Groundwork
Merseyside

Picture: RS Clare Ltd, collecting their prize for Environmental Business of the Year

CHANGING PLACES AWARD

EASTERN LINK ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT TEAM – Green Apprentices Ltd

Green Apprentices have for a long time brought together the long term unemployed of Merseyside, the wider community as a whole, particularly vulnerable residents, and those agencies already working for the good of the community.  The result has been to impact upon a range of aspects of residents lives including, unemployment, the local economy, community involvement and engagement, anti-social behaviour, and the physical appearance of an area, As many areas undergo regeneration, Green Apprentices are able to play a vital role, knitting together agencies to symbiotic effect, impacting upon the fundamental targets of an area – employment, training, education and sustainability.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AWARD – Public Sector

SUSTAINABILITY AT WORK – Knowsley Council

Knowsley Council aims to ensure that ‘Sustainability at Work’ is a central philosophy at the heart of council activities. Through the Environmental Policy and Action Plan, the Council ensures that environmental issues continue to be at the forefront its Council’s services. New developments such as structured approaches to carbon management and sustainable procurement using best practice guidance, demonstrate the councils commitment to reducing its environmental impacts.  Innovative approaches to staff training and awareness-raising such as sustainability surgeries, staff ‘Green Guide’, Environmental Champions and dedicated intranet pages have been developed as an important delivery mechanism for embedding sustainability in the minds of the Council workforce and the services they provide.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AWARD – Private Sector

HALEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM – Jaguar/Land Rover

Halewood, home of the Jaguar X-Type and the Land Rover Freelander, was the first Ford plant worldwide to achieve ISO14001 certification in March 1996. Since then, the environmental management system has gone from strength to strength, covering all production, non-production and contractor activities and can be demonstrated at every level. This benefits the business by making considerable cost savings, year on year continuous improvement, meeting an surpassing their legal requirements and shows Halewood’s commitment to protecting the site environment, surrounding area and the local community.

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AWARD – Public Sector

CARBON ACTION IN SEFTON – Sefton Council

Carbon Management is a relatively new and challenging concept.  Sefton Council has now given clear direction and coherence to the good environmental work it had started, but across the areas of energy, waste, transport and procurement it was fighting the same battle individually.  Made harder by limited resource, Sefton's Carbon Management Plan has employed innovative actions to deliver at least 12% savings in carbon by 2011.  It has been an experience that has stood to inspire action by residents, peer groups and Local Authorities in similar situation and internationally with support to the Ukraine and the energy challenges they face.

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AWARD – Private Sector

RECYCLE & REUSE – Atlas Sheds Ltd

Atlas sheds have reduced waste sent to landfill by creating fuel briquettes from the waste produced on site. The very briquettes are then used to fuel their newly installed wood fuel boiler to heat workshops in winter.

This innovative project has resulted in significant economic, social and environmental benefits.  Continual financial savings have been made by making the business more energy efficient and the project has opened up new opportunities for business growth. Our reduced reliance on non-renewable fuels and reductions in the amount of waste sent to landfill has achieved wider environmental benefits. 

We support the community by giving away 10% of the wood fuel produced to elderly and vulnerable residents in the local area. 

COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP AWARD – Public Sector

EDUCATIONAL MENU FOR SUCCESS – Sefton Council

The Southport Eco Centre has developed its new eye-catching, curriculum-linked educational visit menu. Containing 13 eco-friendly day visit options including Renewable Energy, School Travel Plans, Climate Change, Water Conservation and Eco-Schools, all days have WOW factor and are packed with hands-on, fun activities.  Feedback is excellent and numerous visitors go on to take further action to improve their local environments inspired by their day.  To date the Centre has educated over 7,000 children and we have no doubt that this new ‘menu’ will attract even more visitors, inspiring even more action from children upon return to their schools and homes.

COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP AWARD – Social Enterprises

FRC GROUP

FRC Group is about being great for the environment, great for people, a great place to work and great to do business with.

By monitoring our environmental impacts, increasing recycling, reducing our use of fuels and trialling a biofuel product, FRC Group is reducing the environmental impact of our businesses.

FRC Group creates businesses that make social change happen, providing training opportunities for people who are marginalised in the labour market, providing high quality furniture for people who need it most and furnishing homes for tenants of registered social landlords that support them to remain in their tenancies.

ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY AWARD

BULKY BOBS DECONSTRUCTION – FRC Group

“Deconstruction” is an innovative new element of the award-winning Bulky Bob’s service. It is a high-impact solution that is significantly minimising the environmental impacts of disposing of bulky household waste (furniture and white goods). By developing this new process, Bulky Bob’s has increased the amount of waste it is diverting from landfill in Liverpool from 36% to 58%. “Deconstruction” not only decreases the volume of waste going to landfill but also ensures that the value of this ‘waste’ stays in the local area.

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS AWARD

RELOCATION, REGENERATION & RESPONSIBILITY – Brabners Chaffe Street

Brabners Chaffe Street’s recent relocation to Horton House was a conscious commitment to the regeneration of Liverpool.  They worked with the designers and landlords to ensure that the design and specification of the premises maximised efficiency, waste reduction and recycling. They incorporate their environmental savings with charitable donations where possible.

BCS have their own in house Carbon Reduction Efficiency Team who works with Groundwork Merseyside and the Resource Efficiency Club. BCS’s commitment to their green credentials have helped in part to secure their ranking in the Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to work for 2006  and 2007.  

TONY BONNER ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR - NON SME

Winner - Jaguar / Land Rover

TONY BONNER ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR - SME

Winner - RS Clare & Co Ltd

The Merseyside Environmental Award

Winner - City of Liverpool