The two competitions encouraged staff and students to record sustainable journeys through the BetterPoints app, helping teams climb the leaderboards while supporting healthier, lower-carbon travel to and around campus and to sporting fixtures.
School of Medicine and Population Health wins the Step Up Cup
The inaugural Step Up Cup invited schools and departments to compete to see which team could get the most colleagues recording sustainable trips to campus during March.
The winning team was the School of Medicine and Population Health, where 49 colleagues recorded 432 sustainable trips to campus.
Across the whole competition, staff recorded 32,643 sustainable activities, covering 56,730 miles and avoiding 12,170kg of CO2 emissions. This included 3,226 sustainable trips to or from campus.
Walking was the most popular activity, with 362 users recording 26,637 walks, covering 18,841 miles and avoiding 5,158kg of CO2 emissions. Staff also recorded more than 3,000 bus journeys, 1,043 runs, 885 tram journeys, 801 train journeys and 82 e-bike rides.
Together, participants also burned an estimated 2.1 million calories through walking, running and e-bike journeys.
Women’s Rugby Union wins Black, Gold and Green
The Black, Gold and Green Sustainable Sports Cup invited student sports teams to record sustainable travel to fixtures and other team activities between October and March.
Women’s Rugby Union finished top of the leaderboard, recording 83 sustainable trips to fixtures. Across the whole Black, Gold and Green challenge, participants recorded 857 sustainable trips to fixtures.
In total, students taking part in the challenge recorded 122,302 sustainable activities, covering 201,054 miles and avoiding 43,494kg of CO2 emissions.
Walking again made up the largest share of activity, with 96,939 walks recorded. Students also logged 9,137 cycle journeys, 8,416 bus journeys, 3,199 runs, 3,165 train journeys, 1,123 tram journeys and 323 e-bike rides.
Together, participants burned an estimated 7.5 million calories through walking, running, cycling and e-bike journeys.
Helping more people travel sustainably
Both competitions are part of Step Up Sheffield, the University’s BetterPoints programme, which rewards staff and students for walking, wheeling, running, cycling and using public transport.
Everyone who works or studies at the University can still take part by downloading the free BetterPoints app and registering with their @sheffield.ac.uk email address.
By recording sustainable journeys, users can earn BetterPoints to spend on rewards including GeniUS hot drink vouchers, Students’ Union vouchers and vouchers for independent local businesses.
The competitions also support the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which sets out our commitment to make low-carbon, accessible commuting easier for staff and students.
Through Step Up Sheffield and BetterPoints, we are using rewards, data and friendly competition to encourage more people to walk, wheel, cycle, run and use public transport. This helps support the University’s wider aim to reduce commuting emissions, improve health and wellbeing, and contribute to a cleaner, less car-centric city.
Congratulations to the School of Medicine and Population Health and Women’s Rugby Union, and thank you to everyone who took part. You can download the free app and register with your @sheffield.ac.uk email address at stepupsheffield.betterpoints.uk
