Flower meadow

Gold for University in Yorkshire in Bloom Awards

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 The University of Leeds has been awarded Gold status and is a category winner in the annual Yorkshire in Bloom Awards.  

Judges from the regional body representing the Britain in Bloom campaign gave special mention to the University’s partnership working, particularly with students and staff. This includes work by the student biodiversity ambassadors, who map and create plans surrounding biodiversity on campus and within residences, and projects such as the North Hill Well Wood project, which was completed this year. 

The accessibility of our gardens and the signs within them, our mature trees and the encouragement of biodiversity around campus, particularly at Roger Stevens Pond, were also singled out.  

James Wright, Senior Maintenance Manager said: 

“Our campus – at the heart of the city – is a haven for wildlife and contains plenty of spaces for staff, students and visitors to relax in.  

“Our planting is carefully considered, and we are very pleased to achieve this recognition.” 

 

Mike Leonard, Residential Property Manager, University of Leeds said: 

“We are very grateful to Yorkshire in Bloom for this recognition of our work to create a welcoming and well-maintained campus.  

“Collaboration is key to our success, working with teams in Estates, Residential and Sustainability Services, alongside students and external organisations such as Buglife; Yorkshire Wildlife Trust; Hedgehog-Friendly Campus and Groundwork Yorkshire, so we can make spaces that have a positive impact on wellbeing as well as the environment “

 This is not the first time that the University of Leeds has received great results for Yorkshire in Bloom, winning gold awards in both 2017 and 2019.  

Judges said: 

“The most surprising element of visiting Leeds University campus is the ability to forget that you are in the centre of a major city whilst being surrounded by greenery and tranquillity.”

Find out more about our Grounds and Gardens Team

Sustainable garden team

Accessible makeover for the Sustainable Garden

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Ayesha Fitzwilliam Hall, an apprentice in the Grounds and Gardens team, spotted an opportunity to develop her skills by redesigning and refreshing the Sustainable Garden, a much loved area of campus which had become overgrown following COVID-19 lockdowns.

She has worked with her colleagues and the Sustainability service to redesign the space to improve accessibility and usability. This includes the introduction of raised planting areas, new furniture to support workshops and learning, and establishing new edible planting to ensure that the space is ready to welcome students and staff back to campus in 2022.

Ayesha said:

“The Sustainable Garden is a wonderful area but lockdowns and fewer people on campus had an impact on its usability. I enjoyed leading a team of colleagues on the redesign work to make sure that the space was once again a great place for everyone on campus. The bigger task though, has been restoring the garden in line with the University’s sustainability principles. It’s hard work but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. I hope to welcome lots of people to enjoy and volunteer in the space over the next year.”

More improvements will be added over the coming weeks and months, including a wellbeing area, with a view to bringing back regular volunteer gardening sessions for staff and students through this term and beyond.

Find out more about the Sustainability service at the University of Leeds.

Robert Bradley and Weetwood floodlight

New low carbon floodlights latest step to Net Zero by 2030

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Low energy LED floodlights recently installed at Sports Park Weetwood – part of the University of Leeds – are set to reduce carbon emissions by 6.7 tonnes a year.

Their installation is among the latest activity in the work by Estates and Facilities to move the campus towards delivering net zero emissions by 2030, a key commitment of the University Climate Plan. 

The LED floodlights use less electricity than previous equipment and have greater light output, which means fewer fittings need to be installed. They also have a longer life span.

It is estimated the new lights will save 29,879 kWh of energy per year, which equates to a reduction of 6.7 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.

Ann Allen, Director of Campus Innovation and Development said:

“All the work that we do makes a difference to students and staff however our work to move the campus towards delivering net zero by 2030 is the biggest single project by the Estates and Facilities team to make a difference to our planet and is at the core of the University’s Climate Plan.”

“It includes the targeted refurbishment of buildings, the installation of low carbon technologies and solar panels across the estate – including sports facilities like those at Weetwood – and the electrification of our vehicle fleet.”

“This work builds on activity over many years to save electricity across the breadth of the Leeds campus including installation of LED lighting and working with Faculties to use out campus more effectively.”

Reducing carbon emissions across the University

Other activity to reduce emissions – outlined in the recent Climate Plan quarterly report – includes work to develop a new heating, cooling and ventilation policy to reduce energy use. A shutdown of the steam network over the summer months contributed towards a 15% reduction in emissions between June and August 2022.

University Residences have begun a programme of low energy lighting upgrades, starting at Lupton.

A major project is currently underway to assess the opportunities for building retrofit and heat pump installation across campus to reduce energy demand, alongside identification of opportunities to install further solar panels on University buildings.

