The Victoria Centre Green Apple Award Press Release

The Victoria Centre Green Apple Award Press Release

THE VICTORIA CENTRE WINS PRESTIGIOUS ENVIROMENTAL AWARD

Thanks to The Victoria Centres’ Operation Manager Nicola Rudd – the centre has won a coveted award!

'INTERNATIONAL SILVER 2024 WINNERS of GREEN APPLE ENVIRONMENT AWARD'

The deserved accolade is centred around the innovative creation of a Staff Allotment and Chill Space on the roof of the centre. Boosting health and well-being for the team from inception to harvest. It cost pennies to create and is the centres contribution to changing the concrete landscape within which we work.

The Rooftop Allotment and Chill Space is an innovative project and brainchild of the centre’s Operations Manager Nicola Rudd. The intention was to utilise an unused space for the team to enjoy during breaktimes and at the same time help reduce the centres carbon footprint, encourage a micro environment in a space of concrete!

So from inception the team scoured the centre for unused pallets, timber any other unused materials to make the vegetable and fruit troughs. The management team actively with the security and facilities team all came together to create the infrastructure.

The team collectively chose the produce they wished to harvest as well as have input in the design and layout of the space.

The intention was to create a tranquil space to boost mental well-being and at the same time help the climate by creating a micro environment and also help to reduce the centres carbon footprint.

The project cost very little money, the only item that needed to be purchased was lining material for the troughs, seeds and compost – everything else was sourced on site.

This was never intended to be a commercial activity but the results on our teams morale is really noticeable – the conversations in the team are largely now on the rooftop garden – everyone is still getting their own tasks done though!

Nicola Rudd, Operations Manager said ‘We have all really enjoyed the creation of our Roof Top Allotmant’ and there has been a notable presence of insects and birds which has added the micro environment that the team intended to encourage – albeit we did have to cover some of the more tasty fruits earlier this year. The whole team have benefitted from this project and we are hoping to extend the space to tenants and theirs teams soon too.

Long term benefits if our core team are anything to go by could be exceptional – there is not a better view of our city from up there. We also hope the project to be exlemporatry to other businesses in our High Street – we would like to introduce a bees hive next! We are looking to further enhance the space to attract more wildlife and user experience’

Cllr Lydia Hyde, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change commented ‘This is excellent news, huge congratulations to Nicola and the team at The Victoria Centre. A fantastic idea and thrilled to hear that not only is this project boosting team health and well-being but also a wonderful step to reducing the centre’s carbon footprint- long let it flourish’

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