Tuesday 30-03-2021 - 14:23

A team of 10 students have taken up roles as INSPIRE Interns. Student volunteers who work with the Students’ Union and University to create sustainable change across UWTSD.

One of which, Rachel, has put together a blog to talk about the project, introduce the team and let you know what they’ll be working on this academic year.

What is INSPIRE and how can we be more sustainable?

 

Written by: Rachel Norman, Blog & Design INSPIRE Intern 20-21

 

INSPIRE was launched in January 2012 to embed sustainability as a core aspect of the university’s framework across curriculum, community, culture and campus. This is a part of a wider scheme of development in Wales, such as The Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) act 2015. This is legislation that pushes for the improvement of social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being in Wales for people now and in the generations to come.

In the past, INSPIRE has led events such as the Big Plant Event, where students are encouraged to take part in planting saplings donated by the Woodland Trust. Another event led by INSPIRE interns is the Blackout, which had students turn all non-essential equipment such as computers, printers and phone chargers before leaving for the weekend. These two events show how INSPIRE is working towards encouraging students to take part in being more environmentally aware.

The INSPIRE program is in place to help guide students into making better choices for the environment. Everyone has the ability to change small aspects of their daily lives to be more sustainable. These don’t have to be grand, expensive gestures but rather simple ones like swapping plastic toothbrushes that don't decompose to bamboo ones or cycling, walking and taking public transport when possible rather than using a car. We all have an obligation to leave the world around us in a better condition than how we received it.

 

Meet the INSPIRE Interns

 

Ffion Hann-Jones 

Carmarthen Campus Project Intern - Promoting the Welsh Language

Elan Rees-Lewis 

Carmarthen Events & Campaigns Intern

Alex Rice

Carmarthen Evaluation & Accreditation Intern

Bradley Sloanes 

Lampeter Campus Intern - Canolfan Tir Glas initiative

Saskia Judd

Lampeter Events & Campaigns Intern

Paul O’Toole

Lampeter Evaluation & Accreditation Intern

Amy Rachel Cooper

Swansea Campus Intern - the 15 Minute Campus initiative

Isabella Faye Wintour

Swansea Events & Campaigns Intern

Ffion Brooke Thomas

Swansea Evaluation & Accreditation Intern

Rachel Norman

Blog and Design Intern

 

 

Ffion Hann-Jones

(She/Her)

 

Role:

Carmarthen Campus Project Intern - Promoting the Welsh Language

What course do you study on? 

I do Primary Education with QTS in Welsh; I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was 3. 

Why did you want to be a part of INSPIRE? 

I wanted to take part because I love challenging myself, trying new things and I’m very passionate about sustaining the Welsh language, especially due to the fact I’ve come from a non-Welsh speaking family. 

What is the importance of sustainability to you? 

Sustainability is important to me because I think recycling, saving electricity and water, making the most of natural resources and reducing pollution is important to make sure generations to come have a planet to live on. 

What’s an interesting fact about you? 

I love to travel. I've been to; Orlando, Miami, NYC, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Portugal, Spain, Paris, Berlin, Ireland and Mexico! 

Elan Rees-Lewis

(She/Her)

 

Role:

Carmarthen Events & Campaigns Intern

What course do you study on? 

I am currently studying level 5 (second year) Business Management at UWTSD, Carmarthen Campus. But this is my 1​st year on the course, as I was studying Criminology at Cardiff last year, but it was not for me, as my passion and interest lie with Business. 

Why did you want to be a part of INSPIRE?

To be completely honest, the internship I tried for was ‘promoting the Welsh language’, but after the interview and realising I was unsuccessful in getting that certain internship, I was offered this role. I am delighted and eager to start on the campaigns that I will be organising; I just want to really raise awareness about issues regarding sustainability today, such as recycling waste, energy, and just want to help promote how students could live a better and cleaner life. 

What is the importance of sustainability to you?

I believe sustainability is important for many reasons including, Environmental Quality. To have healthy communities, we need clean air, natural resources, and a nontoxic environment. Sustainability aims to use our resources efficiently to benefit our campus and community. Also, it’s important that we know our own actions affect our own future. 

What’s an interesting fact about you?

 I qualified as a level 2 swimming teacher when I was in studying A-Levels in school. 

 

Alex Rice

(He/Him)

 

Role:

Carmarthen Evaluation & Accreditation Intern

What course do you study on? 

I am a third-year BA Acting student. 

Why did you want to be a part of INSPIRE? 

I wanted to take part because I've always loved human geography, and nearly took it as a degree, so I'm excited to be able to develop my skills further​. 

What is the importance of sustainability to you? 

Sustainability is important because it is vital to protecting our planet; ensuring that we can look after ourselves now without damaging future generations. It is vital we act now to stop the damage from becoming irreparable. 

What’s an interesting fact about you? 

An interesting fact about me is that I'm a bit of a nerd and have several items from the set from Doctor Who, and have signed props from David Tennant and Billie Piper. 

Bradley Sloanes

(He/Him)

 

Role:

Lampeter Campus Project Intern - Canolfan Tir Glas initiative

What course do you study on? 

I study Politics, Philosophy and Economics on the Lampeter Campus 

Why did you want to be a part of INSPIRE? 

I wanted to take part in the INSPIRE internship because I am passionate about sustainable development and I believe that UWTSD, and the Lampeter campus in my particular case, have so much potential. I am interested in learning more about how large organisations operate when it comes to setting and implementing sustainable development/well-being goals, and INSPIRE seemed like a great opportunity to do just that. 

What is the importance of sustainability to you? 