Further work has been commissioned including a report into climate resilience on campus, and an analysis of electrical requirements over the next 25 years.

 

The Edge's newly refurbished fitness suite

The Edge ready for new term with major refurbishment

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The Edge’s new facilities – which include a complete upgrade of cardiovascular and resistance equipment – are now complete and ready for use.

The improvements position it as one of the premier health and wellbeing centres in the city.

The new layout of the fitness suite provides more space for strength and resistance training and spin studio has been refurbished with a new layout and bikes.

Flooring and lighting have been replaced to create a warm and inviting atmosphere and a new sound system to create a better ambiance.

Suzanne Glavin, Head of Sport & Physical Activity, said:

“This major update helps The Edge to stand out from competitors to an even greater extent. It is essential that we cater to the ever-changing needs of our customers, and currently there is a focus in fitness on strength and functional equipment, which we have met by including equipment such as a master centre rig.”

Jon Webster, Site Manager for Sewell Construction said;

“We’re proud to play a part in this development, which will help improve leisure facilities for staff and students at the University of Leeds, as well as the wider community.

“As with all our schemes, sustainability and carbon impact are high on our agenda, and we have ensured that any waste from site has been disposed of in a responsible way. Across all our sites we strive for 96% being diverted from landfill and we hope this will continue to be improved even further.”

Find out more about The Edge and Sport & Physical Activity at the University of Leeds.

Rosa Quintana on Parkinson steps

National Cleaning Operative of the Year award for Leeds’ Rosa Quintana

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Rosa Quintana – whose recent exhibition ‘Unobtrusive Impact’ at Leeds University Union won widespread acclaim – has been named Cleaning Operative of the Year by the British Association of Cleaning in Higher Education (BACHE). 

The award acknowledges those who have performed their role to a high degree of professionalism throughout the year, and who may have shown initiative in contributing to the student experience and outside the normal requirements of their role.

Rosa said:

“I’m very happy to receive this award and want to thank Jill Roberts, Head of Cleaning Services, for nominating me and for all her support.

“Mostly though, I want to say thank you to my colleagues in the cleaning team who let me photograph them and tell their stories. I wanted to show students, staff and visitors what we do and how essential we are to the success of the University.

“I also wanted to shine a spotlight on these amazing individuals from all over the world who are often quite ‘invisible’ – their lives, their hopes and fears.”

Professional photographer Rosa started work at the University in 2017 after coming to Leeds with her son from Spain, when he started at university in the city.

Jill Roberts, Head of Cleaning Services – part of the Facilities Directorate at the University of Leeds – said:

“Like all our cleaning team, Rosa brings skill and commitment to her work and thoroughly deserves this award.

“I was so pleased when she came to me with the idea of the exhibition, which highlights the essential role of cleaning teams everywhere.

“This was very evident during the pandemic when Rosa’s photographs were taken.  The essential functions of the University continued and my team – and many others in the Facilities Directorate – had to keep going, adapting to new guidelines.”

The award ceremony took place last night at Manchester Metropolitan University, organised by BACHE.

Praise for ‘Unobtrusive Impact’

People across the University took to email and social media to praise the exhibition:

“Really lovely work, and I particularly liked reading about some of the people in the pictures.”

(Gareth Dant, Head of Media Relations)

“I am so very proud of Rosa and what she has done for the cleaning industry….She really put us on the map. Well done to Rosa she is a really inspirational member of staff. She is very valued in our team and throughout cleaning services.”

(Theresa Fahy, Operations Team Leader, Cleaning Services)

 “This is amazing…awesome shift of perspectives, the crucial work of our cleaning colleagues.”

(Harriet Boatwright, Learning & Development Adviser)

 

Find out more about Rosa’s exhibition

The William Henry Bragg Building exterior at night

Official opening for Sir William Henry Bragg Building

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The Sir William Henry Bragg Building had its official opening on Monday 6 June 2022.

Marked by a series of events as part of the opening ceremony, the building is home to the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and a state-of-the-art integrated teaching and research facility, designed to help the University achieve its strategic aim of making a positive difference in the world.

Open for use in October last year, it has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainability. The light-filled atrium provides social breakout and collaboration space for staff and students, including the 1915 Café.

How ‘The Bragg’ was built

Work began in May 2017 with the clearance of an office building, plumbing and locking workshops and an old boiler house.

The Portland stone façade of the Grade II listed Old Mining Building, built in 1930, was retained and incorporated into the design, blending the past with the present.

Behind it, a walkway connects a new seven-storey glass and steel complex with teaching rooms and laboratories.

