Sam Burgess wins national award for Student Leadership on Sustainability

At the Green Impact Awards 25-26, Sam Burgess took home top prize in the Student Leadership Category.

Sam won the award for her work leading Plant-based Universities Lancaster and Fossil Free Careers campaigns, her work volunteering with LUSU Green, and her role building community as LUSU Student Community Activator.

Green Impact is a nation-wide, nationally acclaimed sustainability programme, where Students' Unions (SUs) receive a toolkit, and grading at the end of the year, which marks them on their sustainability work. Last year, LUSU was one of just 5 SU’s to score the highest grading of Excellent.

This year, there was also an awards ceremony, recognising particular people, student groups, and SUs who have gone above and beyond in promoting sustainability.

Some of Sam’s achievements which the judges commended were:

·      Successfully set up Lancaster's Fossil Free Careers campaign, getting first-time campaigners involved and submitting a motion to Union Assembly, which was successfully passed into Union Policy.

·      Organised a workshop with Solid Sustainability Research to provide students with the tools to uncover Lancaster’s institutional ties with the fossil fuel industry and arms trade.

·      Met with the Director of Employability and other staff to lobby on sustainable careers, and excluding destructive industries.

·      Led Lancaster’s Plant-based University campaign.

·      Organised the first Big Green Fair in collaboration with LUSU Green and a bunch of different societies and campaign groups!

·      Organised a Veganuary Gathering, lobbying the University to provide free catering for all those in attendance.

·      Cooked and distributed free plant-based waffles every week in Michaelmas term to encourage students to join the PBU campaign.

·      Successfully lobbied LUSU Green into going 100% plant-based in our events.

·      She volunteered with us at LUSU Green, helping us plant a micro-woodland, helping us remove rhododendron, and helping shape a sustainable Morecambe Bay for 2050 at our Green Solutions Event.

·      She was also part of LUSU Societies Committee, and employed as a LUSU Student Community Activator, empowering student groups to be more sustainable, build communities, and make a difference to people’s lives and the planet.