Meet the INSPIRE Interns
04.05.2021
A team of 10 students have taken up roles as INSPIRE Interns at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD). The student volunteers are working with the Students’ Union and University to create sustainable change across UWTSD.
INSPIRE is UWTSD’s Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation, and Resource Effectiveness which aims to embed sustainability as a core aspect of the University’s framework across curriculum, community, culture, and campus and align the University’s work to The Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The INSPIRE programme helps students to making better choices for the environment. Everyone can change small aspects of their daily lives to be more sustainable. These don’t have to be grand, expensive gestures but rather simple ones like swapping plastic toothbrushes that don't decompose to bamboo ones or cycling, walking, and taking public transport when possible rather than using a car.
INSPIRE interns has led events such as the Blackout in the past, which had students and staff across the University turning all non-essential equipment such as computers, printers, and phone chargers before leaving for the weekend – saving both energy and costs to the University. Recently INSPIRE Interns have adapted an idea based on the successful Big Plant Event, called the ‘Small Plant Event’ where they invited 60 students to apply for a small plant kit containing various seeds to plant at home, and also encourage them to upcycle something in their home to use as a plant pot. The event proved to be so popular, that the Students’ Union had to increase to a 100 kits.
These two events show how INSPIRE is working towards encouraging students to take part in being more environmentally aware.
The current Interns are very passionate about sustainability and acknowledge its importance.
“Sustainability is of vital importance to me and should be something taken into consideration by every man, woman, and child,” said Paul O’Toole, a Creative Writing and Philosophy student from the Lampeter Campus who is the Evaluation and Accreditation Intern. “This is the world we live in and is an extension of who we are, we should treat the world as we treat ourselves in order to help develop a harmonious and constantly improving environment.”
Alex Rice, a third year BA Acting Student, and also Carmarthen Evaluation & Accreditation Intern said: “Sustainability is important because it is vital to protecting our planet; ensuring that we can look after ourselves now without damaging further generations. It is vital we act now to stop the damage from becoming irreparable.”
According to Isabella Faye Wintour, a BA Events and Festival Management Student, and also the Swansea Events & Campaign Intern: “Sustainably is such an important part of our world. Without sustainability projects, we would be using a lot more resources causing us both financial problems and negative environmental impacts. It’s important to love the world you live in.”
Amy Rachel Cooper, Swansea Campus Project Intern, and Early Years and Education student noted: “Growing up I've always been fascinated by the deep ocean, the Arctic, Antarctic, and the Amazon rainforest and it is highly saddening to see life in these places in danger so I set myself a mission to educate as many people as I possibly can about the issues and hopefully start a sustainability movement.”
The 10 interns based on the Carmarthen, Lampeter, and Swansea campuses are looking forward to not only making a difference to University life but also developing additional skills within their internship.
Bradley Sloan, a Politics, Philosophy and Economics student, and also the Lampeter Campus Project Intern said: “I wanted to take part in the INSPIRE internship because I am passionate about sustainable development and I believe that UWTSD, and the Lampeter campus in my particular case, have so much potential. I am interested in learning more about how large organisations operate when it comes to setting and implementing sustainable development/well-being goals and INSPIRE seemed like a great opportunity to do just that.”
Ffion Hann-Jones, Primary Education student and Carmarthen Campus Project Intern (Promoting the Welsh Language) said: “I wanted to take part because I love challenging myself, trying new things and I’m very passionate about sustaining the Welsh language especially due to the fact I’ve come from a non-Welsh speaking family.”
“I am delighted and eager to start on the campaigns that I will be organising and just want to really raise awareness about issues regarding sustainability today, such as recycling waste, energy, and just want to help promote how students could live a better and clean life,” added Elan Rees- Lewis, the Carmarthen Events & Campaigns Inter and Business Management student.
According to Saskia Judd, a second year Archaeology student and Lampeter Events & Campaign Intern: “I wanted to take part in the INSPIRE internships because it gives me more of a platform to have my ideas heard.”
Rachel Morgan, Design and Blog Intern and Fine Art student said: “Alongside my interest in sustainability, I wanted to develop my creative skillset further and in ways I don’t typically get to do on my degree.”
Ffion-Brooke Thomas, a Creative Advertising student, and Swansea Evaluation & Accreditation Intern also stated: “I want to gain experience that’s not working in retail or hospitality, and more specifically in my subject area.”
Laura Yates, Student Opportunities Co-ordinator for UWTSD Students’ Union said:
“As a past INSPIRE Intern for 3 years consecutively when I was a student in Lampeter (2015-2018) it was a programme that really highlighted for me many issues to do with sustainability that I was not aware of.”
“Now as a full-time member of staff within the UWTSD SU, I am fortunate to line manage three of the interns based at Carmarthen, and I feel this is a fitting 'full circle' situation. I can pass on my knowledge and experience, whilst also encouraging and supporting the Interns to develop their own skills, support them with their ideas and create opportunities & new experiences for themselves which they may not have had access to without this programme.”
“The work all the Interns have done so far has been fantastic. They have all hit the ground running, shown passion and interest in their area of work, and we are now starting to see some of the amazing and innovative work being produced from their research within their specific role. We are also very excited to put everything they have worked on together as a team in a huge 'Go Green Week' awareness campaign coming up in May.”
Professor Dylan Jones, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the University’s Sustainability Committee said: “The University has embedded the principles of the sustainable development in our learning and teaching. The INSPIRE internship programme supports the University’s aim of providing our students with a range of experiences to develop their employability skills, and to use such skills to promote sustainable practice across UWTSD. The 10 interns appointed demonstrate a passion and enthusiasm for their roles and we look forward to working with them and the Students’ Union”.
Note to Editor
ABOUT INSPIRE:
The University has been working alongside other universities across the UK through the Higher Education Academy's Green Academy programme to embed sustainability within its core operations and culture. Our ‘fit for the future’ framework aims to embed sustainable development through our curriculum, campus, community and culture.
Through INSPIRE we aim to:
- develop curriculum-related delivery to ensure that our students are provided with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will equip them for their future contribution to the economy, community and environment;
- develop our campuses to the highest standards of environmental performance
- contribute to our communities by giving particular regard to issues of sustainable rural communities and the development of south-west Wales as a low carbon region
- develop a research and innovation capacity focused on the core strengths of the University.
Further Information
Lowri Thomas, Principal Communications and PR Officer
07449 998476
