We have eight places to offer Loughborough colleagues who are interested in working with the Universities Partnership team to develop the focus for the work for the Universities Partnership’s next iteration and how we continue to support the communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
About Urban Changemakers
Urban Changemakers is a strategic initiative for universities that want to place sustainability and civic responsibility at the heart of their mission. The programme:
- helps staff translate institutional ambition into place-based, measurable action;
- focuses on strengthening the resilience and sustainability of the cities that universities serve;
- engages participants in exploring a civic or UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) challenge, ensuring solutions are relevant, inclusive, and impactful;
- builds interdisciplinary networks and equips participants with the tools and leadership skills to drive collaborative, community-centred change.
More details can be found on the Common Purpose website.
The programme will start on 12 January 2026 and colleagues putting themselves forward must be able to commit to the timings below. There is a mix of online, in-person and self-paced content.
- Kick off session (an hour and a half, online) - 12 January
- Learning module: What does it take to be an Urban Changemaker? Systems Thinking (1 hour, self-paced) and Localist & Regenerative Models (one hour, self-paced) - 13 January
- Preparing for the Urban Exploration Lab (one hour, online) - 22 January
- Urban Exploration Labs (full day, in Leicester) – 28 January
- Learning module: What does it take to be an Urban Changemaker? (one hour, self-paced) - 29 January-5 February
- Urban Create Lab (half a day, on campus) – 5 February
- Final action plan and in person assessment (one hour, online) – 10 February
We are looking for colleagues from both the academic and professional services communities. You do not need to already be involved with the Universities Partnership to take part, but it would be great if you had an interest in its work and would be keen to support going forward.
How to apply
To apply, please submit a brief expression of interest (max 400 words) outlining:
- why you would like to take part
- what you hope to gain from the programme
- how you might use your experience to benefit the programme and DMU’s civic work
The deadline to apply is Friday 14 November 2025, 5pm. Please submit your expression of interest to j.waters@lboro.ac.uk.
If you have any questions or would like further information please get in touch with Jenna Waters, Deputy Chief of Staff, directly as Loughborough’s Co-Chair of the Universities Partnership.