Sustainability Special Interest Group School of Sport and Health Sciences

University of Brighton

Sustainability Special Interest Group School of Sport and Health Sciences (SIG):

• SIG Leader:  Dr Heather Baid, Principal Lecturer.
• SIG members:  Alison Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Joanna Holland, Lecturer, Kathy Martyn, Principal Lecturer, Rachel Forss, Senior Lecturer, Suze Thompson, Clinical Skills Technician, Leonie Harrison, Alumni and clinician representative and Johanna Alvarez, PhD student representative.

The University of Brighton School of Sport and Health Sciences Sustainability Special Interest Group (SIG) brings together a variety of stakeholders, including academic staff, students, technicians, estates and external colleagues from the healthcare sector, neighbouring medical school, sustainability organisations and other universities.  Sustainability achievements include the following outcomes:

• Established sustainable learning, teaching and assessments in the School.
• Embedded sustainability within the curriculum of courses delivered by the School.
• Enabled research about sustainability related to health, healthcare, and sport.
• Enacted sustainability in operational practices within the School.

Examples of unique initiatives led by SIG include hosting the annual SHARE conference (Sustainable Healthcare Academic Research and Enterprise) for the past 10 years, offering sustainability placements and assignments for pre-registration healthcare course students, supporting students to complete the Planetary Health Report Card, a greening the clinical skills room project and offering the post-graduate Sustainable Healthcare Principles module.   

Top 3 Learnings

1. Teamwork has been key to sustainability successes, including collaborating with internal and external colleagues. 
2. Students have been instrumental in bringing innovative ideas and practical suggestions to sustainability initiatives.
3. Using theoretical, practical, and project-based assignments with a sustainability lens has contributed to successful changes.