Case Studies

---

Greenslate Community Farm covers 25 acres of farm and woodlands on the side of Billinge Hill on the outskirts of Wigan. As well as a place for people to experience farm life, Greenslate Farm offers meaningful work for groups and individuals with special needs, in a supportive therapeutic environment (such as sowing and harvesting of  crops, working with animals, wildlife and conservation work, crafts and life skills).

In addition to the employment opportunities generated, we were able to help Stackright carbon offset to their ISO 14001 plans (as certified by the Carbon Trust). 

As part of our work with Stackright storage solutions, we helped establish a local business within the Greenslate Farm site with the remit to plant and subsequently manage an orchard of fruit trees sourced from the ‘Nation’ collection. The produce grown is sold in the farm shop and at the same time, the enterprise has employed local people to manage the orchard and complete other tasks around the farm.

Clydebridge steelworks to the East of Glasgow was founded in 1887 and in its heyday produced steel plate for many of the Clyde’s famous liners. At its peak, it employed 3,500 people, but with the demise of shipbuilding in the UK the demand for steel plates fell and much of its production ceased in the mid 1980s.

As part of the Liberty Group’s interest in relocating the manufacture of wind towers from South Wales to the Glasgow area (‘Project Shear’), we were involved in working with Liberty and The Scottish Executive to identify the optimum ways of delivering ‘social value’ to the benefit of the local community.

With an emphasis on creating employment opportunities, it was agreed that four apprentices would be taken on from the local Glasgow workforce within the Mechanical & Electrical  side of the business (one is already in place). Our target is to create 20 new roles in the next 5 years.

Network Rail owns and operates 20,000 miles of track (along with thousands of bridges, viaducts and tunnels) across the UK. Much of their day-to-day activity focuses on updating worn out track. As a major carbon producer, Network Rail is keen to offset the carbon generated from their major works programmes as effectively as they can.

As part of Network Rail’s nationwide programme of ‘plainline’ track renewal, we were involved in identifying opportunities to continue with this and assist in the delivery of this in relation to CP5. Being a national organisation, Network Rail was keen to ensure that any ‘future generation’ work had a national impact.

Discussion with The National Forest identified that Network Rail could achieve its aim by planting mixed deciduous trees within the Coalville area of Leicestershire. The exercise also fostered a more effective working relationship between Network Rail and its partners via various ‘team building days’ being built into the renewal contract.