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CASE STUDY

NCHA Greenhouse Project

Fortem joined forces with Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) to create a greenhouse made almost entirely from empty plastic bottles.

OVERVIEW

Fortem joined forces with Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) to create a greenhouse made almost entirely from empty plastic bottles.

The greenhouse will help the residents of a supported living scheme enjoy the outdoors. Around 1,200 plastic bottles were collected and recycled for the build by NCHA staff and Fortem’s local branch in Nottingham.

Volunteers included 11 people from NCHA’s Wellbeing Department, plus Fortem’s Social Value Manager Jayne Wood and Assistant Supervisor Gary Griffiths. The project took the team a whole day to complete, with Gary staying late to ensure the safe and sturdy construction was accomplished.

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“Gary played a pivotal role in the success of the project, for which we are extremely grateful. He was professional, hardworking and enabled us to achieve something which will hopefully bring the residents a lot of enjoyment. Thanks Fortem!”

Assistant Supervisor Gary said, “It was a little daunting at first, to take something from a design on a piece of paper to constructing a greenhouse, but we did it and I felt proud of what we accomplished.

“It was fun to volunteer alongside our partners at NCHA, building relationships while giving back to the community and the planet. The residents at this scheme have learning difficulties, and knowing that they will be able to get a lot of use out of the greenhouse is really heart-warming. The residents were so inquisitive once the project was completed, I am sure they will get great pleasure planting their seeds in this innovative space.”

“It was a really successful collaborative effort between Fortem and NCHA’s Business Support Team. Everyone got stuck in and we all pulled together to create something that will not only benefit the residents, but is a great use of what is essentially rubbish. The residents have all been out today to have a good look at the progress and have already started making a list of what they want to grow.”

Julie Evans, Business Support Manager, NCHA

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For all our activities to enhance the sustainability of the homes we repair, maintain and improve

2030 Targets:

  • Our activities will capture asset condition and automatically identify opportunities for sustainable improvements
  • We will improve the sustainability of estate/asset management and product selection resulting in improved sustainability performance
  • We will eliminate any workstream outcomes that do not deliver a sustainability benefit

Why?

We will collect and use data on the condition of its assets to find ways to make sustainable improvements.

Our aim is to ensure that asset management and product selection contribute to sustainability goals and we will eliminate any processes or outcomes that do not deliver a sustainability benefit.

FOR our sustainability solutions to be informed by the voice of the customer, improving living conditions and responding to the impacts of climate change

2030 Targets:

  • We will be supporting customers to live sustainably in their homes across all of our contracts
  • Every workstream will have the technical solutions to enable our customers to live more sustainably in their homes
  • The voice of the customer will be an integral part of the way we do business

Why?

Everyone deserves to live in a safe, warm and decent home. We will provide support and solutions to overcome issues such as poor thermal efficiency, overheating, damp & mould and rising energy costs.

We will make every customer contact count, allowing their voice to shape the way we do business

FOR us to be the trusted expert in social housing decarbonisation

2030 Targets:

  • We will be recognised as sector leading in social housing decarbonisation
  • The expertise within our workforce and supply chain will deliver a leading and differentiated decarbonisation service
  • We will instigate and enable decarbonisation projects from accessing funding, delivering projects, and demonstrating improvements through our Net Zero Now service

Why?

We must strike the right balance to deliver quickly and support with achieving national net zero targets, whilst ensuring we guarantee results in the form of emissions reductions and improved living conditions.

Our Net Zero Now service draws on in-house and external expertise, the service includes the development of retrofit programmes, identification and acquisition of funding, a design and build approach and effective customer engagement strategies.

FOR us to set the standard on social value in our sector

2030 Targets:

  • For the diversity of organisations within our supply chain to increase year-on-year; this includes SMEs, micro businesses and social enterprises
  • FOR us to increase the proportion of our total spend with local supply chain year-on-year

Why?

We will also make social value a consideration in every decision we make – from how we support our own people and what we procure, through to the products and services we offer.

Our Sustainability Procurement Policy and Supply Chain Code of Conduct include commitments to promote equality, diversity and inclusion and tackling Modern Slavery.

FOR us to support people who face significant barriers to be in, or on the path to, good careers

2030 Targets:

  • For us to support 150 people facing significant barriers to the workplace to have new careers

Why?

Access to good quality work is the best way to improve a person’s life chances. Having a job can provide purpose, skills, a sense of achievement and increased self-esteem.

We will have a meaningful impact on the lives of people facing significant barriers to work.

FOR us to deliver high impact social value activities that promote social cohesion and improve local amenities, ensuring that customers and their communities thrive

2030 Targets:

  • FOR us to make connections with 25,000 people (a one-off interaction, e.g. school talks, DIY training, health intervention or awareness – Stop Smoking, Gas Safety)
  • FOR us to improve the lives of 2,000 people (a series of interactions as part of a programme, e.g. Future Pathways programme – work experience, CV writing, CSCS support)
  • FOR us to gather feedback from 100% of our social value activities
  • FOR us to collaborate with other partners to deliver greater social value impact

Why?

Every individual is unique, and every community is different. Working with our clients we will connect with communities and identify particular local needs and to deliver social value activities that address real issues and make a tangible difference.

FOR us to generate zero avoidable waste by 2030

2030 Targets:

  • FOR us to eliminate all avoidable waste during the construction of our planned and project works
  • FOR 100% of our non-hazardous waste (excluding void clearances) to be diverted away from landfill
  • FOR unavoidable waste from void clearances to be re-used, recycled and recovered where possible with at least 95% being diverted from landfill

Why?

Eliminating waste makes us more efficient and reduces our consumption of natural resources.

Zero avoidable waste means eliminating waste at every stage of a project’s lifecycle, from the manufacture of materials and products, the design, specification, procurement and construction or installation.

FOR our supply chain partners to be net-zero by 2040

2030 Targets:

  • FOR at least 70% of our purchased goods (by spend) to be from suppliers that commit to and have a plan in place to become net zero carbon in operation by 2040

Why?

Our ambition to achieve zero carbon in our own operations will only have real impact if we share our experience and collaborate with others to eliminate carbon throughout our supply chain.

Our Sustainability Procurement Policy and Supply Chain Code of Conduct allow us to work with organisations that can support us to achieve our goals. These include commitments to reduce the environmental and social impacts of the materials we use, as well as promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and tackling Modern Slavery.

FOR us to be a zero-carbon company without offsetting by 2030

Why?

We must limit global warming to 1.5°C if we are to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change. Addressing our direct contribution to climate change will require us to change the way we operate, no longer relying on fossil fuels as a source of energy. 

2030 Targets:

  • FOR us to transition our fleet by to zero-emission vehicles where the necessary infrastructure permits
  • For our sites, depots and offices to be fossil fuel free
  • FOR us to procure only certified natural renewable energy

We will purchase carbon offset credits to become ‘carbon neutral’ and will continue to reduce our emissions so that offsetting is no longer required and we become a zero-emission company.