Carbon Conscious
At the Green Team we are always very conscious of our impact on the planet, and we are proud of the positive change our projects make – whether that is tree-planting to reduce carbon in the atmosphere, removing non-native invasive species to enhance biodiversity or other tasks. However, we are also aware of the footprint that we leave through our activities. In 2023 we are actively tracking our carbon footprint and before we even see the numbers, we are aware that a significant proportion of that footprint will be minibus use.
Electric Minibus Fundraising
We are delighted to share that we have now raised the funds to buy an electric minibus which can replace our current, ageing, diesel version on many projects. The new vehicle will join Evie, our electric people carrier, in our fleet.
We have placed an order, paid our deposit and are now just waiting to hear when we can take delivery. The electric minibus market is very small just now so we are buying a van which will then be converted into a minibus. Unfortunately, this will take a bit of time and we don’t expect to see our new minibus until 2024. But, we think it will be well worth the wait. A report from the Energy Savings Trust estimates that we will reduce our carbon emissions by 5.4 tonnes a year and save over £2,500 in fuel through switching.
Our electric minibus fundraising got off to a fabulous start in 2022 when 11 of you took on the KiltWalk and raised over £1,800. We then topped that up earlier this year with almost £5,000 being raised though our first ever Crowdfunder listing. This fundraising has been supplemented by grants from the Clothworkers Foundation, the Robertson Trust and the Walter Scott Giving Group as well as funds that we had designated to the cause in previous years’ accounts. In total we have collectively raised an amazing £77k.
A BIG THANK YOU
A huge thank you to anybody who took part or donated to our fundraising campaigns and to those organisations who gave us grants.
We can’t wait to show you the new addition to the Green Team family…….all we need now is a name for it!
