Carbon neutral care group Oakland Care is launching a range of green initiatives across its eight London and South East care homes.
During the provider’s annual ‘Green Week’, residents and staff alike will be taking part in activities such as beach cleans, tree planting and litter picking, as well as creating butterfly and bee gardens to boost biodiversity.
Oakland homes will also be hosting guest speakers from the RSPCA, the Essex Forestry Initiative, and the Epping Forest Heritage Trust.
Already carbon neutral, Oakland Care is aiming to achieve a Level 3 certificate by Green Mark, the highest grade awarded by the sustainability specialists. The provider is also seeking to expand its BREEAM accreditations, having already achieved an ‘Excellent’ rating at its Elmbrook Court Care Home, and ‘Very Good’ ratings for Elsyng House and Woodland Grove.
To mark these achievements, Oakland Care will be launching its new ‘greener choice’ branding.
Joanne Balmer BEM, Oakland Care’s chief operating officer, said: “We’re extremely excited to launch the next stage of our sustainability journey this September. Following the success of our previous Green Week’s, we are eager to go one step further this year and build on the incredible progress we have made on our sustainability journey. This will see everyone across Oakland Care work as one as we look to demonstrate how our sector can be a positive force in the fight against climate change.
“As the UK’s only carbon neutral care group for a second year in a row, we want to continue encouraging other care home providers to push ahead with their own journey to improve sustainability.
“Together, our industry can drive real change to alleviate the climate emergency, while empowering our residents and team members to make their mark on this crucial issue.”