Illustration by Miriam Wolfrum
During last year’s Go Green Week, the University of Worcester’s Sustainability Team partnered with the Craftivists to create a creative and meaningful project focused on air pollution: a large, hand-stitched banner designed to raise awareness about cleaner transport and healthier air.
The start of the air banner
The collaboration began when Katy, Head of Sustainability at the University of Worcester, reached out to the Craftivists to develop a joint idea. During Go Green Week, Katy provided materials and shared her vision, while the Craftivists lead the making of the air quality banner through stitching sessions. Students were invited to join in, learning about air pollution in a hands-on way while adding their own stitches into the everlasting fabric.
What is the banner about?
The banner shows different greener transport options such as buses, bicycles, trains, and walking, scattered across a stitched street scene. Its central messages reads “Greener rides – cleaner air,” encouraging people to think differently about travel and to consider more sustainable options.
Worcester has faced air quality problems for some time. Because of high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in the past, the entire City has been classed as an Air Quality Management Area. Pollution hotspots are often connected with heavy traffic and narrow streets that trap the pollutants. Although fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels are usually low to moderate, they have slightly exceeded the UK’s legal target, demonstrating that air pollution remains a concern for public health.
The banner also includes a stitched tribute to Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a young girl who died in 2013 after a fatal asthma attack linked to long-term exposure to air pollution in southeast London. Her story serves as a powerful reminder that air pollution can have serious and real-life impacts.
The journey of the banner
Since it was created, the air quality banner has become a very successful project. It has toured ten primary schools across the county, helping children and local communities understand air pollution and its impacts in a clear and engaging way. Now returned to its home in the Student Hub, the banner continues to encourage discussion, awareness, and action toward cleaner air for Worcester.
Written by Miriam Wolfrum