August 2025 press releases

The Sun looking hot

HEATWAVE: One-in-five homes not equipped to handle hot weather, say experts (VIDEO)

With heatwaves becoming more frequent and intense, researchers at Loughborough University are warning that many UK homes are no longer fit for rising temperatures – and overheating is putting health and wellbeing at risk.
Two test houses at Loughborough University used for researching overheating homes

Sun shields could be the key to keeping homes cool during UK heatwaves, say experts (VIDEO)

As climate change drives longer and more intense heatwaves, researchers at Loughborough University are testing practical, affordable ways to stop homes from overheating – and one solution is surprisingly simple: block the sun before it gets in.
students throw their mortar boards into the air

English maintenance loan covers only half of students’ living costs

New research from the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) at Loughborough University shows that students in England are being left with huge shortfalls in their living costs – with the maximum maintenance loan covering only half of what is needed for a minimum socially acceptable standard of living.
An illustration with about a dozen people shown in different colours representing their diverse backgrounds

Mapping Britain’s inequalities by identity

Researchers from Loughborough University have identified a new way to map Britain’s inequality – not by geography, but by identity – opening up new opportunities for detecting their consequences across multiple outcomes.
A collection of sports equipment, including trainers, a water bottle, stop watch and an apple.

Evaluating the impact of hormone therapy on the athletic performance of transgender women athletes

A new study from Loughborough University has explored how gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) affects the athletic performance of transgender women athletes.
An engraving of Jane Austen from 1873.

In Jane Austen’s Persuasion, respite is a key ingredient for romance

It’s that time of year again. Flight costs are up, schools are out, and anyone lucky enough to afford a break is heading – literally or metaphorically – for the hills. Some might harbour visions of a beautiful stranger alone in a beach or bar, someone who takes a keen interest in them, gives them the best two weeks of their lives then disappears into the sunset. This is probably what most of us imagine when we think of a holiday romance: something magical and fleeting, but removed from everyday life.
a rugby coach speaks to the players in a semi-circle

USA Women's Eagles arrive in Loughborough ahead of Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 (VIDEO)

Loughborough University has welcomed the USA Women's national rugby union team to campus ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025.
Screen shot from the film, The Life of Chuck

The Life of Chuck: Stephen King adaptation celebrates the richness of ordinary life

“I’m still excited when somebody makes a movie out of something that I’ve done,” Stephen King recently told The Guardian. This openness to exhilaration on King’s part is remarkable, given that he is such a widely adapted writer. To date, more than 90 of his novels and short stories have been adapted for cinema and television (and more adaptations are currently in production).
Kenyan landscape with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background

Christians and the British empire: how a church NGO got entangled in colonial violence in Kenya

In the 1950s, Kenyans fought against colonial control in what came to be known as the Mau Mau rebellion. In response, the British government announced a state of emergency in 1952 and engaged in a brutal counter-insurgency campaign to secure control of colonial Kenya.