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Economic impact

Supporting a vibrant local economy

In 2011/2012...

The total value of the University of Warwick’s economic impact on Kenilworth was £20m.

This economic impact was mostly due to the 494 members of staff living in Kenilworth, whose expenditure created £15.9m of economic benefit to the town’s economy.

416 University of Warwick students lived in Kenilworth and their expenditure was worth £2.8m to the town. This means the average value of each Warwick student living in Kenilworth to the town’s economy was £6,730.

Finally, the University and Students’ Union generated £1.7m of economic impact by purchasing goods and services from over 109 Kenilworth businesses. This economic impact was worth 214 extra jobs to Kenilworth.

Innovation

Innovation rains supreme as entrepreneur reinvents the umbrella

An entrepreneur whose Eureka moment came at last year’s wet and windy Grand National has reinvented the umbrella with the help of WMG at the University of Warwick. Kenilworth entrepreneur Stephen Collier, owner of Hospitality Umbrellas, got the idea for the Rainshader while attending the Grand National 2012. The Rainshader protects people from the elements while watching major sporting events - crucially it doesn’t blow inside out, poke passers-by in the eye or drip on neighbours’ shoulders in crowds.

Funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the University of Warwick, the International Institute for Product and Service Innovation (IIPSI) is a dedicated facility to help West Midlands SMEs access world leading technology and expertise to develop innovative products and services.

Recreating the Kenilworth Mere?

Warwick students have been using their time and expertise to carry out innovative research that has real-life relevance for the town. As part of their studies, students from Warwick Business School carried out a detailed study into the practicalities of re-flooding Kenilworth Castle’s grounds to recreate the historic mere and found the best way to bring in revenue could be to include a hotel or leisure complex.

Education and Training

Providing the highest quality education and skills for Kenilworth’s workforce

In 2012/13 the University of Warwick was ranked as the best University in the Midlands by all four major UK university league tables. It was placed 5th by the Guardian, 6th by the Complete University Guide, 10th by the Sunday Times, and 8th by the Times Good University Guide.

There are currently 910 Warwick graduates living in Kenilworth, with another 50 living in the region but working in the town. Warwick graduates account for 3% of the West Midlands population with NVQ Level 4 qualifications and above, a significant proportion of the region’s highly skilled labour force.

Training the region’s teachers and doctors

The University’s Institute of Education’s teacher-training courses admits around 500 students each year. In 2010/11, 178 were working as teachers in the West Midlands.

Around 520 Warwick Medical School students undertook clinical placements, either at local hospitals or GP practices in the West Midlands.

Global connections

As part of the University’s internationally-renowned approach to working with business, WMG has developed a close relationship with Jaguar Land Rover, a major employer in the region. JLR has located 180 of its R&D staff on campus as part of a programme which will generate £100m of collaborative research over 10 years. JLR and Tata are also funding, with the UK government, the development of the National Automotive Innovation Campus at Warwick; a £100m investment in a state-of-the-art new building on the University’s campus announced at the end of 2012.

Warwick is one of the UK’s most culturally diverse universities, with 8,350 international students from 72 different countries on campus in 2011/12. Our international students make up 40% of all Warwick Volunteers, and organise events like One World Week, which, with over 200 student volunteers, is arguably the world’s largest student-run international event.

In addition to economic benefits to Kenilworth and regional tourism created by visiting families and friends, our international students act as ambassadors for the region and the town. Over 45,000 international alumni are resident in 193 countries and 83% of our international students would recommend the University of Warwick to other students – higher than the national average.

Culture and community

The University as a cultural centre on Kenilworth’s doorstep...

Warwick Arts Centre is the second largest arts centre in the UK. 62% of visitors come from Coventry and Warwickshire. It hosted 494 individual performances, with an annual audience of 270,000 in 2010/11. An independent study estimated the total value to the local community from the Arts Centre to be £27.7 million.

Connecting Kenilworth to campus

The Connect 2 Kenilworth (C2K) cycle and pedestrian route that joins up Kenilworth and the Warwick campus opened in 2012. The University contributed over £200,000 worth of funding for the route, working in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and the cycling charity Sustrans.

The route features a statue of three figures associated with cycling, including John Kemp, a local producer of the Rover Safety Bicycle, Edward Langley Fardon, a pioneer of bike design, and a well-known Kenilworth philanthropist who funded a trust that continues to support the work of the University – the Helen Martin Studio on campus is named after her.

Students as a part of the Kenilworth community

Warwick Volunteers is one of the UK’s largest and most popular student volunteering schemes. It attracts 2500 registrants each year and its mentoring scheme alone has been estimated to have a social-economic worth of £1m to the local community. Kenilworth Phab is a social group for both able bodied and disabled adults. Student volunteers have been working with Phab for over 10 years to provide general help and support as well as organising new events and activities for the club.

(Student volunteers) make a very valuable contribution to the lives of Phab club members. As well as providing a novel variation to the Phab programme, student-led events give our members a wonderful opportunity to enjoy new experiences and meet new people, often from hugely different backgrounds to the sometimes very limited circles they normally move in.

Phab Co-ordinator