Brighter Futures striving towards a greener tomorrow thanks to Busnes@LlandrilloMenai
The Rhyl charity has teamed up with the Green Digital Academy to explore ways to reduce its carbon footprint
Rhyl charity Brighter Futures is making strides towards sustainability thanks to support from Busnes@LlandrilloMenai’s Green Digital Academy.
Brighter Futures was founded in 2018 to address social isolation, loneliness, and poverty. Its base in a former pub serves a focal point for the community, hosting various groups and activities.
The charity has teamed up with the Green Digital Academy, a programme offered through Busnes@LlandrilloMenai, to explore ways to reduce its energy use, lessen its environmental impact and reach net zero carbon emissions.
Shane Owen, a trustee with Brighter Futures, said: “Through our partnership with Green Digital Academy, we’ve been able to implement significant changes to how we work and put a plan in place on how we reach net zero emissions.
“Thanks to support we’ve replaced mains gas heating with a renewable air-source heat pump and installed low-flow water taps and toilets. These improvements are crucial to our commitment to reduce carbon emissions and achieve our net zero target.
“We’re also now on track to generate more electricity on site through our solar panels and have increased our storing capacity with a new battery system.”
The next steps for Brighter Futures include installing internal wall insulation, researching carbon-saving technologies, and updating outdated IT equipment. By 2026, the aim is to introduce rainwater harvesting and to reduce dependency on fossil fuels for their vans, with the goal of becoming completely fossil-fuel-free by 2050.
Busnes@LlandrilloMenai is part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and provides training and support to businesses in the region. The Green Digital Academy helps SMEs take action to reduce their carbon footprint and to meet growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and services.
Donna Hodgson, Regional Project Manager with Busnes@LlandrilloMenai, is responsible for the Green Digital Academy. She said: “Often smaller businesses and organisations don’t know where to start in terms of reducing carbon emissions. This programme is designed to help them prioritise and understand what’s best for them.
“I would encourage SMEs and organisations like Brighter Futures in any sector to contact us if they are interested in working with us. The programme is fully funded, and with our support, they can access expert advice and funding to put them on the right track to reduce carbon in a way that benefits their business and the environment.”
As well as Busnes@LlandrilloMenai, Green Digital Academy partners include the Isle of Anglesey County Council, Cyngor Gwynedd, Conwy County Borough Council, Denbighshire Council and Flintshire Council.
To learn more about how the Green Digital Academy could benefit your business or organisation, click here