Sustainable development in practice
The European Social Fund announces two joint winners of an award for sustainable project leaders
di Staff
Two British initiatives, the charity ‘Recycling Lives’ and Cornwall Council’s ‘Clear About Carbon’ project, have won the European Social Fund (ESF) ‘Sustainable Development Specialist Project Leader’ award.
First launched in 2010, the ESF Leader Awards honour organisations that effectively promote equality and sustainable development.
Recycling lives
Working with NOMS (National Offender Management Service), Recycling Lives improve the employability of ex-offenders. The ESF award was presented to Recycling Lives in recognition of the company’s ongoing commitment to protecting the environment and helping ex-offenders get back to work – indeed, seven programme participants are now in full-time employment with Recycling Lives.
Commenting on the award, Recycling Lives training manager Rob Jackson said: “It’s a real honour to receive the ESF Sustainable Development Specialist Project award. The training team has been working incredibly hard over the last year to dramatically change the lives of many ex-offenders, and this award is a testament to our success. We have enabled many individuals to make a fresh start in their lives and, with the help of NOMS and the excellent Achieve North West project, we will continue to do so.”
And, as all individuals undertake work placements within Recycling Lives and within a number of our own rather brilliant eco-friendly social enterprises, the project promotes valuable environmental skills. For example, many individuals on the scheme are given the chance to work with Bulky Waste, a charity-driven service that collects, reuses and recycles unwanted furniture and white goods. Individuals gain experience refurbishing a large range of items, including sofas and tables, which are then sold on at the Recycling Lives charity furniture shop.
Clear About Carbon
This ESF financed project is focused on new ways to increase carbon and climate awareness within businesses and the public sector.
The project has worked with both purchasing staff and senior managers to help identify and develop methods which will support the successful engagement of Cornish businesses in this emerging sector. These new methods will help ensure that its business community is well positioned to make the most of the opportunities presented by the growing importance of the sustainability agenda.
As a result of its innovative approach to addressing the issue of ‘carbon literacy’, the project has been able to work closely with government departments such as Defra, the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office. Training materials developed under the project now form part of the National Sustainable Public Procurement Programme run by Defra. This ensures that the ground breaking training developed in Cornwall will be publically available to everyone in the UK by November this year via an e-learning format.
Fernando Correia from the University of Exeter Business School said “We are delighted with this recognition of the great work we have been doing with both small and medium sized businesses and public sector procurement teams. The fact that elements of the project will now be rolled-out nationally is further proof that this regional programme has far wider benefits.”
Duncan Carnie, ESF Division Policy Manager for the Department of Work & Pensions concluded: “We were very impressed with the quality of the application and, in particular, with the way the project has helped mainstream training in carbon literacy in procurement, rolling it out at national level.”
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