Westminster City Council has generously awarded the University of Westminster’s Cavendish Living Lab £14,000 through the Westminster Climate Fund’s Greener Living category. The grant will fund the Lab’s new project, The Green Pathway: Community Food, Wellbeing and Leadership for a Sustainable Future, enabling students to take on paid roles as Climate Champions to lead sustainability workshops for local communities.
Through a structured train-the-trainer-style programme, students will develop essential skills in teaching, facilitation, leadership and communication, enabling them to engage with community members and co-deliver impactful sessions. The Climate Champions will bridge the gap between the University and local communities to help drive change, promote inclusive education and help build a healthier, greener future.
The Climate Champions will also support fellow recipients of the Greener Living Scheme, including local businesses, charities and community organisations.
The funding strengthens Westminster’s commitment to community-led climate resilience and provides students with hands-on experience in environmental engagement, public health and sustainability communication.
The project aligns with the priorities set out by the Westminster Climate Assembly, the UK’s first university-based citizens’ assembly on climate, which brought together a representative group from its community to agree on the future direction of the University’s climate action.
About the funding, Dr Pooja Basnett, Senior Lecturer and Co-course leader for Biological Sciences BSc Honours and Project Lead for the Cavendish Living Lab, said: “We at the Cavendish Living Lab are delighted to collaborate with the other recipients of the Greener Living Scheme, funded by Westminster City Council. This is a huge opportunity for higher education to work alongside businesses, organisations and local communities to drive meaningful change. Our Westminster Climate Champions will be involved in a range of sustainability projects, from creating green spaces to promoting upcycled fashion and supporting local communities to build a greener future.”
Sanika Ghayal, one of the Westminster Climate Champions, added: “We're incredibly grateful to Westminster City Council for supporting this initiative through the Westminster Climate Fund. It's exciting to be part of a project that brings students and the local community together through sustainability. As Westminster Climate Champions, we're learning from the people we work with, building meaningful connections and collaborating with local businesses, charities and community organisations, where every partnership brings fresh ideas, new perspectives and opportunities to create lasting impact. It shows that meaningful change happens when people come together with a shared purpose to build a healthier, greener Westminster.”
Jules Attanayake from the University’s Fundraising and Development Team said: “We were delighted to receive this funding, building on our previous award from Westminster Climate Fund’s Decarbonisation category towards new AHU Units within our Cavendish Campus, enhancing our commitment to decarbonising our campuses. Westminster City Council is a much-valued partner and we have also been fortunate to receive funding towards artistic programming in our on-campus arts venue – the Soho Poly. We look forward to building on our partnership with Westminster City Council in the years ahead.”
This project directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4: Quality Education, 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 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.
Find out more about the Cavendish Living Lab at the University of Westminster.
To find out how to support the Cavendish Living Lab, email the Development Team.
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