Students set challenges to help encourage sustainability

Entrepreneurial students are being challenged to come up with business ideas to encourage sustainability through a partnership with a housing provider.

Thirteen Group is working with Teesside University International Business School to set students thirteen separate challenges to work on as group projects as part of their studies. The projects focus on creating sustainable solutions on a range of issues, including furniture poverty, affordable warmth, food poverty and recycling.

The students are completing the projects as part of a sustainability, strategy and society module for the BA (Hons) Business Management degree. They are due to present their business ideas to Thirteen Group this month.

The University’s Enterprise Team is also working with Thirteen Group to look at the possibility of turning any viable solutions and business ideas suggested by the students into potential real enterprises through Launchpad, the University’s business incubator.

Among the students working on projects is Bobbi Mitchell, third year BA (Hons) Business Management, who said: “We are looking at developing community centres to help make them the more sustainable. It’s providing us with an opportunity to tackle real social issues, while getting first-hand experience of working with an external client.”

Lauren Dinsdale, third year BA (Hons) Business Management, who is working with a project team looking at solutions for dealing with paint waste, said: “It’s beneficial for us to be working with a real live client. It’s providing really good experience. It’s also bringing to light issues, such as paint recycling and paint waste, which some of us maybe weren’t previously aware of.”

Suzanne Withrington, Teesside University International Business School, said: “This project is a brilliant opportunity for our students. Thirteen will play an active role throughout the challenge, offering support and expertise and encouraging entrepreneurship. It absolutely places practice-based learning at the heart of their experience before they go out into the world of work.”

Angela Corner, Head of Community Resilience, Thirteen, said: “Our customers and communities face many social and environmental challenges and have for many years. It’s fantastic to have the chance to work with the bright students from Teesside University who can cast a fresh pair of eyes on these challenges.

“With the help of these amazing students, we hope to find new and innovative ways to tackle the challenges, using methods we may not have previously considered. I am really excited to hear their ideas and hopefully turn some of them into reality.”

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