University wins gold for community project
Thursday 18 November 2010
Southampton Solent University’s eco-float, ‘Ernie’, has won another award for helping to spruce up a student area of the city.
The innovative community project picked up the CIPR Pride award for Community Relations in recognition of the work that is being done to manage and improve student waste in the Polygon area of the city during the summer - when students move out of their rented accommodation.
The awards recognise the exceptional work from both agencies and in-house PR teams. Entries are judged against tough criteria by a panel of national industry experts. The judges praised the University for a ‘refreshingly fun and entertaining campaign that tackled a serious community issue’, and particularly liked the way in which the project encouraged students and local people to work together.
Southampton Solent University Community Relations Officer, Melissa Reddington-Cartmell said: “It is wonderful to once again receive recognition for all the hard work that the University and the local community have put into making Eco Ernie a success. It’s a great example of what can be achieved when a community works together.”
With the help of 'Ernie', volunteers from the University, local council, the Central Baptist Church and the local community set up special street collections for students' unwanted clutter. Last summer the recyclable goods – more than three tonnes of shoes, duvets and bedding - were sorted and used to raise funds for local charities.
‘Ernie’ is no stranger to awards - he won the Local Government Chronicle award earlier this year – and has been shortlisted for the Times Higher Educational awards 2010 for its outstanding contribution to the local community. Award winners will be announced at an award ceremony in London on 25 November.
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