Attending the Business Expo was a new experience for members of the Sustainable St Albans week team – especially the speed-networking event! We already had community groups, schools and faith groups on board but we wanted to get local business involved too.
Lisa Bates, from the Chamber of Commerce had been really helpful when we called her, and immediately organised to secure us a place at the Business Expo in June – which put us in touch with a range of businesses in the district.
Soon after this Andrei Lussmann, who runs the highly successful and award winning Lussmanns restaurants in St Albans, Harpenden and Hertford met up with us at his St Albans restaurant to discuss how he could get involved – we were delighted to receive his support! Lussmanns have won the Sustainable Restaurant Awards for UK Sustainable Small Restaurant Group of the Year – in 2014 & 2015 and is a natural role model for the sustainable food industry in St Albans.
Next on the list to approach were Christopher Place – a business mall in the city centre – and they couldn’t have been more supportive!
Cycle-Tech Herts, with the indomitable Mike running their mobile bicycle maintenance, servicing and repair shop from the station, will be offering customers a special something during the week on the theme of sustainable transport.
Another business involved from early on is Electric Blue, run by local entrepreneur Alex Calnan. They have just launched their first electric taxi charging point in the city encouraging sustainable transport and we will be seeing their electric taxis around and about during our events!
There must be many times that you’ve thought of a great idea but then carried on with your normal life and let the idea go?
Well, when we came up with the idea for Sustainable St Albans week – it didn’t have a name, and didn’t have any details – but this time we were determined to try and make it happen. Against all the odds, and just a few months later we are overwhelmed with how much support the week has received – and we have now secured funding and appointed a part-time coordinator and communications officer.
Nearly fifty organisations representing hundreds of people across business, schools, faith groups and community groups have pledged support to the week – which gives groups an opportunity to showcase their enthusiasm and commitment to sustainability!
People of all ages, from different communites and from diverse faith groups in the city and district are concerned about environmental sustainability and want to do something to make a difference. They will be coming together over the week in a fantastic celebration with activities and events that will demonstrate how people throughout our city and district care about the future – and that we can do practical things ourselves to make a difference to the quality of our future lives.
We have listed all the groups supporting the event on our website – click here to find the names of the 18 amazing schools (infant, primary and secondary) that have signed up. We also have a range of community groups, diverse faith groups and also local wildlife groups – perhaps your local group is one of them – have a look here to find out.
If your group has still got to register, have a chat to them now. We are asking groups who want to support the week to send us their logo now, and we will include them on our website.
Groups will then have until the end of the summer to think about and confirm the activity that they want to run. See FAQs here.