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HCM Forum: Climate ambitions and mental health
Fuel the debate about issues across the industry and share your ideas and experiences. We’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
For us to help our community stay healthy, we must ensure our buildings are in the best of health too. This means reducing waste and pollution and re-investing to keep them in tip-top condition.
Circadian Trust has ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2030, with interim targets including a 25 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions and 10 per cent reduction in water consumption by 2028 – we’ve also had a continuous improvement programme to reduce our carbon footprint since 2005 and have undertaken initiatives, such as investing in Building Management Systems and installing LED lighting and pool covers, which has made a difference to energy consumption and costs.
Building management systems have become more powerful with the introduction of AI, meaning facility managers can control conditions 24/7, saving on both energy used and asset replacement.
This tech works across our sites, monitoring and adjusting, so the team can continually improve internal processes and procurement to ensure it minimises impact on waste, miles travelled, emissions and pollution.
We’ve recently installed solar panels from Ineco that generate 360,000 kWh of clean energy and save 75 tonnes of carbon a year at Bradley Stoke Active Lifestyle Centre.
In summer they’ll power the entire 7,000sq m site, including the pool, exercise machines, pumps and lights, without needing power from the grid.
The £390,000 investment has been shared between us as the operator and South Gloucestershire Council, which owns the site.
Photovoltaics are a game-changer. They’ve been live since January and we’re already seeing up to £5,000 a month in energy savings.
We hope this demonstrates how sustainability can make a difference to the industry as we drive to enhance the customer experience and deliver more sustainable operations while reducing operating costs.
In light of your recent article on Mental Wellness (HCM issue 4, 2004, page 5), I wanted to share what we’re doing as a company.
The importance of mental health has never been clearer to me, as one of our team members tragically attempted to take their own life last year – an event that served as a massive shock to all of us on the team.
This incident made me realise that our physical fitness is not enough; we must also prioritise our mental health and I set out on the path of bringing awareness to staff and members of the importance of mental health, particularly for men – a subject that’s often shrouded in stigma.
We launched the campaign with a charity event involving groups of men in physical challenges and with female staff and members as judges.
We’ve also introduced “Walk and Talk,” a programme encouraging members to engage in a group hike across Arabia’s landscape. It’s an opportunity for them to talk freely, while enjoying the beauty of nature.
I’ve made it our corporate responsibility to support the mental health of members and staff and by incorporating this into our daily operations, we’re striving to create a more comprehensive health and fitness environment. We’re also providing group and solo sessions with mental health professionals to staff members who might be struggling.
I firmly believe the industry should prioritise mental and physical health equally, because although exercise can relieve stress, mental health requires a deeper, more nuanced approach.
