Wellbeing and sustainability

IRR promotes wellbeing and sustainability for those who work at the Institute.

Athena SWAN

We are delighted to have been awarded the Athena Swan Silver status in 2015.

Athena SWAN is a national scheme that recognises commitment to advancing women's careers in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine) in higher education and research. To address gender inequalities requires commitment and action from everyone, at all levels of the organisation. The Centre for Regenerative is part of both the College of Science and Engineering (CSE) and the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM). Both Colleges and the University as a whole are active supporters of the Athena Swan scheme.

Further information about Anthena SWAN

Wellbeing at Work programme

The Institute for Regeneration and Repair has developed a varied and inclusive programme of activities, all designed to promote and improve wellbeing in the workplace. This includes:

Mental Health First Aiders

A trained group of staff and students, representing all areas of the Institute (group leaders, postdocs, students, core services, professional services), who are available to support, signpost and promote good mental health practise.

Wellbeing at work events

A monthly events programme promoting wellbeing. Current event topics include, ‘IRR Celebrates...’, Coffee Club and Crochet Club.

Walking for wellbeing

Weekly walks around the BioQuarter campus, departing from IRR North.

Yoga

Weekly morning yoga classes for staff and students.

IRR Kitchen Garden

Volunteers regularly tend the IRR garden, growing a range of fresh produce and bee-friendly wildflowers.

Sustainability

The IRR North building was named the best new laboratory building in the 2013 S-Lab Awards, which recognise laboratories for sustainability, safety and success. IRR North was awarded the GOLD (OFFICE) Sustainability Award 2019.

Sustainability and maximizing ways to reduce energy consumption were key in the design and construction of the building. For this reason, the plant has been located on a mezzanine level between the laboratory areas on the ground and first floors to maximise efficiencies within these heavily serviced spaces. Other features include daylight linking of light, heat recovery, rainwater harvesting, solar panels, and ground source heat pumps.

The Tissue Culture team were awarded a 2018 bronze laboratory sustainability award. The award recognises labs which have demonstrated compliance with a wide range of sustainable lab practices.

Other initiatives to promote sustainability at the Institute include:

IRR garden

The IRR garden includes wildflowers and bird feeders to encourage wildlife. Volunteers grow a range of fresh produce and apples are harvested annually to produce cider.

Food waste composting

Organic waste, including fruit and vegetables, is collected and used as compost in the IRR garden.

This article was published on 2024-11-25