and Facilities, said: “We are delighted to have retained this award for a sixth year. It highlights the hard work of our teams and volunteers – both students and staff. Particular thanks should go to Toby Nenning, Grounds and Gardens manager, and Casey Thomas, Head of Facilities Management, and to their teams.

“Both Falmouth University and the University of Exeter are dedicated to sustainability under their Climate Emergency declarations and a key part of this involves supporting green spaces and the biodiversity on our beautiful campus.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Accreditation Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Penryn Campus worthy of a Green Flag Award. It is testament to all the hard work of staff who do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards demanded by the Award.”

Penryn Campus blends historic sub-tropical planting with newly created landscapes. and are a haven for a diverse range of plant and animal species. The gardens are open to everyone include a walled garden; herbaceous beds; sub-tropical planting; fruit producing orchard; Italian garden and terraces; an 18th Century lime avenue; parkland; a drive with Pinetum native woodlands and historic rare rhododendrons which were cultivated on the site in the Victorian era.

A six-person Grounds Team manages about 150 acres there as well as the smaller, equally beautiful Falmouth Campus.

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’.

~ minute read.

Foodbank donation thanks to students

June 20, 2022

Our Falmouth Exeter Plus Halls team has delivered a massive 423kg of food to Penryn and Falmouth Foodbank, part of the Trussell Trust network.

The food (mostly dried and tinned goods) is collected as students move out of their accommodation for the summer, or for good, alongside household items which are donated to the British Heart Foundation (Pack for Good campaign).

The Halls team delivered the 16, 60-litre plastic boxes full of unopened tins, packets and jars to the foodbank today (Monday 20 June) and received a written thank you from the Foodbank team.

John Lees, Halls Manager. Said: “We encourage our students to bring all their spare, unopened food to Glasney Lodge as they leave Halls. We have been doing this for a few years now because it cuts waste and helps the wider community.”

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’.

~ minute read.

Solar panel project

June 7, 2022

We are significantly increasing the amount of photovoltaic (PV) panels on roofs at Penryn Campus this summer.

This is part of continuing work to support the declarations of climate emergency, by Falmouth University and the University of Exeter.

Sarah Roby, FX Plus Director of Estates and project sponsor, said: “This is one of several pieces of work, large and small, that we are carrying out to support the ambitions of our partner universities to achieve net zero carbon emissions and making our campuses more sustainable. This will save energy and money for future investments and improvements.”

Starting in July, more than 1700 new panels will be fitted on the roofs of Daphne Du Maurier (DduM), Peter Lanyon and the Sports Centre. These will add to existing panels already installed on DduM, Stella Turk and AIR; with the existing Sports Centre panels also being upgraded and expanded.

Chris Piper, Head of Estates Operations, is managing the project for FX Plus and Cornwall-based ZLC Energy will be carrying out this work, with project management support provided by Devon-based KingWelsh Consultants.

Once complete, the newly installed solar panels will have a total capacity of 775 kW with an estimated 700,000 kWh per year generated; carbon savings of 149 tonnes CO2 per year and energy cost savings of about £150,000 per year (based on current energy costs).

The panels will be placed to the roofs with weights to keep them in place. This system means they are easy to reposition and they will not disturb any turf roofing underneath.

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’.

~ minute read.

Community furniture donations

June 7, 2022

Communities and organisations have been benefiting from furniture donations from our campuses as part of our commitment to sustainability.

The working styles of many people at Falmouth and Penryn campuses changed during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Furniture was taken out of rooms to allow for more space and social distancing.  As restrictions lift and people return to the campuses to work, many prefer the less cluttered office style.

Rather than throw away unwanted but good quality furniture, our Caretaking team has been busy finding new homes for it with community organisations and schools.

Lynn Storey, Falmouth Exeter Plus Facilities Operations Manager, said: “With our commitment to avoid disposal of any furniture that still has life left in it, we have been reaching out to local communities to see if we can find new homes for our furniture.

“Over the last few months the Penryn caretaking team has donated items to Cornwall Business School at their new space on Kernick Industrial Estate and the Dracaena Centre and Princess Pavilion in Falmouth. The Falmouth Caretaking team has also been busy supporting local schools and community projects, recently delivering sofas, seating and tables to Constantine Primary School and Camborne Contemporary Crafts Hub.”

Oliver Milliner, Head of Sustainability, added: “We are committed to making our campuses more sustainable via a variety of initiatives and this is a perfect example of repurposing and reusing. With thought and care, our Caretaking team has found a great way of supporting local communities while reducing waste.”

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’.

~ minute read.

Pack for Good saves lives

May 18, 2022

Falmouth and Exeter students have donated the almost £50,000 to the British Heart Foundation since our campuses began supporting the Pack for Good campaign in 2015.

FX Plus has been supporting Pack for Good since 2015 meaning that tonnes of unwanted items have been diverted from landfill or an incinerator as well as thousands of pounds being raised for the BHF to fund life-saving research.

Pack for Good targets students who are moving out, encouraging them to donate unwanted items including books, household goods and clothes. University, FX Plus and Students’ Union staff are also invited to donate.

According to the most recent (2021) BHF report, £8,792 worth of goods was donated via FX Plus in 2021 alone. This is a significant increase from the previous two years of COVID-19 restrictions when not many students were able to be living on campus or even in Cornwall.

That summer, 346 bags were collected from FX Plus-run accommodation (and staff) and 282 bags from private student accommodation. And since 2015, 28.5 tonnes of unwanted items have been diverted from landfill.

Our Halls team, based at Glasney Lodge, is supporting the Pack for Good campaign again this year. Collection points are around student accommodation areas, on and off campus, including a main point at Glasney Lodge Reception. Staff and students can also pick up their own collection bags from Glasney.

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

According to the BHF:

• There are around 7.6 million people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK – an ageing and growing population and improved survival rates from heart and circulatory events could see these numbers rise still further.

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

• Around twice as many people are living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK than with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease combined.

• Heart and circulatory diseases cause around a quarter of all deaths in the UK; that’s more than 160,000 deaths each year, or 460 each day – that’s one death every three minutes.

• Around 47,000 people under the age of 75 in the UK die from heart and circulatory diseases each year.

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

Graphic breakdown of the £8,792 raised by FX Plus for the British Heart Foundation in 2021. 346 bags were collected from FX Plus-run accommodation and 282 bags from private student accommodation.
Infographic saying Falmouth and Exeter students have raised £49,966 since 2015 for the BHF. This money goes towards research. 28.5 tonnes of unwanted items have been diverted from landfill.

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’.