Guernsey Electricity has pledged to replace corporate gift giveaways at this summer’s community events and instead support local community and environmental charity Grow.
This year, instead of giving away free pens, notebooks and bags, the company has donated £2,000 to Grow, to support its ecological projects and purchase peat-free compost to sell. Grow was set up to improve the Island’s biodiversity and provide a safe and secure working environment for people with learning and other disabilities.
Guernsey Electricity attends events such as Seafront Sundays and The West Show to talk to Islanders about saving energy, switching to electric heating and the company’s commitment to a net zero future.
Louise Hesse, marketing advisor at Guernsey Electricity, explained to Channel Eye: “Reducing our consumption is the most effective way to reduce the impact of waste. We have previously given away branded gifts, from reusable tote bags to pens, but we don’t feel that these bring value to our community. Instead, we want to focus our resources into supporting a worthwhile and impactful charity that shares our environmental mission.”
Grow helps its team members to build skills, confidence through projects that protect and enhance the environment. The initiatives that the funding will support include making and selling boxes for bats, owls and birds and creating bug hotels – all from recycled local materials. The money will also be used to help upgrade the workshop facilities for the team.
The charity will also be purchasing peat-free compost to offer to customers. Peat is a carbon ‘sink’ which stores large amounts of carbon dioxide and prevents it from being released into the atmosphere.
Louise added: “We’re making this choice because it’s the right thing to do for our community and our environment. We look forward to talking to Islanders at this summer’s events about saving energy in their homes and what Guernsey Electricity is doing on their behalf to meet our Island’s climate targets.”
Guernsey Electricity will be at Seafront Sundays throughout the summer months starting this weekend on 30 May. The West Show will run over 18th and 19th August. Find out more here.