At the heart of the design is a desire to break down traditional boundaries. In robotics, for example, the new space will allow computer science experts to work with colleagues from electronic, electrical and mechanical engineering.

This theme is reflected in a sculpture by artist Sara Barker on an exterior wall called ‘The Worlds of If’, a reference to the possibilities unlocked when experts share ideas.

Cutting-edge facilities

When finalised, the building will house:

  • A mock operating theatre where engineers can work with clinicians on robots for medicine and healthcare.
  • The Wolfson Imaging Facility which will enable scientists to see molecules interacting in real time in more detail than ever before.
  • Work in the Bragg Centre for Materials Research will help establish the UK as a centre for the design and manufacture of new advanced materials to solve some of the big problems facing the world.
  • The University is a founding partner of the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, and the Institute’s work at Leeds will be co-located in the building with the Bragg Centre for Materials Research. Work will focus on manipulating and developing materials at the scale of individual atoms.

About the Braggs

The Braggs were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915 for their pioneering research at Leeds. Their work involved the proposal of an equation that allowed the position of atoms within crystals to be determined from X-ray photographs.

Take a look at the Bragg Building in action…

Find out more about the construction of The Sir William Henry Bragg Building.

Flood management group photo in front of sign

University flood management scheme is first in UK

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A natural flood management facility at the Brownlee Triathlon Centre, University of Leeds, has now completed.

The first of its kind in the UK, it will reduce flood risk in the area and make it more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Some of the measures include the planting of 5,000 trees, creating leaky barriers, installing a balancing pond and wetland areas, and improving site drainage which help to slow the flow of water and increase flood resilience in the area.

James Wright from Estates and Facilities, whose team supported the construction and planting phases, liaising with academic colleagues to coordinate soil sampling, said:

“As well as helping to reduce flood risk, this fantastic new development provides a ‘living lab’ for research and teaching at the University of Leeds and contributes to the understanding of flood management at a national level.

“The trees act as a shield to stop and slow rainfall before it reaches the ground and increase carbon capture and storage capacity, providing valuable habitats for local wildlife.

“The University is working towards a Net Zero by 2030 campus.”

Colleagues from Sport & Physical Activity also supported the construction of the project.

Michael Howroyd, Sustainability Projects Officer at the University of Leeds, added:

“The site at Bodington Fields will be invaluable to academics and students, providing hands on research opportunities and data, whilst also providing benefits for local residents, biodiversity and climate.

“The project is a fantastic example of how collaboration across stakeholders can make use of University land for world class research and teaching, which will have an impact across the wider city region and beyond.”

Flood management woodland sign

Partnership working

The project has been delivered through a collaboration between the University of Leeds, the Environment Agency, and Leeds City Council and is the second phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme which aims to better protect 1,048 homes and 474 businesses from flooding along the River Aire.

Studies are being carried out by the University of Leeds on how to optimise tree densities and to better understand how to improve the survival of young trees as they develop into mature woodland.

The Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme Natural Flood Management Project is funded by Leeds City Council and aims to deliver natural flood management measures across the Upper Aire Catchment to help slow and store the flow of heavy rainfall and flood waters.

Find out more about Bodington Fields and the natural flood management work conducted by the University of Leeds

Rosa Quintana standing on the University precinct

New exhibition shows cleaning staff in pandemic

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An exhibition of photographs by one of the University cleaning team shows her colleagues working on campus during the pandemic.

Rosa Quintana’s striking images depict staff – often appearing alone – from 2020 to 2021, when many people were working from home.

Like many others, particularly in the Facilities Directorate – including those working in Estates and Facilities, Catering Services and Residential Services – the cleaning team kept the campus running, responding at short notice to changing guidelines.

Rosa’s inspiration

Rosa is a professional photographer from Spain who has lived in Leeds for six years. She said:

“I wanted to show the quiet impact of the team, working in every building doing essential work. This felt particularly acute during the pandemic but we do important work every day.

“We cover morning, afternoon and evening shifts, seven days a week, and I wanted to put on record the different types of jobs we do, particularly as they relate to the different functions of the spaces we clean.

“Although in some of my photographs the architecture of the buildings and the locations dominate the image, the most import aspect is the person you can find if you look closely. These are the cleaners, who make our spaces clean, safe and more comfortable.

Getting to know the team

One of Rosa’s objectives was to get to know her colleagues better and to allow us, as viewers, to do the same. Her captions tell of her colleagues’ lives outside work, their hobbies and their hopes for the future.

Some also talk about previous jobs – seamstress, carpenter, physiotherapist – and about their dreams: owning their own business, studying to be a nurse, teaching in the classroom they are cleaning.

