Caring for our environment is core to our vision. It matters to our communities, our supporters and everyone we work with. Our Green Care Programme’s approach is to provide access to nature-based activities and therapeutic interventions, expertly designed for adults with a learning disability, autism or mental health problem.
Environmental initiatives
Sustainability is a key part of our heritage, and we are working on our Environmental Strategic goals to set out our aims to increase energy efficiency and sustainability in response to the climate emergency and our net zero commitments.
We are actively working to reduce our environmental impact and report annually to the government’s Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) policy. For the year 2023/24 the total emissions were 1,114 tonnes of carbon. The report informs the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme to set out our options and inform our priorities for the short, medium and long term.
Our approach to sustainable living communities
- Heating our homes – we produce heating and hot water in our rural communities onsite through our Biomass plants, generating 56% of our total energy from sustainable wood pellets.
- Our annual property investment programme focuses on improving energy efficiency in homes, where we are prioritising windows, doors, roof insulation and LED lighting.
- We are reviewing our vehicle fleet to evaluate the options to move to Electric (EV) where it is feasible to do so.
Our Co-production approach (working with our community) delivers ongoing engagement with the people we support, which has led to several Green Team sustainability projects such as ‘Wild and Wonderful’. These projects involve bringing groups together to learn about and monitor wildlife within our sites, re-vamping spaces to enhance the environment and encouraging people to come up with ideas to make our spaces even greener!
See the good work our communities have been doing in our green spaces!
Some of our community members have been coming up with ways to help the environment and pitching their green ideas to the “Dragons’ Dell”!
The natural environment
Environmental land management is crucial to us at Camphill Village Trust, as it ensures the sustainability and health of our natural resources, allowing us to protect and nurture the environment for future generations while supporting our community’s well-being.
Camphill Village Trust is custodian of 909 acres of Land. Our deep commitment to preserving and enhancing habitats and nurturing the environment is woven into every aspect of our community life.
Our natural environment plays a vital role in advancing our new Green Care strategy, enabling us to enhance our nature-based therapy programmes, including social farming and the production of natural materials. These initiatives not only support the well-being of our community members but also encourage sustainable practices.
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- Growing and horticulture
By creating nature and lifestyle opportunities, such as improving and expanding permissive paths and growing organic food for our homes and retail outlets, we ensure that our connection to the land enriches both our daily lives and broader community engagement.
Our commitment to nature-based health promotion is strengthened through gardening and conservation activities, offering therapeutic benefits while preserving and enhancing the natural beauty that surrounds us.
Our Natural Capital 2023/24 audit identified that 93% of the Land is grassland and woodland, predominantly in Oaklands Park and Botton Village. We are developing plans to improve and enhance these habitats, working on a Woodland Management Plan and exploring Biodiversity gain schemes.
Land management and sustainability
We want to be a beacon of land management and sustainability.
We will work towards Carbon Net Zero by:
- Establishing a clear and realistic path towards achieving net zero by 2050
- Investing in a reduction in carbon emissions through energy efficient homes (where it is economical to do so)
- Develop a realistic and achievable decarbonisation programme to reduce emissions
- Embed sustainability in our asset and infrastructure strategy to increase our renewable energy sources
The Trust will also utilise the land and spaces across our sites to deliver Green Care activities. These will have a positive impact on their communities and unlock potential by providing greater access to nature/education opportunities.
This will include:
- Woodlands and other natural and semi-natural rural spaces
- Agricultural lands and farms
- Urban and suburban green spaces
We will unlock the potential of our land assets providing access to nature through cycle paths, walks and rural retreats and education opportunities.
Environmental respect
One of our key values and guiding principles is environmental respect. The Trust values and cares for the environment. This means that we understand the connection between the environment we live in and our well-being and that we actively promote living and eating sustainably, in harmony with the natural world. We want to play our role in making an impact on climate change and carbon neutrality. We want to maximise our long-term sustainability through our land and care farming history and as a landlord of choice.
