Burleigh Court first to achieve Gold with Green Tourism’s new assessment criteria

imago’s four star hotel Burleigh Court is once again celebrating after being awarded Gold by the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

It is the third time in a row Burleigh Court has achieved the Gold standard. The latest assessment was marked against the new Green Tourism Version 5 Criteria making Burleigh Court the first hotel in England to achieve the accolade. Green Tourism is the national sustainable tourism certification scheme for the UK. Originally developed in partnership with Visit Scotland, it is now the only certification scheme validated by Visit Britain, through the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) and is the largest and most sustainable tourism certification programme in the world.  

With a strong sustainability agenda and a forward thinking approach on issues such as energy, recycling, wastage, procurement and social responsibility, the Loughborough-based hotel and conference centre excelled in criteria which judged the environmental impact of its green policy and the resulting benefit to staff, customers and the local community. 

imago has been recognised for its comprehensive monitoring of energy, water and wastage across all areas of the business to ensure annual  targets are achieved. The hotel also strives to support the community and encourage sustainability by sourcing local produce and supporting local producers and suppliers. It has recently launched a range of ‘Taste of Leicestershire’ menus that includes a payback scheme to raise money for local charities. 

Guy Hodge, Operations Manager at Burleigh Court, comments: “We are thrilled to have retained our gold award for the third time in six years. What makes this achievement all the more satisfactory is that Green Tourism’s standards have been raised and we are the first hotel in England to receive gold with their new auditing criteria. We are passionate about sustainability and ensure all team members are involved and play a part in our green culture. Initiatives such as our cycle to work and staff car share scheme continue to make a difference whilst our green policy, which includes ideas such as recycling food waste and greywater, extends across the whole hotel.  We see sustainability as much more than our efforts to save water and energy - it is also about improving the service we provide which benefits our guests and the community.” 

  

Stuart Park, senior grading officer with Green Tourism said: “Burleigh Court has demonstrated once again that it is one of the leading green hotel and conference centres in the UK, securing Gold under the new Green Tourism Version 5 Criteria. This is the first hotel in England to achieve the accolade, indicative of the determination of the enthusiastic team in introducing and improving sustainability measures within the hotel, and continuing to work very closely with the community and region. Efforts have been made year on year improving low impact technology, such as installing more LED lighting throughout the building, showcasing many local food and drink producers on the menu as well as being an ambassador for sustainable tourism practices – something other aspiring hotels in East Midlands should be aware of.” 

Burleigh Court has achieved much success over the last 12 months, being awarded AIM Gold, Investors in People Gold and winning Gold in the Large Hotel of the Year category at both the   Leicestershire Tourism Awards and VisitEngland National Tourism Awards for Excellence. 

Launched in 2003, imago unifies Loughborough University’s conference and events venues under one brand, providing high quality meeting spaces, venues and accommodation along with excellent sports and leisure facilities. As well as Burleigh Court, imago’s portfolio of venues includes Holywell Park, Loughborough University’s conference and events facilities and The Link Hotel. 

Electric car spaces helping keep the Beardmore clean and green

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre continued their dedication to providing green tourism and conference solutions today, by installing a new electric car charging point and parking spaces for guests and visitors.

The state of the art Chargemaster Charging Unit, installed by Everwarm allows for two cars to be charged by guests and visitors to the award winning Clydebank hotel. 

Beardmore Hotel Manager Gary Rice commented: “As a Conference Centre of Excellence and holder of the Gold award for Green Tourism, it is essential that we continue to grow and improve to meet the needs and wants of our guests and conference users. 

“As the environmental and financial benefits of owning an electric car become more apparent, it was crucial for us to adapt and ensure that this facility was available to everyone who comes to the Beardmore. 

“We take great pride in our Green Conference Package, which encourages organisers to hold sustainable events and the addition of these parking bays was a vital element to the ongoing success this programme. 

“We have a very strong commitment to providing environmentally friendly and sustainable services. Our Green Team, with a representative from every department, works tirelessly all year round to come up with new and innovative ways to improve our eco-friendly status and this is the first of what will be many new ideas in 2014.”

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has been awarded the acclaimed Gold Award for Green Tourism by the Green Tourism Business Scheme three years in a row and is committed to the fundamentals of sustainable eco-friendly practices. The Beardmore was also named the top eco-hotel in Scotland for 2013 at the world renowned AA Awards. 

The Manor House Strikes Green Gold

The Manor House, the conference centre based in Godalming, Surrey has retained its Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) gold standard following a recent assessment by the organisation.

The GTBS is the national sustainable tourism certification scheme for the UK and according to a June 2013 report produced by Totem Tourism , is the World’s most credible Sustainable Tourism Programme. Originally developed in partnership with Visit Scotland, it is now the only certification scheme validated by Visit Britain, through the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT). 

"We are absolutely delighted to have retained this gold award" says Centre Manager Howard Canning. "We first achieved gold two years ago, but as the award is all about continuous improvement, we knew that we couldn’t sit on our laurels if we wanted to maintain the standard. We’ve work hard at being green, so this is Mission Accomplished!"

Businesses opting to join Green Tourism are assessed by a qualified grading advisor against a rigorous set of criteria, covering a range of areas, like energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity and more. Those businesses that meet the required standard receive a Bronze, Silver, or Gold award based on their level of achievement. The membership network currently numbers around 2300 organisations in the UK, Ireland and Canada and there is a wide range of business types from hotels to tourist attractions and holiday parks.

“This award is the culmination of everybody's efforts and we’re very proud of some of the initiatives that we have developed and built on over the last two years" continues Canning. "We now use more local suppliers than ever before for everything from food to laundry. Capitalising on new technology, we have also managed to reduce our utilities bills – we use about 20% gas than we did two years ago, for example, which is fantastic, given that the cost keeps increasing."

Although the next assessment is not until 2015, Canning is keen not to stand still. "We have plenty still to do" he says, "not only do we have to maintain our gold standard for a third time, but the assessment criteria are due to change, which will make a gold much harder to achieve."