University of Westminster shortlisted for prestigious 2025 Green Gown Awards

Two Westminster projects, Denim and Sustainable Innovation and the Growing Spaces Group, have been named finalists in the Creating Impact category which recognises institutions that have achieved significant sustainability-related outcomes, on-campus or within their community, using minimal and/or limited resources.

Run by Denise Francis-Brown, Donna Kernan and Nicola Mansfield, the Denim and Sustainable Innovation initiative is part of the University’s Integrated Sustainable Denim Project couched within the Fashion courses in the School of Arts. 

Uniting 15 colleagues and over 300 students from Fashion, Business, Design and Marketing courses across Westminster, the project centres around the repurposed Conscious Fashion Space (CFS) at the University’s Harrow Campus. The CFS was renovated in 2023 as a sustainable fashion hub combining retail, exhibition and workshop functions. Using the space, the project has hosted a variety of exhibitions, including Denim is Art in 2025, which gave over 140 students the chance to display their work. It has also inspired wider university collaboration, including a new partnership between Fashion students and the Cavendish Living Lab which sees students work together to create sustainable materials out of waste to advance sustainable innovation in fashion.

Denim is Art exhibition at the Conscious Fashion Space

Caroline Curtis, Assistant to the Head of Westminster School of Arts, said: “The Fashion team at Westminster are thrilled to have been selected as a finalist for the Green Gown award. This interdisciplinary project is growing year on year and not only brings together over 300 students and colleagues in Fashion, but also collaborates with Life Sciences and Fashion companies. New funding is enabling a new partnership between Fashion and the Cavendish Living Lab and plans are underway to strengthen our submission, and we are all hoping to be crowned winners later in the year.”

Another project to be shortlisted is the University’s Growing Spaces Group (GSG). Led by Matthew Dark in the Marylebone Student Centre, the initiative invites students and colleagues to swap screens for soil and reconnect with nature right in the heart of the city across the University’s Marylebone, Cavendish and Harrow campuses. Their green spaces offer a vital pause from academic and professional pressures, giving participants the chance to unwind, recharge and grow - literally and figuratively.

Starting in 2023, the GSG has run inclusive, year-round gardening sessions, giving students and colleagues the chance to get involved with sowing seeds, potting up plants, harvesting fresh produce and tidying beds. Through the project they have also had the opportunity to explore the community, enhance wellbeing and create a more sustainable campus culture. 

Growing Space on the University's Marylebone Campus

Matthew Dark, Customer Experience Manager, said: “From nest weaving and seed planting to potting on and tidying, there is something to do year-round at the growing space. The impact the space has had and the feedback we've received has been incredible. It's a great space for networking with like-minded colleagues and students, allowing you to get outside and away from the screens that many of us are fixed to each day.”

The University’s long-running Democratic Education Network (DEN) was shortlisted in the Student Engagement category which reflects students and colleagues working together to strengthen understanding and engagement across an institution. Founded and run by Dr Farhang Morady, Reader in International Development, DEN empowers students to become global changemakers through extracurricular student engagement. 

DEN’s key initiatives include an annual international student conference, a student-led online magazine and a published book series featuring student contributions. Since 2016 and over 1,000 students later, DEN continues to publish their annual book which addresses key themes including education, student engagement, sustainability and equity. 

The forthcoming 2025 edition, Just Futures: Sustainability, Inclusivity and Education, features contributions from across the UK, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and several other countries, reflecting the network’s global reach and collaborative ethos.  

Dr Morady with attendees at DEN International Student Conference

In addition to DEN’s shortlisting, Dr Morady has been named as a finalist in the Green Gown’s Sustainability Champion – Staff category which recognises people at any level who have implemented one or several sustainability projects or initiatives. It celebrates those who have made a positive impact to their peers, institution, students, local community and local workforce.

Dr Morady has spent over two decades developing innovative approaches to experiential learning and international collaboration. His research explores international political economy and development, with a key focus on the interplay between the global economy and politics and its impact on the state and development in the Middle East. 

Dr Morady said: "I’m delighted that both DEN and I have made it to the final round of the Green Gown Awards. This recognition is a testament to the creativity, commitment and collaboration of our students and colleagues. It highlights the impact of inclusive, student-led initiatives in promoting sustainability through education, research and community engagement."

The University of Westminster was previously shortlisted for the Green Gown Awards 2023 for three applications within the Tomorrow’s Employees and Student Engagement categories. The shortlisted initiatives were the Cavendish Living Lab, the Architecture + Cities’ Mental Health, Design and Wellbeing Co-Design Workshop and the University’s involvement in the annual London Student Sustainability Conference. 

The initiatives at the University of Westminster contribute directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, 4: Quality Education and 13: Climate Action. 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. 

Learn more about Westminster’s commitment to sustainable development.