The Greener Future Leaders team from the Grosvenor-funded Greener Futures Project at the University of Westminster’s Cavendish Living Lab (CLL) recently participated in the Fitzrovia Fête, where they engaged with the local community through an interactive stand on sustainable material innovation. As part of their outreach, the team also ran hands-on workshops at local centres for school children attending summer camps.
Funded by the Westminster City Council, Fitzrovia Fête is an annual community festival featuring live music, performances, workshops and family-friendly activities to celebrate Fitzrovia's creativity and community spirit.
This year, the festival took place on 10 August and its theme, Pulling Together, focused on connection, collaboration and collective cheer. The CCL team hosted a stall titled Bioplastics to Fabric, introducing visitors to their roles and sharing how their research connects with sustainable futures. During the day, they ran a hands-on activity on sustainable material innovation where children and adults had the chance to create bio-yarn - a textile fibre derived from biological sources such as algae, that offer a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic yarns. Throughout the session, the team discussed the importance of innovative, eco-friendly materials, and gave everyone a chance to engage creatively with science.
The team was made up of students Soumya Sharma, Priyambada Sinha Roy, Nellmah Sahar, Yumeng Yang, Laima Tokhi and Julia Pinheiro Bassani, who partnered with ProTouch SA to also deliver workshops to school children aged 7-11. ProTouch SA is a community-focused company that runs the Holiday & Active Food (HAF) Programme during school holiday periods, providing children and young people with access to physical activities, food and enrichment opportunities across several London boroughs.
The team’s workshops at the Fitzrovia Community Centre, King Solomon Academy and Acland Burghley School introduced key topics such as sustainable everyday practices, the impacts of climate change and practical ways to help reduce climate change. They also explored the concepts of food miles and food waste, encouraging students to consider where their food comes from and how to minimise waste. Their live hydroponic demonstration also showed an innovative way to grow plants without soil, linking science with sustainability in an accessible way. Children then took part in a range of interactive STEM- related activities designed to reinforce their learning.
The workshops at the summer camps included children from the University’s partner schools and were sponsored by Grosvenor. The interactive stand at the Fitzrovia Fête was sponsored by the Quintin Hogg Trust (QHT).
Public Health BSc Honours student Priyambada Sinha Roy said: “Working as a Greener Future Outreach Leader has been an exciting and rewarding experience. Delivering workshops across London schools on sustainability, food waste reduction and urban farming, envisioned by the CLL, brings me immense joy. The positive responses from students at the end of each session make me feel proud of the work we are doing for both the community and the environment.”
Laima Tokhi, PhD student in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, added: “I am deeply grateful to have been part of the CLL as a Greener Future Leader. This opportunity not only allowed me to engage young learners with the science and practice of sustainability but also highlighted the importance of translating complex concepts such as food miles, food waste and hydroponic innovation, into accessible, hands-on learning. Working with such an inspiring team reinforced the value of fostering curiosity and encouraging the next generation to adopt sustainable practices in their everyday lives.”
Jules Attanayake from the Development Team at the University of Westminster said; “I am so inspired and impressed that the funding we secured from Grosvenor and the QHT has led to even greater outreach in the community on the importance of reducing food waste and sustainability in fashion. We are upskilling over 700 schoolchildren in partner schools across Westminster over two years, through interactive workshops in sustainability. Through the passion and drive of our CLL team of academics and Student Outreach Leaders, we are now delivering this Knowledge Exchange even wider and further, to local communities.”
The workshops directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, 4: Quality Education and 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about the Cavendish Living Lab at Westminster.
To find out how to support the Cavendish Living Lab, please email the Development team.
To find out how to support the initiatives at the University of Westminster, please visit Westminster Donate.
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