The cleaning team comprises over 350 people, covering all academic buildings on the main University campus. They are essential to the smooth running of the University and to the staff and student experience, providing a professional service to create an attractive and hygenic space for us all.

Jill Roberts, Head of Cleaning Services, said:

“I’m very proud of my hard-working team. Our work helps to enable the University to be one of the best in the country yet we are often unseen, working away in the background. Rosa’s photographs highlight this beautifully.”

 

Cleaner cleaning window ledge with a view of the Leeds cityscape

‘Unobtrusive Impact’ opens in Leeds University Union

‘Unobtrusive Impact’ is in the Leeds University Union Building, next to the Refectory, from 23 May.

Find out more about Rosa Quintana or visit her Facebook page.

Let us know if you get a chance to visit by sharing your thoughts on social media, using the hashtag #FDImpact.

 

Please note, this exhibition has now finished. Thanks for your support.

Bodington Football Hub group visit

Bodington Football Hub reaches milestone

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Construction works have reached the halfway point at Bodington Football Hub, a major new facility at the University that will support grassroots sport in the city.

Representatives from the University, the Football Foundation and Sewell Construction gathered last week to mark the development’s four-team changing pavilion reaching its ‘topping out’ phase.

Suzanne Glavin, Head of Sport and Physical Activity at the University of Leeds, said:

“This is an important milestone in the creation of this key sports facility for the people of Leeds, including our students.

“We are grateful to our partners and excited that it is another step towards inspiring our community to become more active and involved in sport.”

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said:

“This site at Bodington is a great example of investment from our partners, the Premier League, the FA, Government and Sport England, improving grassroots facilities across the country. This funding will enable more people to enjoy the benefits of playing regular sport.”

Community sport a core focus for new build

Made possible thanks to investment from the University and a £4.2m grant from the Premier League, the Football Association and the Football Foundation, the site will feature three full-size LED floodlit football turf pitches, a pavilion with community café, and extensive parking.

Chris Soper, Joint Managing Director for Sewell Construction added:

“It was great to see such progress on site, especially with the pavilion taking shape and the final pieces of structure being laid to the highest point.

“This facility is going to be such a welcome boost to both grassroots sport in Leeds, and the wider community, and I know I’m speaking on behalf of the whole team when we say we’re proud to be the ones bringing a sports development of this scale to fruition.

“Once complete, it will support community engagement and wellbeing, and we can’t wait for our partners and end-users to see it all come together over the next few months.”

Bodington Football Hub group visit

Left to right: Dave Major – Project Manager, Sewell Construction; Brian Ford – Head of Capital Development, University of Leeds; Will Wallace – Football Foundation; Ella Williams – LUUWAFC Captain & LUU Sports Rep; Gawaine Mackenzie-Hogg – Outdoor Operations Manager, University of Leeds; Chris Soper – Joint Managing Director, Sewell Construction; Steve Grime – Head of Football, University of Leeds; Carl Hurdus – Site Manager, Sewell Construction

The Bodington Playing Fields site is located three miles north of the main University campus, and 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.

Once completed later this year, the new site will be home to partner clubs from across the city.

Find out more about Bodington Football Hub.

Roger Stevens lecture theatre refurb

Designed to inspire: new teaching spaces open

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An innovative new lecture theatre designed to inspire and encourage collaborative learning has opened for teaching.

Digital technology

The exciting new space, one of three now open at the iconic Roger Stevens Building, is equipped to make best practice use of digital technology – enriching the learning environment and enabling group activities and hybrid learning.

This is a key factor in both the University’s determination to build a fairer future for all  and to redefine the curriculum.

Roger Stevens refurb desks

Student feedback

We listened to feedback from students about recently updated teaching spaces elsewhere in Roger Stevens and in Mechanical Engineering.

Steve Gilley, Director of Estate & Facilities, University of Leeds said:

“We listened to feedback from students about recently updated teaching spaces elsewhere in Roger Stevens and in Mechanical Engineering.

“The new lecture theatres reflect what they have told us they need, from simple additions like coat hooks and more space for bags to the exciting technology that encourages collaborative learning.

“We look forward to hearing what academic colleagues and students think of these new areas.”

Roger Stevens refurb

A closer connection to nature

Like other spaces around the University, a green wall has been incorporated as a key part of the interior.

Research has found that biophillic design – the practice of creating a closer connection to nature through the ways building and landscapes are created and built – has a positive effect on wellbeing.

Flexible seating encourages collaboration between students with ‘review space’ so that teaching staff can move around easily, and each student desk has its own lighting, USB port, and laptop available.

Find out more about the University’s determination to build a fairer future for all.