Supporting sustainability charities

Supporting sustainability charities

The transition towards a low carbon, sustainable, built environment will demand significant changes in the way the buildings of the future are constructed, refurbished, and occupied.  Engaging with charities and community groups provides an opportunity to both support good causes which strive to enhance environmental sustainability and develop NG Bailey’s expertise in this area.

An example of this approach in 2010/11 is our relationship with the Keighley Furniture Project (KFP).  As part of our service offering to our clients NG Bailey has attained Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation.  The accreditation is required to enable NG Bailey to install photovoltaic systems that are eligible for the Feed in Tariff (FIT), schemes which radically enhance financial payback arising from investment in renewable energy.

To attain the accreditation a company must demonstrate its capability to install a working system.  We considered that this provided an opportunity for NG Bailey to support a local community project and identified KFP which is a community project that has a strong sustainability ethos and collects discarded furniture, reconditions it, and then provides it at low or zero cost to people on very low incomes who might otherwise not be able to afford basic items such as beds, chairs, or tables.  KFP is also a customer of NG Bailey as, after having installed a woodchip boiler, KFP source their fuel from our woodchip business.

To support KFP's work our Facilities Services division has been commissioned by our charitable giving committee to install a 4kW roof mounted photovoltaic array which will provide both free electricity and a feed in tariff income for the charity for 25 years.  In total the donated installation will be worth approximately £50,000 to Keighley Furniture Project, and will enable the charity to spend greater resources to help low income people in the area.