IN BUSINESSTOGETHERWORKING WITHGROUNDWORK

Environmental support

for your business

Whether you are looking for a partner to develop and deliver your corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, want to reduce your bottom line through energy savings, improve the quality of the external environment for your employees or are looking for volunteering or team building opportunities to put something back into the community, Groundwork could be just what you’re looking for. Groundwork is an environmental charity that works alongside the community to transform places and lives. Our projects aim to create vibrant, sustainable communities. Groundwork’s projects can range from environmental business advice and energy audits and support to business improvement districts, to community gardens on housing estates, wildlife areas in school grounds, new cycle paths, environmental education for children, and training programmes for young people. Groundwork can work across the East of England but has a particular focus in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Suffolk and Essex. We are members of a UK wide Groundwork federation delivering an annual turnover of £100m of projects and programmes.

WELCOME

OVERVIEWWith an increasing focus on CSR and environmental management, companies can enhance their business proposition through partnering with Groundwork, one of the UK’s leading environmental regeneration charities.

We can offer a range of options to suit every type of business, from large corporates to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

For Corporates this might be:

• Supporting a company to deliver CSR actions• Working with small businesses in the company's

supply chain• Offering opportunities to sponsor projects that

benefit your local community• Corporate volunteering and team building days

that make a difference to local communities• Environmental awareness initiatives• Landscape design and maintenance services for

your premises• Placements for your graduates and apprentices

involved in the expanding ‘Green Economy’• Work experience and volunteering opportunities

for your staff

For small and charitable businesses this might be:

• Energy audits and climate change adaptation and mitigation advice

• Development of tailored Environmental Management Systems

• Taking an estate wide approach to improvements, provision of services and facilities

• Developing and facilitating training programmes, workshops and networking opportunities

• Promoting partnership programmes with County, Unitary and Local Authorities.

WELCOME

TAILORED TEAM BUILDING DAYS

FOR YOUR COMPANYGroundwork can organise the development, planning and implementation of a corporate team building activity to benefit the local community.

Groundwork team building days are original, action packed and allow companies to make a positive impact on the area in which they work. Examples of the types of projects you might work on include building a new vegetable garden for an elderly care home, building a new wildlife area for a school or improving a nature reserve. The aim of the day would be to encourage groups to take ownership and management of the situation, organising themselves and allocating tasks to complete the project within the time scale.

Groundwork would provide:

• Initial meetings to assess and plan the kind of day that is required

• Matching your needs to one of our environmental regeneration projects

• Planning and development with partners who own the sites

• Pre-event site preparation and landscape design•Logistics and activity planning of the day• Full supervision, training and support on the day• PR and promotional opportunities, including inviting local press

As a charity, Groundwork needs to charge companies for this service, to cover our costs. Costs vary depending on the project involved, the materials needed and the level of support needed by the company. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

T-Mobile Volunteers from T-Mobile worked with Groundwork Hertfordshire to create a growing area in the grounds of Applecroft School in Welwyn Garden City that will provide the school with a valuable outdoor education resource. The volunteers built twelve raised beds and planted a selection of plants to show the school what they could achieve; these included strawberries, corn, beans and pumpkins.

TAILORED TEAM BUILDING DAYS

FOR YOUR COMPANY

E.ON Energy Groundwork South Essex was chosen by E.ON Energy, one of the country’s largest domestic power suppliers, to deliver a series of environmental team days to support their employee involvement programme. One of the most successful activities undertaken was working within a large area of local ancient woodland. We gave E.ON staff a talk about the historical importance of the site before carefully guiding them through a process of coppicing and thinning out of shrubs in order to promote new growth and encourage biodiversity. Sian Pearce, E.ON’s Community Relations Executive said that the team felt that in just one day they had really made a difference and that they now understood the positive impact of active woodland management. Some of the team even asked if they could come back and continue to volunteer in their own time and help restore the wood to its former glory.

DHLA team of six employees from DHL ran a seriesof fundraising activities to raise money to improvethe grounds of Farley Junior School in Luton. The team wanted to get involved in the building work and so Groundwork arranged a series of practical days where DHL staff built an allotment garden and planted butterfly borders for the school.

TAILORED SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSESGotelee & Goldsmith, Ipswich

Ipswich solicitors firm, Gotelee & Goldsmith has already won work as a result of its environmental policy. It is not a policy that sits in a folder somewhere unloved and ignored but one that has been enthusiastically translated into action by all the staff. The Groundwork business advisor visited their office, analysed their energy use and helped them develop an action plan with tough but achievable benchmarks to aim for. Over the last year, Gotelee & Goldsmith has achieved a 16% saving in its energy use and costs just by implementing the simple, low cost actions recommended. The firm is continuing to work through its action plan and has now switched its energy supply to a green tariff at no extra cost. Groundwork provides resource efficiency business advice to many small and medium size enterprises across the East of England as part of a number of local authority initiatives. New business is regularly being developed via tenders and bids to a variety of funding sources. The ‘Green Doctor’ programme is being developed in the Region as a service to affordable housing providers to initiate behavioural change by residents and implement small scale interventions to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce fuel poverty for those most in need.

Connect South EssexMaintaining strong links between local business and the local community gave rise to the Connect South Essex project. Funded by East Of England Development Agency (EEDA), the main objective was one of economic development, however, this was achieved in a way that brought sustainable benefits to all parties involved. Underpinning the project was Groundwork South Essex’s experience with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and a multi media communications platform was developed to support activity that met the CSR policies of local business and matched them with the needs of local community organisations. Regular business meetings were held, and were well attended. These occasions allowed the project staff to spell out the many benefits of creating and delivering a well thought out CSR plan.

