With the first fresher fairs at UWIC on Monday and with more students returning and being welcomed back into Cardiff each day it seemed like a good idea to welcome everyone back with a quick update about how cardiffdigs.co.uk has been spending it’s summer.
Funding
I am pleased to say that we have secured funding for the Student Liaison Post for three years. Kieran McCann, Student Liaison Officer gave a presentation to the University Quartet (made up of the three university vice chancellors, deputy leader of the council and corporate director) and thanks to our partnership working we have now secured three years of continued funding to work on the actions contained in the Student Community Action Plan.
Get It Out For Cardiff results
The scheme to collect and re-use unwanted items that previously would’ve been destined for the streets or landfill has been a resounding success with over 7.5 tonnes of items collected at halls of residences and the Students Union.
Kitchen bric-a-brac such as utensils and cutlery has been collected for resale
http://cardiffdigs.blogspot.com/2011/09/cardiffs-student-population-responded.html
The scheme also included extra waste collections in Cathays, Roath and Gabalfa over 3 weekends in June with the good news continuing as the amount collected was reduced from 225 tonnes last year to 211 tonnes. The recycling rate also improved from 28% to 31%.
Get it Out scoops Green Apple Award
The Keep Cardiff Tidy partnership that includes cardiffdigs.co.uk have scooped a Green Apple Environment Award in recognition of their on-going contribution to helping the environment through the Get It Out For Cardiff Campaign. The waste management team and Kieran McCann (cardiffdigs.co.uk/Student Liaison Officer) is to be presented with their Green Apple Award trophy at the House of Commons
Waste changes
Cardiffdigs has been giving its full support to waste management to ensure the changes in waste are fully understood and well advertised: http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/waste.htm
You’re In Now What
Just shy of 5,000 social marketing posters have been distributed, via letting agents and landlords/landlords forum, PACT meetings, Students Unions and accommodation offices. It will be used as a full page poster in both the Retro and Gair Rhydd at the start of term and has been well received by the community and stakeholders receiving it.
It provides advice and assistance on the four main issues that concern students: Neighbour relations, Rubbish and recycling responsibilities, Security and Health and safety. Please affix, display and distribute this poster to help facilitate an easier, safer, greener transition for students into the private rented sector and into the community with heightened awareness of social responsibilities. If you haven’t received a poster you can still download it from: http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/download.htm
You’re In Now What – Glamorgan
Our You’re In. Now What? poster has been adapted and produced for our student neighbours in Treforest. It has been printed and distributed by their student safety partnership, the union and university.
Environmental Champions
cardiffdigs.co.uk and waste management have set up a voluntary action group on sustainability issues in preparation for the start of term. http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/environmentalchampions.htm
We are working on action based initiatives around waste and recycling, housing and energy efficiency, sustainable travel, fairtrade, environmental tasks including river clean up’s, green police and many more exciting ideas.
This project is a partnership between www.cardiffdigs.co.uk, SVC and Keep Cardiff Tidy with the aim of making Cardiff a cleaner, greener, safer, more optimistic place filled with civic pride. The projects will work in partnership with the wider community and various supporting organisations.
Kieran McCann and Lucy Prisk are leading on this on a city wide basis and student led initiative. Student have the opportunity to join the group at the SVC fair on the 3rd of October and initially volunteers will look at the waste and recycling changes through door knocking education awareness on the 4th 11th 18th October and then broaden out to include various other environmental initiatives.
Meeting with new sabbatical officers
cardiffdigs.co.uk has now met with all the new relevant sabbatical officers across the three unions, it is exciting to see they are keen and raring to go and have pledged their support with our work, we look forward to working alongside them this year.
Freshers Fair
Cardiffdigs will be attending all freshers fairs so come along and say hello to us on our stand – you might even receive a free cotton re-use bag, keyring, security alarm or poster plus all the student living and housing advice you will ever need for your time here in Cardiff.
Student Safety Partnership
The group has produced a partnership leaflet ready for the start of term with the support of cardiffdigs to ensure our students are aware of safety and security issues and to help them ‘BE Safe’
Additional licensing
Having met with the new sabbatical officers and given them a brief overview of additional licensing it has been decided to run a training session for the new recruits so they are fully briefed on licensing prior to housing advice weeks.
Lock it. Hide it. Keep it.
cardiffdigs is fully endorsing and being endorsed by the police and their Lock it. Hide it. Keep it. campaign and have been working closely with the police over the summer to ensure the start of term runs as smoothly and safety as possible.
PACT
cartdiffdigs has been in attendance at various Partnerships And Communities Together meetings across the city updating the community of recent events and giving out the You’re In posters to help the transition at the start of term.
QR codes and Twitter
cardiffdigs and our media guru Richard Mills have been incorporating QR codes into our literature and posters. They are called Quick response readers and are used by smart phones. They look like a barcode and when scanned take you to a website or associated feature. We have also been tweeting all our good news so don’t forget to follow us @cardiffdigs
Unity news
The 6th edition of Unity news was circulated and the next edition is due around November – A new easier reader for the publication has been installed on the website. http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/unity.htm
Subscribe to e-news
A subscription service to cardiffdigs and the website and Unity news has been set up using mail chimp mailings. Sign up here
It’s been a whirlwind summer but the hope is that we can start the term in a positive way and continue the positive work throughout the year to empower our communities and work to our motto of helping create and contribute to a cleaner, greener, safer, healthier and more optimistic city and lifestyle. Thank you to all our partners and stakeholders who have been sending in updates and assisting with ensuring the term gets off to a positive start.
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