Sewell Group share sustainable vision at The Business Day 2022
Sewell Group has shared its approach to maintaining a sustainable business during this year’s Business Day event, also highlighting how, as a multi-disciplinary group of companies, it can offer greater support to its customers on the journey to net zero.
Underpinned by four key pillars, Sewell’s sustainability strategy focuses on keeping all areas of the business in balance and encompasses people, planet, places and performance.
Jo Barnes, Sewell Estates MD said;
“These pillars are the driving force for our business, and they’re how we measure our wider impact on our customers, our people, and the communities in which we work.
“We demonstrate this through having clear and SMART governance to support our growth ambitions, having a positive impact on our people, and providing meaningful work and career experiences through initiatives like our GATEway Programme, launched at last year’s Humber Business Week.
“It’s our prerogative to leave a positive legacy wherever we go, and working with our people, supply chain and stakeholders, together we can better look after our planet.
“Sustainability for us, is about much more than the environment, although this is naturally a big focus for businesses across the world and we hope to be able to support even more of our customers on their own journey to decarbonisation.”
Joining Sewell Group at The Business Day this year was the Plant A Tree Today (PATT) Foundation. PATT are a local charity committed to the regeneration of the Hull, Humber, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire areas. They do this in many ways, from tree planting and reforestation to protecting our butterflies and bees.
Sewell is supporting Dare to Bee, a PATT Foundation project to help maintain bee populations around the world, whilst also helping disadvantaged people have a fresh start.
Andrew Steel, Director of the PATT Foundation added;
‘It’s fantastic to get support from a local company that is supporting us on multiple levels with our projects.
“We need both bees and trees to survive and already the ongoing discussions with the Sewell Group have led to additional support in other areas.
“As they say from a small acorn a great oak tree grows, and that’s what we are seeing develop from this partnership for which we are extremely grateful.”
Sewell Group have sponsored The Business Day since its inception and have been expanding its portfolio both regionally and nationally, ever since.
Since the last live event at Bridlington Spa in 2019, the group have invested in data mapping and visualisation tool, Parallel, with its latest investment being Community Ventures Ltd. Community Ventures Ltd is a development company that develops, builds, and manages health and social care facilities across the North of England and the Midlands, as well as providing estates advisory services to the public sector and management services to LIFT companies.
Bringing the infamous Humber Business Week to a close, The Business Day was back at Bridlington Spa after a year of virtual events in 2021. It brings businesses across the region together to tackle pressing issues, share knowledge, celebrate success, and offers a great networking opportunity with others across the Humber business community.
PEOPLE. PLANET. PLACES.
Supporting our customers on the journey to net zero
Enabling public sector clients to reduce their carbon impact
We support clients in their strategic estates planning through our business case work, which helps identify their decarbonisation ambitions. Whether this is ensuring sustainability is a key strand in the delivery framework or helping drive decision making about how best to utilise their estate, our approach is aligned with wider Government net zero targets.
Shaping the future of NHS primary care
Through our investment business, Community Ventures, we’re helping the NHS work towards its Net Zero targets with sustainable business plans – shaping the future of public sector investment and infrastructure to create a health service that’s fit for the future, drives cost savings and decarbonises operations.
- Operational management of c.£450m LIFT healthcare estate which includes 70 buildings with a footprint of c.200,000m2. A key focus across these 9 LIFT companies is supporting the delivery of the governments Net Zero strategies through operational efficiencies and a strategic approach to ESG.
- £60m of new primary care in South Yorkshire with a focus on development of buildings that meet NZC requirements
- 200 PCN estates strategies that are transforming the way systems prioritise investment
- Development Management for c.£70m current projects with a focus on meeting sustainability challenges and targets through effective design, procurement and construction
- Business case development across more than 15 health and wellbeing projects focused on the requirement to deliver services from world class buildings closer to patients
Decision making through data mapping
SHAPE is an online, interactive data mapping and visualisation tool that supports strategic decision making. Its interactive interface allows organisations to develop business cases, visualise their estate and inform decisions around sustainability, service provision and infrastructure planning.
Student sustainability group driving net zero ambitions
Students at Ron Dearing UTC are playing a key role in shaping the school’s exciting expansion. A new hi-tech Centre for Sustainability will be created in the former Central Fire Station, next to the existing school.
In line with the UTC’s commitment to decarbonisation, the expansion project will prioritise sustainable design and build solutions and embrace the latest green technologies in terms of heating, lighting and cooling systems.
The Ron Dearing UTC Student Design and Build Team, consisting of ten students in Years 10, 11 and 12, has been appointed to work with staff, the UTC’s employer partners, architects, sustainability consultants and the construction team to ensure the new facilities reflect the needs of students, local businesses, the green economy and the environment.
Restoring a heritage project to breathe life back into a building
Bringing a 1800s building back into life was no mean feat – but our team worked closely with the client to use innovative methods to bring this former mill back into life; repurposing an existing structure, retaining as much of the existing fabric of the building as possible.
Repurposing space with decarbonisation in mind
In the last 5 years we’ve transformed over 15,000 sqm of acute hospital space to improve functionality and efficiency – helping the NHS save money by redeveloping their existing estate, rather than building new.
Maximising the lifecycle of estates
Through our facilities management company, we ensure buildings are kept in day one condition – implementing renewable technologies, reducing embodied carbon, lifecycle planning – making them fit for the future, helping reduce energy costs and decarbonising.
Across the LIFT estate we have now replaced 41% of the lights with LEDs – that’s 2839 lights so far with a potential saving to our clients of approximately £900 per month utilities costs across the estate.
A next generation energy & technology business park
The £200m Yorkshire Energy Park is a next generation energy and technology business park that will drive economic growth, support the local community and help position the Humber at the forefront of the global transition to net zero.
Located in the heart of the Humber Freeport and strategically positioned alongside some of the leading players in the zero-carbon agenda, Yorkshire Energy Park aspires to play a prominent role in the region’s low carbon future, whilst boosting the region’s skills and earning power.
Green ambassadors spread the word
Staff from across our 13 Sewell on the go stores have become ‘Green Ambassadors’ as we embark upon our mission to make our retail business more sustainable. The team are coming up with various innovative ideas of how we can reduce our energy use, minimise water consumption and encourage our customers to make greener choices.