Sustainability is important to me because I have been lucky enough to grow up in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Gower peninsula, where I developed a keen love of the outdoors, nature and animals. Protecting and regenerating our environment is something that means a great deal to me. Of course, sustainability is about more than protecting our environment, and I have seen how the loss of heavy industry and investment has negatively impacted the area in which I live. This is why I am also passionate about tackling social justice issues and inequality in our communities, which is a huge part of what sustainability means to me. 

What’s an interesting fact about you? 

I spent some of my Summers travelling around Ireland WWOOFing, (not as weird as it sounds, I promise) which stands for worldwide opportunities on organic farms. In exchange for work on their farms, my hosts would teach me about organic farming practices and feed and house me. Eventually, I converted a van into a living space with my partner so we could house ourselves! 

Saskia Judd

(She/Her)

 

Role:

Lampeter Events & Campaigns Intern

What course do you study on? 

I am a second-year archaeology student on the Lampeter campus. 

Why did you want to be a part of INSPIRE? 

I wanted to take part in the INSPIRE internships because it gives me more of a platform to have my ideas heard. 

What is the importance of sustainability to you? 

Sustainability is very important to me; I studied geography at A level, and that put it into perspective how serious the global crisis is. But I've always had a passion for the environment, and was a green officer when I was in yr. 7! Also, this links to my future career hopes as an environmental archaeologist, giving me more experience on the sustainability and environmental front. Sustainability is important to me, and the most important view is individual sustainability. I believe that every person can make small changes to change the world, and that the 'little people' must do something, because big corporations don't consider the environment and sustainability. Sustainability to me also means to have what we want now, but leaving enough for future generations. It's important because if we aren't sustainable now, the future generations will be the ones more so affected. 

What’s an interesting fact about you? 

As for an interesting fact...umm... I'm not sure really. I play the saxophone, which is unique I guess, and I can touch my nose with my tongue. I'm not a very interesting person, I guess; haha. 

Paul O’Toole

(He/Him)

 

Role:

Lampeter Evaluation & Accreditation Intern

What course do you study on? 

I'm currently studying Creative Writing and Philosophy. 

Why did you want to be a part of INSPIRE? 

My reason for taking part is to make an attempt to do what I can to help create a better world for tomorrow. I feel that great importance must be placed on education and awareness on the matter. I feel that educating children in these matters is of the utmost importance and is the foundation needed in order to create a flourishing and perpetually improving world. I am currently conducting research into links between intelligence and sustainability to backup my project. 

What is the importance of sustainability to you? 

Sustainability is of vital importance to me, and should be something taken into consideration by every man, woman and child. This is the world we live in and is an extension of who we are; we should treat the world as we treat ourselves in order to help develop a harmonious and constantly improving environment. 

What’s an interesting fact about you? 

As for myself, alongside my studies, I enjoy creative endeavours. I play the guitar and write songs, create art and have written a novel I'm currently editing. 

Amy Rachel Cooper

(She/Her)

 

Role:

Swansea Campus Project Intern - The 15 Minute Campus initiative

What course are you on? 

Early years and education 

Why did you want to take part? 

Growing up I've always been fascinated by the deep ocean, the Arctic, Antarctic and Amazon rainforest, and it is highly saddening to see life in these places in danger. So I set myself a mission to educate as many people as I possibly can about the issues, and hopefully start a sustainability movement. 

The importance of sustainability to you? 

As someone whose sector is childcare and dreams, of being a mother and grandmother. I want there to be a beautiful, healthy environment for those children to grow up and develop in. The more damage the environment endures the less likely the animals are to survive and possibly even humans. 

And I feel if we get more sustainable now, the world will be a much happier and healthier place for all life on the planet. 

An interesting fact about yourself. 

It's my ultimate dream to go to Mariana Trench and the Bermuda Triangle.

Isabella Faye Wintour

(She/Her)

 

Role:

Swansea Events & Campaigns Intern

What course are you on? 

Events and festival management 

Why did you want to take part? 

I wanted to take part in the internship as I think it’s an amazing opportunity to help share the importance of sustainability and teach people that it’s easier to be sustainable than you think. 

The importance of sustainability to you? 

Sustainably is such an important part of our world. Without sustainability projects, we would be using a lot more resources, causing us both financial problems and negative environmental impacts. It’s important to love the world you live in.

An interesting fact about yourself. 

I have 3 well-known people in my family tree. The first 2 being Thomas and Robert Wintour; they were the 2 men with Guy Fawkes the night he tried to blow up Parliament. And the third is Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue magazine. There’s also a tourist attraction in England named after an ancestor of mine Sir John Wintour, a royalist/ cavalier who made a leap off a cliff on a horse to escape the Roundheads, a group of people who supported the parliament and Oliver Cromwell during the English civil war. 

 

Ffion Brooke Thomas

(She/Her)

 

Role:

Swansea Evaluation & Accreditation Intern

What course are you on? 

Creative Advertising. 

Why did you want to take part? 

I want to gain experience that’s not working in retail or hospitality, and more specifically in my subject area. 

The importance of sustainability to you? 

Sustainability means to me the world is made a better place and making sure we look after it, as we are the only ones who can revive it. 

An interesting fact about yourself. 

I stream on Twitch as dizzyturtle, playing games including CoD, Minecraft and more. 

Rachel Norman

(She/Her)

 

Role:

What course are you on?

I’m studying Fine Art. 

Why did you want to take part? 

Alongside my interest in sustainability, I wanted to develop my creative skillset further, and in ways I don’t typically get to do on my degree. 

The importance of sustainability to you? 

I feel strongly about how we treat the world around us, as we have created so much environmental damage in the last 100 years, that creates a precarious situation for all life on this planet. We need to do more, and we need to do better. 

An interesting fact about yourself.

I speak fluent German and love to travel.