Archive for category: Estate Services

Meet Fariha Aasam, Waste Manager in the Facilities Directorate at the University of Leeds. Fariha joined the University in December 2023 and is focusing on making waste management more sustainable at the University.

Describe your job in a few sentences.

I am responsible for managing the waste contract of university and developing and implementing effective waste management strategies to minimise environmental impact and ensure compliance with regulations. I coordinate waste collection, recycling programs, and disposal methods on campus.

I also collaborate with departments to raise awareness about sustainable practices and promotes a culture of waste reduction among students, faculty, and staff. Additionally, I analyse waste data, track trends, and recommend improvements to enhance the University’s overall environmental sustainability efforts.

Can you tell us about a project you’re currently working on?

Right now, I’m working on how we can improve the rates of recycling at the University and how we can make students and staff aware about re-using, recycling and reducing waste.

What aspects of your job do you think are most important to people at the University?

My role is really collaborative in nature because I have to work with departments across the University, like the Cleaning team and the Sustainability team. I work with students and staff to help make processes more sustainable and to raise awareness of sustainable practice. We need to make people aware of how they can reduce waste before it’s been produced by re-using, recycling and re-thinking if we need to buy something.

It’s inspiring to see the campus community come together to make a collective effort towards a greener and cleaner environment.

What part of the job are you looking forward to most this year?

I am enthusiastic about implementing circular economy principles to reduce the University’s waste footprint. I’m looking forward to creating a more sustainable system where waste is being minimised and resources are being used more efficiently.

We are also well underway in our work for the University’s Climate Plan, which is a real priority for the University. It’s exciting to work on something that holds such importance, not just for the University of Leeds, but for everyone, and I’m looking forward to seeing how much progress we make over the next 12 months.

Can you tell us a bit about your background before you joined the University?

I am an environmentalist with over nine years of experience in waste management industry. In 2018, I received an Erasmus Plus Scholarship from the European Union to study a Masters in Urban Climate and Sustainability.

After that I worked with NHS Scotland on implementation of circular economy in procurement to make of healthcare sector sustainable. Most recently, I completed an MSc in Climate Justice from Glasgow Caledonian University.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy the collaborative nature of what I do. I work with students, staff and the different departments within the University every day. I get to speak with so many different people, which is amazing. I’m excited to see how we can work together to create more impact.

Knowing that the work I do today will have a positive impact on the university and the environment for years to come is incredibly satisfying. It’s about leaving a legacy of sustainable practices for future generations.

Find out more about the University’s net zero goals.

The University of Leeds has recently shared its Net Zero Delivery Plan, with the Facilities Directorate leading the work to deliver a net zero estate.

As part of the Climate Plan, agreed in 2021, the University has committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The plan includes several major new projects and marks an investment of £153 million by the University.

Enabling work has begun and designs can be finalised for projects to help reduce emissions. The main building work will begin in 2025.

How are we committing to Net Zero Delivery Plan?

Initial projects as part of the University’s net zero commitment include:

• Investing in new renewable energy generation to provide our grid electricity requirements across campus. The first phase of this will match our current grid electricity usage, cutting emissions by nearly 2,000 tonnes CO2e per year.
• Upgrading the Worsley Building, one of the highest energy consuming buildings on campus, by installing solar panels and a heat recovery ventilation system to reduce energy use associated with heat loss, reducing emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes CO2e per year.
• Developing a new localised energy centre for the engineering cluster of buildings, reducing emissions by emissions by nearly 1,000 tonnes CO2e per year.
• Securing an increased electrical supply to campus from Northern Powergrid that will enable us to address the decarbonisation of our heating network.

You can read the Net Zero Delivery Plan by clicking on this link.

The Grounds and Gardens team have been commended for their efforts in maintaining the University of Leeds’ sports pitches in a new report.

The Football Assessment report, powered by the Football Foundation, looked into six sports pitches at Bodington Football Hub and Bodington Playing Fields to offer support to improve the standard and maintenance of pitches. 

The pitches were graded at Advanced or High, which is a credit to our Grounds and Gardens team, who are responsible for managing and maintaining the green estate at the University.  

Grassroots sports boost

The Bodington Football Hub site, which opened in October last year in a boost to grassroots sport in Leeds, includes three full-size, artificial 3G floodlit football pitches, car parking and a pavilion with changing facilities. 

The Bodington Playing Fields host more sports pitches which are regularly used by University staff and students as well as local community clubs to use for rugby, football and ultimate frisbee.

Just three miles north of the main University of Leeds campus, the site is also home to the Brownlee Centre, the UK’s first purpose-built triathlon training centre and Bodington Cycle Circuit, one of the longest in the country.  

Find out more about Sports Parks at the University of Leeds.

The University of Leeds has achieved a Gold status and is a winner in the Universities, Colleges and Further Establishments category at this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom

Thanks to the hard work of the Estates and Sustainability teams, the University achieved a Gold award for its variety of well-maintained planted areas around campus, the volume of green space and future plans for the creation of green walls.

Yorkshire in Bloom – the regional body representing the Britain in Bloom – organises its annual competition encouraging schools, businesses and other community groups to create pleasant natural environments around them.

Sustainability was a major focus of the University’s submission, with significant interest paid to the Living Lab Sustainability Garden and the involvement of members of the University community in sustainability efforts around campus.

The award marks another successful result for the University in the Yorkshire in Bloom competition, winning Gold in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Find out more about the Grounds and Gardens team.

The FMSD is the new online process that enables people to report maintenance jobs across the estate, and informs those who carry out the work what the jobs are. It is an integrated workflow management system.  

The Facilities Directorate bought the system from Planon, a company that offers a range of software products. They chose their Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) software because it focuses on asset and maintenance management.  

The University uses the Planon system for other activities, including desk booking and space management. 

This is the first implementation of the Planon maintenance function. The next will support the University’s Health and Safety requirements. 

Is the system live?

No not yet. There is a huge amount of work going on to enable the system. Much of this is around the interface of the CAFM software with SAP and other University online systems.  

The system is housed on the Estates website and requires the design of a complex webpages linking to the CAFM software housed on the Planon website.

Who uses the FMSD?

• Staff who would usually contact the Estates Helpdesk via phone, SAP or email to report a maintenance issue. 
• Staff who receive and schedule maintenance jobs. 
• The FD’s Maintenance team and external contractors, i.e those who carry out the maintenance and compliance jobs, and their managers.  

What are the benefits of the FMSD?  

Efficiency: 

• Replacing an admin-intensive, paper-based system, the FMSD enables the assignment of jobs to colleagues such as plumbers and joiners working in the Maintenance team through their mobile device . 

Transparency: 

• Staff will be able to view maintenance jobs raised in their building in the system meaning that that facilities managers and others can plan, execute and monitor all activities involved in reactive and planned preventative maintenance. 

User-friendly:  

• People logging jobs enter the system through a webpage that has clear icons prompting a set of questions related to the types of jobs. 

Enables Health & Safety: 

• Supports the FD in keeping buildings and assets in the required technical and functional condition. A safe workplace enables everyone to do their jobs effectively. 

Environmental  

• Well-maintained facilities use less energy and produce less waste.  

Helps achieve business objectives: 

Aim three of Our Way Ahead: 

• We will deliver our services staying focused on the needs of our communities and on environmental and financial sustainability.  
• We will focus our services to reflect the expectations, needs and experience of students, staff and the wider University communities while ensuring they operate in an efficient and sustainable way. 
• Shaping our services to be focused on the experience of the user, we will continually look at opportunities to improve service delivery. 

Read the Facilities Directorate business plan – Our Way Ahead.