Preston’s university wins two trophies at the Educate North Awards

Ecaterina Stefanescu (Lecturer in Architecture), Louise Finch (Senior Internal Communications Officer) and Helen O’Rourke (Wellbeing Advisor) with the University of Central Lancashire’s two awards. Pic: UCLan

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has won two categories at the Educate North Awards for the second year in a row.

At the tenth annual award ceremony, the university picked up first-place trophies in Campaign of the Year and Sustainable Green Initiative Categories.

The university’s winning campaign, ‘When it Feels Wrong, it’s Wrong,’ highlighted unhealthy relationships and was created to help students identify the signs.

Ginette Unsworth, Director of Communications at UCLan said: “We wanted to empower victims to seek help and highlight the university’s student support services. This invaluable support includes counselling, drop-in sessions, and well-being resources that aim to help our students develop resilience and deal with difficult personal and study-based situations.

“The primary audience was victims of harmful behaviours. However, secondary audiences included bystanders as well as the perpetrators themselves who may recognise the harmful nature of their own behaviour and look to change.”

The second trophy was given to UCLan’s Grenfell-Baines Institute of Architecture for their sustainable green initiative project ‘Wash Your Words’.

Managed and delivered by Lee Ivett and Ecaterina Stefanescu alongside arts organisation, LeftCoast, working with Blackpool Council and Blackpool Coast, the project has created a space for the residents of the Mereside social housing estate in Blackpool by combining a library and laundry room.

Ecaterina Stefanescu lecturer in architecture said: “What we’ve created is a playful but functional overlap between library, art workshops and laundry for the local community.

“Since completion of the project, the new amenity receives over 120 users each week.”

The University of Central Lancashire was shortlisted for six Educate North Awards, which celebrate, recognise, and share best practices and excellence in the education sector from across the North. The event took place in Manchester on 18 April.

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