• Swindon & Wiltshire Eco
• Tuesday November 25 2025

Wiltshire College recognised at national awards for sustainability

Wiltshire College & University Centre has been recognised among leading UK and Irish institutions at the 2025 Green Gown Awards, earning a place on the shortlist for ‘Sustainability Institution of the Year’.

Judges commended the College’s rapid progress and growing leadership in sustainability.

Although the College did not take home the top category award, the panel delivered exceptionally positive feedback.

Judges described Wiltshire College & University Centre as an institution showing remarkable momentum, noting the scale of progress achieved in just three years.

They highlighted the College’s strong regional leadership, innovative technical projects – including the Micro Anaerobic Digester and the Green Skills Innovation Centre – and its commitment to embedding sustainability across all learner groups.

The panel also recognised the positive impact of apprentices bringing sustainable practice into local industries and praised the College for tackling its high-impact areas, such as its agricultural footprint. Overall, the judges felt the College’s ambition and boldness place it firmly among the sector’s leaders in sustainability transformation.

Delivered by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) in association with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Green Gown Awards celebrate outstanding sustainability innovation across further and higher education.

This year’s event brought together 112 finalists from 76 institutions at a ceremony held at the Library of Birmingham on Thursday 6 November.

While the ‘Sustainability Institution of the Year’ titles were awarded to De Montfort University and Nottingham College, the College’s recognition as a national finalist reflects the ambitious work underway across its campuses and community.

Deputy principal Steve Campion attended the awards ceremony alongside Principal and CEO, Iain Hatt, and director of business development, Martin Reeves.

Steve said: “It was a fantastic evening celebrating sustainability across education. Being recognised at this level is a huge achievement, and the judges’ feedback shows we’re making a real impact. We may not have won the top award, but their comments highlight just how far we’ve come in a short time. I’m incredibly proud of our staff, students and partners – their commitment is what makes this progress possible, and we’re determined to keep building on it.”

The judges praised several areas of strength across the College including:

• Rapid progress since launching its sustainability strategy in 2022
• Strong leadership in the region and active involvement in local skills and sustainability partnerships
• Innovative technical projects such as the Micro Anaerobic Digester and Green Skills Innovation Centre
• Embedding sustainability skills across learner groups
• Apprentices sharing effective sustainability practices with employers

The recognition reflects a wide range of sustainability initiatives already implemented across the College – including the installation of more than 800 solar panels across its sites.

The College has also developed the Lackham Eco House with Good Energy, expanded its green skills training, and continued to invest in energy-efficient facilities, EV charging and biodiversity projects across its campuses.

More than £1 million in combined investment, including support from the Department for Education and Wiltshire Council, has helped drive these improvements.

Wiltshire College & University Centre continues to embed sustainability across its curriculum, campus operations and community as it works towards its targets to halve emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2040.

Pictured: Solar panels at Wiltshire’s Chippenham campus