Last month, the Michael Smith Quad hosted their first Eco-Crafts Event in collaboration with the FBMH Social Responsibility team. With a focus on sustainable materials and foraged supplies, attendees created beautiful ornaments and crafts, just in time for the festive season. 

Found nestled in the heart of the Michael Smith Building, the Quad Garden is a vibrant outside space on campus. The garden is home to a variety of plant and animal life and is a hub for community engagement in the summer months. 

Colder conditions may result in fewer people spending their lunch break at one of the Quad’s outdoor benches, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t still enjoy plenty of what the Quad has to offer. 

Led by Quad manager Bred Beckett and Environmental Sustainability (ES) Officer Izzy Hoggmascall, the team collected dried and foraged materials from the Quad Garden, the Firs and other campus green spaces for a free (indoor!) crafting session, open to staff and students in FBMH.  

Attendees made their own wreaths, garlands, decorated jars, and other craft items using the foraged materials. In the busy run-up to the festive period, it was a chance for people to relax and get creative. 

The event was a resounding success. From festive decorations to handmade gifts, attendees made the most of the opportunity to give the foraged materials a new lease of life. 

“We’re so glad that people enjoyed the Eco-Crafts Event – the attendees got really stuck in and made some beautiful crafts,” said Izzy, ES Officer and event co-leader. “We encourage everyone to regularly connect with green spaces on campus to improve your health and wellbeing.” 

The crafts event was the first in a series of activities planned by the Quad team for the 2024-25 academic year. From arts workshops to educational talks, there’ll be lots of different ways to get involved.  

Find out more about the Quad. 

To stay up to date with all the latest news from the FBMH Environmental Sustainability team, you can follow @FBMH_SR on X (Twitter) or sign up to our quarterly ES Newsletter by emailing srbmh@manchester.ac.uk.  

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