Nottingham's universities launch collaboration to change local lives

Independent analysis as part of Universities for Nottingham has revealed the scale of the combined social and economic impact of the universities.

For example, through their activities and supply chains, they add £1.1 billion to the economy in Nottingham and £3.8billion to the UK economy every year. That impact supports 25,000 jobs across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Together, the universities would be the third largest employer in the region.

Each year, the universities work with around 35,000 young people from 150 schools across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. This academic year they will spend £33million on activities to get more people into university and support them whilst there.

Ahead of the launch, the universities heard from some of the children, young people, creatives, businesses, innovators, patients and policymakers who have benefited from their interactions with the institutions.

Olivia Swift, Founder of Lotus Maternity Ltd, a business supported by innovation programmes at both universities, said: "There's so much support for businesses like mine at the universities – from help with website development to fashion branding and marketing. I'm proud to be a Nottingham business through and through."

Abdulhameed Elgareidi, a school pupil on the Laureus Sport for Good Programme run by volunteers from both universities, added: "I really enjoy working with the university students because they teach us new things and sometimes we get to teach them new things."

A separate exercise mapped the areas of work which were complementary, showing where there was greatest potential for more strategic collaboration and helping to shape the five focus areas.

Professor Edward Peck, President and Vice-Chancellor, Nottingham Trent University, said: "As the Vice-Chancellors of Nottingham's Universities, we agreed to commence the Universities for Nottingham project because, while both our institutions were making a significant individual contribution to the region, we recognised the potential for further collaboration."

Once we started investigating the potential to deliver projects in the local area, the sheer scale and number of opportunities was striking. We want to get the message across that our institutions are not solely for the researchers, teachers, staff and students who work here. We want to say clearly to the people, communities and businesses with whom we share a common place, that we are also your universities, the Universities for Nottingham."

On Monday 20 January, at Nottingham's BioCity, the universities will launch the project in front of an audience of civic leaders, businesses and community organisations as they set out to achieve their aim of creating the first Universities for Nottingham Civic Agreement later this year. The agreement will help establish a programme of collectively agreed and publicly shared projects between the universities and partners, which will create transformative change for the area.

The initiative draws from the recommendations of the UPP Foundation Civic University Commission which looked at how universities can most successfully serve their place in the 21^st century.

Support from local partners:

Sajeeda Rose, CEO, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership: "The Universities for Nottingham initiative will make a real difference for the people and places of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire through collaborative and transformative change that will shape our region over the coming years.

"This unique opportunity will allow D2N2 to work in collaboration with the Universities for Nottingham alongside other local partners from across the private and public sectors on a joint programme of initiatives and activity to unlock our regions potential, grow our economy and help our local communities to thrive."

Councillor David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council: "I'm delighted to be taking part in the event on Monday, which will be a positive way to discuss how we can work together even more closely in the future.

"We already know the impact that our two world-class universities have on Nottingham, be it the cultural and economic benefits their students bring, or the employment opportunities for thousands of local people.

"This event gives us the opportunity to talk about how partners across different organisations can collaborate on projects for the wider benefit of the city."

Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council: "I am greatly encouraged by the joint working between our two, world class universities, and very pleased to be a part of the launch event for the Universities for Nottingham. The County Council enjoys excellent relationships with both the universities and we have helped shape this exciting new initiative, where the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University will join together, to work with partners across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

"I look forward to seeing a range of new ventures come forward, whether that is encouraging local young people into university, or putting research into practice across the public and private sectors. We are lucky to have such forward thinking universities on our doorstep, which are so willing to collaborate in this way"

Tracy Taylor, Chief Executive at Nottingham University Hospitals: "We already have a good relationship with both universities in teaching and training the next generation of healthcare professionals. This partnership also allows us to work together on research projects that will improve the future healthcare we can provide, not only to our patients, but others across the NHS. So we are really pleased to be involved in this partnership with the aim of improving the lives of local people and shaping Nottingham as a region leading in innovation."