Roehampton was distinguished with three awards at the BIG South London Innovation Summit ‘Towards South London Net Zero’, including scooping the overall ‘Collaborators of the Year’ category.
Roehampton was recognised for leadership and involvement in a wide range of projects including the Health & Care Innovation Network; the establishment of the new South London Post Graduate Researcher Network; involvement with Cassel Hospital Charitable Trust and Croydon Youth Theatre; working with Kingston University and University of the Arts London on BIG Design Lab; conducting research alongside along local partners such as Mitcham Zoo, LionHeart Football, local Chambers of Commerce and lastly, carrying out important research into shaping South London’s response to the skills challenges of retrofit.
Commenting on the awards, Dr Richard Keogh, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and External Engagement), says: “We’re delighted to be recognised as collaborator of the year. Our ambition is to be recognised as the higher education partner of choice in South London, and this award is a recognition of our approach to collaboration, engagement, and impact. Working with BIG South London has been a fantastic experience, and we want to work closely with the businesses, charities, and public sector across South London.”
The awards took place November 10, 2023, bringing key stakeholders across South London together. The event considered the net zero transition, how organisations and communities could be supported with the challenges surrounding decarbonisation. The regional strengths and opportunities for collaboration and lastly, applying those opportunities to support local businesses and communities.
Roehampton was also recognised for its collaboration with the Croydon Youth Theatre, who won the Creative Industries Collaboration of the Year. Led by Glenn Odom from the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the collaboration supported with digitalisation, establishing efficient ways of tracking membership and sales. For the Youth Theatre, ticket sales increased 10% and pre-show and interval sales increased 40% due to a new payment system. The Croydon Youth Theatre thanked Roehampton, explaining that the “partnership helped us accomplish things that were beyond the scope of our normal operations.””
Roehampton’s Tony Paraskeva (School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) and Yeva Feldman (School of Psychology) partnered with The Cassel Hospital Charitable Trust & On the Record on the Voices of The Cassel project. The project is based on research into Cassel’s archives, piloting new mental health and wellbeing services, having resulted in an 80-minute documentary produced by On the Record’s Laura Mitchison (researcher & oral historian). As winners of the Health & Care Collaboration of the Year, the Trust and On the Record thanked the Roehampton contributors for their support.
Roehampton’s advice and insight for the BIG South London team has allowed them to explore significant opportunities and develop increasingly beneficial partnerships. The University is proud to be a part of the journey towards South London Net Zero and will continue to support the BIG South London team.