Creating Impact category
Amidst the cost-of-living crisis in 2024, the University of Tasmania launched the “Winter Warmers” campaign, a collaborative initiative led by students and staff to support students arriving in Tasmania’s cold winter months. The campaign provided hand-knitted woollen items and pantry staples to students experiencing financial hardship and disconnection. Run over just one month, the initiative saw hundreds of items donated and sparked ongoing engagement across the university and wider community. Now an annual event, it has grown into a joyful, skill-sharing, and community-building tradition that offers both practical support and emotional warmth.
Environmental and Social Benefits
- Supported over 200 students with donated clothing and over 100 with pantry staples, helping reduce the impact of food and fuel insecurity.
- Fostered wellbeing and inclusion through community crafting, offering therapeutic and social benefits to makers and recipients alike.
- Prioritised sustainable procurement with second-hand wool and tools from op-shops and minimised waste through reusable resources.
Leadership and Engagement
- Designed and delivered by a cross-divisional team from Sustainability, Wellbeing, Student Engagement and TUSA, with strong student partnership.
- Generated state-wide support, with hundreds of staff and students contributing handmade items or food.
- Encouraged new skill development and participation through 25 beginner beanie kits in 2024, growing to 75+ kits distributed in early 2025.
Significance to the Sector
- A distinctive place-based response to climate and wellbeing challenges, tailored to Tasmania’s unique winter conditions.
- Demonstrates how sustainability initiatives can directly support student welfare while fostering intergenerational learning and engagement.
- Easily replicable by other institutions in cold climates or adaptable for different wellbeing campaigns across the sector.
Wider Societal Impact
- Strengthened community-university relationships through donations and support from local op-shops and volunteers.
- Empowered students to build peer networks and contribute to their community despite financial hardship.
- Raised awareness about housing and energy insecurity, supporting wider advocacy for improved student living conditions.
Significance to the Sector
- A distinctive place-based response to climate and wellbeing challenges, tailored to Tasmania’s unique winter conditions.
- Demonstrates how sustainability initiatives can directly support student welfare while fostering intergenerational learning and engagement.
- Easily replicable by other institutions in cold climates or adaptable for different wellbeing campaigns across the sector.
Wider Societal Impact
- Strengthened community-university relationships through donations and support from local op-shops and volunteers.
- Empowered students to build peer networks and contribute to their community despite financial hardship.
- Raised awareness about housing and energy insecurity, supporting wider advocacy for improved student living conditions.
Top 3 learnings
Supported by
Category finalists
Creating Impact
Creating Impact
Creating Impact
Creating Impact
Creating Impact category
Amidst the cost-of-living crisis in 2024, the University of Tasmania launched the “Winter Warmers” campaign, a collaborative initiative led by students and staff to support students arriving in Tasmania’s cold winter months. The campaign provided hand-knitted woollen items and pantry staples to students experiencing financial hardship and disconnection. Run over just one month, the initiative saw hundreds of items donated and sparked ongoing engagement across the university and wider community. Now an annual event, it has grown into a joyful, skill-sharing, and community-building tradition that offers both practical support and emotional warmth.
Top 3 learnings
Environmental and Social Benefits
- Supported over 200 students with donated clothing and over 100 with pantry staples, helping reduce the impact of food and fuel insecurity.
- Fostered wellbeing and inclusion through community crafting, offering therapeutic and social benefits to makers and recipients alike.
- Prioritised sustainable procurement with second-hand wool and tools from op-shops and minimised waste through reusable resources.
Leadership and Engagement
- Designed and delivered by a cross-divisional team from Sustainability, Wellbeing, Student Engagement and TUSA, with strong student partnership.
- Generated state-wide support, with hundreds of staff and students contributing handmade items or food.
- Encouraged new skill development and participation through 25 beginner beanie kits in 2024, growing to 75+ kits distributed in early 2025.
Significance to the Sector
- A distinctive place-based response to climate and wellbeing challenges, tailored to Tasmania’s unique winter conditions.
- Demonstrates how sustainability initiatives can directly support student welfare while fostering intergenerational learning and engagement.
- Easily replicable by other institutions in cold climates or adaptable for different wellbeing campaigns across the sector.
Wider Societal Impact
- Strengthened community-university relationships through donations and support from local op-shops and volunteers.
- Empowered students to build peer networks and contribute to their community despite financial hardship.
- Raised awareness about housing and energy insecurity, supporting wider advocacy for improved student living conditions.
Significance to the Sector
- A distinctive place-based response to climate and wellbeing challenges, tailored to Tasmania’s unique winter conditions.
- Demonstrates how sustainability initiatives can directly support student welfare while fostering intergenerational learning and engagement.
- Easily replicable by other institutions in cold climates or adaptable for different wellbeing campaigns across the sector.
Wider Societal Impact
- Strengthened community-university relationships through donations and support from local op-shops and volunteers.
- Empowered students to build peer networks and contribute to their community despite financial hardship.
- Raised awareness about housing and energy insecurity, supporting wider advocacy for improved student living conditions.
Supported by
Category finalists
Creating Impact
Creating Impact
Creating Impact
Creating Impact