PROJECT

SPONSORSHIP,

DONATIONS AND

CONTRACTS

Groundwork projects provide excellent sponsorship opportunities as they make a visible difference to local communities.

Examples of potential projects to sponsor include community parks and gardens, environmental education activities, school grounds improvements and training schemes for young people. We would be happy to tailor a programme to your needs.

Benefits include:

• Improved profile in the local community• Aligning your brand with a positive, well respected environmental charity• Local, regional and sometimes national press

coverage• Exposure to new customers• Good examples to illustrate your Corporate Social Responsibility policy

PROJECT

SPONSORSHIP,

DONATIONS AND

CONTRACTS

BY SPONSORING A GROUNDWORK PROJECT,COMPANIES CAN ENJOY SOME OF THE PUBLICITY BENEFITS THAT THIS CAN BRING.

Companies might also consider donating materials to a Groundwork project, such as plants or garden equipment, in exchange for promotion of your brand and logo. We also set up and run outdoor landscaping training schemes for unemployed young people, (Green Teams) and are actively looking for sites for them to work on. By contracting our Green Team to do this work you would be benefiting disadvantaged young people. The Team are fully supervised by experienced landscape professionals.

PROJECTSPONSORSHIP

BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS

CASE STUDY: John Laing

With funding from John Laing, Groundwork has been able to provide landscape architect services to help schools develop under used parts of their grounds as part of the John Laing Services To Schools Programme. School groundimprovements include the creation of areasfor wildlife, play and outdoor learning.

Recent work has included the design for a sensory garden at Woolgrove School in Letchworth and vegetable growing beds at Farley School in Luton.

CASE STUDY: Bank Machine

Green Lanes Primary School in Hatfield received ahelping hand from local company Bank Machine,who sponsored a Groundwork project involving a major grounds improvement to the school site.

The funding resulted in improvements to a pond area, the installation of growing beds, a ‘trim trail’ with outdoor exercise equipment and the planting of a range of trees, plants and bulbs.

BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS

and here’s what they said...

“We were aware of Groundwork South Essex’s ability and experience in delivering a sub-regional programme. This empowered us to discuss potential projects and move forward with confidence.”

Liz Beadle, Regeneration Manager Thurrock Council

“...express our appreciation of all yourhard work in creating a nature path.It far exceeds our expectations,and is a credit to you and your team.”

Mitsubishi

“It was a fantastic day and great tofeel part of the community. Many thanksto Groundwork for organising such aworthwhile project and providing uswith valuable support.”

T-Mobile

“Connect South Essex has added impetus to our work in the community and we are delighted to be associated with Groundwork South Essex”

John Harland, Local Business Manager

“Balfour Beatty has worked in partnership with Groundwork on a number of successful community and regeneration projects across the UK. In the education sector they have worked alongside us to support and raise the aspirations of disaffected young people and vulnerable groups. Balfour Beatty is currently working with Groundwork on potential proposals for Hertfordshire Building Schools for the Future.”

Balfour Beatty

"The business advisor helped us to quickly identify what actions we needed to take to cut our carbon footprint and energy costs. We would have got there eventually but he saved us a lot of time and expense ''.

Sallie Davies, Solicitor at Gotelee & Goldsmith.

Designed and produced by Weaver Creative: info@weavercreative.co.uk www.weavercreative.co.uk

November 2009

Printed on paper made from 100% recycled waste paper. The raw material is primarily office waste. The product is free of OBAs (Optical Brightening Agents). The manufacturing process is entirely free of chlorine.

Groundwork East of EnglandThe Forest Centre, Station Road, Marston Moretaine,

Bedfordshire MK43 0PRTel: 01234 766058

www.groundwork.org.uk/eastofengland

Company Registration No. 7005248Charity Registration No. 1131761

For strategic enquiries and general information on opportunities in the East of England Region please contact

James Edge, Regional Development Manager on: 07710 303346

james.edge@groundwork.org.ukor Paul Bradford, Senior Environmental Business Advisor on:

07717 701746

Groundwork South EssexCouncil Offices, Kiln Road, Thundersley,

Benfleet, Essex SS7 1TFTel: 01286 752368

www.groundwork.org.uk/southessex

Company Registration No. 6208748 Charity Registration No. 1120250

For information on opportunities in South Essex please contact Tony Wilson, Development Manager

on: 07773 210034tony.wilson@groundwork.org.uk

Groundwork HertfordshireMill Green, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5PE

Tel: 01707 260129www.groundwork.org.uk/hertfordshire

Groundwork Luton & South BedfordshireStockwood Park, Luton LU1 4BH

Tel: 01582 720147www.groundwork.org.uk/lutonandsouthbedfordshire

Company Registration No. 1944186 Charity Registration No. 293141

For information on opportunities in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire please contact Cheryl Spain,

Development Manageron: 01707 255189

cheryl.spain@groundwork.org.uk

Groundwork East of England (Haven Gateway)

Haven Gateway Partnership, Suite 3 & 5 The Centre, The Crescent, Colchester Business Park, Colchester CO4 9QQ

www.groundwork.org.uk/eastofengland

For information on opportunities in Haven Gateway please contact

Jonathan Rochford, Project Manageron: 07871 167962

jonathan.rochford@groundwork.org.uk