LUSU was awarded two prestigious Gold Awards at the National Union of Students (NUS) Services Convention and AGM 2012 Awards Ceremony held earlier this month at the Manchester Mercure Piccadilly Hotel. Firstly, The Sugarhouse was awarded Gold standard in the Best Bar None Awards.

Best Bar None is an accreditation scheme facilitated by NUS Services that rewards students’ unions for best practice in licensed trade standards, recognising the work Students’ Unions do in promoting safe alcohol retailing and student safety within the late night industry. LUSU was one of only eight Students’ Unions to achieve the Gold standard this year from the 81 that participated in the scheme nationally.

Sugarhouse Venue Manager Lou Davies said: “I’m thrilled that all our efforts with regard to Social Responsibility are recognised in this way. We are constantly striving to improve our processes, aiming to set standards and achieve these accolades. Congratulations go to Winchester, who won overall; we’ll be the ones to watch next year!” 

In the Green Impact Awards at the same event, LUSU again achieved a Gold Award, one of 41 out of 102 Unions to achieve this standard. Green Impact is an environmental accreditation scheme that recognises students’ unions efforts to green their working environment and change environmental behaviours and this is the third consecutive year that LUSU have achieved the Gold standard.

LUSU President George Gardiner said “The BBN award reflects the hard work and commitment of staff and student staff towards providing a fantastic and exciting venue that students can rely on and feel safe in. LUSU’s ongoing dedication to having a positive environmental impact has become part of our day to day operations and I am pleased that this has been recognised in yet another way.”

Photograph shows Anthony Tobin of Coca Cola Enterprises, Lindsay Graham of Bacardi Brown Forman Brands, Adam Bardsley of LUSU and Nicky Purdy-Jones of AB InBev.