This ‘corner’ of the website includes details of the Green Impact events and endeavours that the Service takes part in each term. We hope it will raise awareness and have an impact on green issues both within the Service and beyond.

Green Impact news from Summer 2019

Once again we are pleased that the University Counselling Service has earned a Green Impact ‘Excellence Award’ by extending its successful initiative to create an accessible recycling stream within the University for spent plastic writing implements.

In the past academic year we aimed to maintain and expand the initiative to involve as many Colleges and departments as possible, as well as engaging local primary schools and inviting Eco-Churches and the Cambridge Eco-Mosque to join the project.

We currently have over 43 departments and 9 Colleges across the University, 2 local primary schools involved, and hopefully 4 Eco Churches and 1 Eco Mosque interested in joining the project. In the last year a total of 67kg of pens have been sent to Terracycle for recycling and as a result £51.30p raised for our chosen charity Centre 33. MANY THANKS to all involved!

More recently since moving in to the Student Services building we have extended the project to include the recycling of crisp packets (within the building only) and so far staff are contributing very generously!

With so much in the news about the effects of plastic pollution we are hoping to make the process of collecting spent writing implements understandable, easy, desirable and rewarding for people to get involved - to the point where this becomes a habit in the same manner that recycling plastic milk bottles through the relevant recycling stream has become.

If you would like to become a pen collector for your College or department we would be pleased if you would contact reception@counselling.cam.ac.uk and we will be happy to send you details of how to get started. If you already have pens to send in please do so via the University Internal mail system to us at

University Counselling Service,

Student Services Centre

Bene’t Street

Cambridge

CB2 3PT

Please ensure you use a strong well sealed envelope!

Many thanks from
The UCS Green Impact Team

Green Impact news from Easter Term 2018

Once again we are pleased that the University Counselling Service has earned a Green Impact ‘Excellence Award’ by extending last year’s successful initiative to start an accessible recycling stream within the University for spent plastic writing implements.

This year we aimed to maintain and expand the initiative to involve as many Colleges and departments as possible, as well as starting to engage local primary schools in the project.

Over the year our team encountered many obstacles and our persistence paid off as over 50 departments and Colleges across the University are now involved and we have managed to send over 5,000 spent implements for recycling on their behalf. MANY THANKS to all involved!

We would like to acknowledge that others within the University have their own pen collecting initiatives and that we are in no way in competition as the more recycling the better!

With so much in the news about the effects of plastic pollution we are hoping to make the process of collecting spent writing implements understandable, easy, desirable and rewarding for people to get involved - to the point where this becomes a habit in the same manner that recycling plastic milk bottles through the relevant recycling stream has become.

If you would like to become a pen collector for your College or department we would be pleased if you would contact reception@counselling.cam.ac.uk and we will be happy to send you details of how to get started. If you already have pens to send in please do so via the University Internal mail system to us at

University Counselling Service,
2/3 Bene’t Place,
Lensfield Road,
Cambridge, CB2 1EL

Please ensure you use a strong well sealed envelope!

Our team are also continuing with our Mindfulness Garden, which formed part of our Silver Award a few years back now, and we are now enjoying the fruits of our labours – some strawberries and runner beans!

Many thanks from
The UCS Green Impact Team

The Counselling Service is on the 3^rd Floor of the Student Services Centre which is on the north (market/Guildhall) side of the New Museums site (view location and directions)

Please note that currently the Bene't Street entrance is not  operational; access is ONLY possible from the Pembroke Street entrance to the site.

Our new address is:

University Counselling Service
Student Services Centre (3rd floor)
Bene't Street
Cambridge
CB2 3PT

Telephone 01223 332865

Email: counsellingreception@admin.cam.ac.uk

The Mindful Student Study is a randomised evaluation of the provision of mindfulness training to support our students’ wellbeing and resilience to stress. The study was co-designed by members of the Department of Psychiatry and the University Counselling Service, with the support of the Education Division and representatives from the student and college bodies.

Mindfulness@cam