Milton Keynes College Group’s debut in the Planet Earth Games sparked a wide range of activities across both campuses and our prison education network. Running from 1st January to Earth Day on 22nd April, Planet Earth Games is a national competition that inspires Further Education colleges to take part in activities which help to protect our planet.

This is the fourth year of Planet Earth Games’ Further Education competition. The charity behind the initiative, Planet Earth Games, regularly deliver events, activities and experiences that empower people of all ages to connect with nature, take climate action and support their wellbeing. Their competition posed an excellent opportunity for the College Group to take part in a national initiative bringing college communities together to engage in sustainability activities.

Milton Keynes College Group ranked 12th out of 28 Colleges overall. The internal results revealed that Adult English & Maths stood out as the MKC school champions, Marcy Barnes as the student champion and Abbey Humphreys, Employer Engagement Manager, as the staff champion.

There were a wide range of activities submitted to the Games across the College Group. A wildlife photography competition with more than 100 entries saw Arts & Media student Emmy Whitaker’s photograph of a squirrel gain the first prize. 60 students participated in a Recycling Symbol Quiz, 40 students sowed wildflower seeds, 50 students and staff attended the Men’s Mindful Mile and several students hosted a pre-loved clothes sales at Bletchley.

The College also hosted three workshops led by the Supply Chain Sustainability School, including “Embedding Sustainable Procurement,” “Introduction to the Circular Economy” and “Improving Sustainability Using Behavioural Change.”

Individual actions by staff and learners both inside and outside of working hours involved carsharing, taking meetings on a walk outside in nature, participating in Meat Free Mondays and switching to eco-friendly products.

Some of our prison learners also participated in the challenges, with learners from HMP Garth calculating their carbon footprints and HMP Gartree reusing packaging in their design projects.

With the College in the Community Day coinciding with the competition, more than 1,100 staff and students volunteered with over 50 community organisations across Milton Keynes and Bletchley. These included the Buckinghamshire Canal Society, MK SNAP, West Bletchley Sensory Garden and Urb Farm, with staff and students cleaning outdoor areas, planting and sowing, litter picking and painting buildings and benches. The feedback from the organisations involved was highly positive and the efforts of the volunteers helped support environmental projects across the local areas.

Abbey Humphreys, Employer Engagement Manager at the College and the MKC Staff Champion at the Games, said: “For me, participation is important because it raises awareness. Some simple changes to your lifestyle can make a small difference – imagine the change if you influence others to make that change too.

“Talking about sustainability and global warming can feel daunting to those who are not interested or perhaps have misconceptions about it. Knowledge is power and it is our collective responsibility to protect our planet; raising awareness in fun ways is a great way to start conversation and change!”

Lauren Gallyot, Sustainability Lead at Milton Keynes College Group, said: “For our first year taking part in the Planet Earth Games, I am thrilled by the diversity of activities and level of engagement across our staff and learner teams. The Games are a great opportunity for us to engage in the topic of sustainability in a fun and competitive way, and to recognise the hard work of individuals and departments for their contribution to climate action.

“I hope it has inspired us to think even more creatively next year and climb further up the leaderboard!”

To learn more about sustainability at Milton Keynes College Group, read more here.