Oakland Care Celebrates Greener Month 2024

Oakland Care Celebrates Greener Month 2024

Oakland Care is proud to announce the celebration of #GreenerMonth this September as part of our ongoing commitment to the environment and sustainability efforts. As ‘The Greener Care Choice’ care home provider, Oakland Care is gearing up for an exciting ‘Green Week’ from the 16th to the 22nd of September, filled with events across the South East aimed at promoting sustainability and protecting the environment.

To take our commitment a step further, we are organising eco fairs bringing together local businesses, organisations, and individuals dedicated to promoting eco-friendly practices and sustainable living. These fairs will serve as a platform to raise public awareness about environmental issues, provide practical knowledge and skills for adopting eco-friendly practices, and inspire attendees to make a positive impact in their daily lives.

Oakland Care is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with local businesses and contribute to the success of the Eco Fairs.

In September 2023, we opened our flagship wildlife Garden at Maplewood Court Care Home. Celebrity gardener, Joe Swift, joined residents and families to officially open our Maplewood Court wildlife garden in Maidstone.

Joe, who’s best known for his appearances on BBC Gardeners’ World, cut the ribbon to the bespoke green space.  The designer and plantsman was impressed with both the size and design of the garden, praising the staff on its carefully planned features to encourage a range of wildlife.

“I’m very proud to open this garden,” Joe said.  “It’s a beautiful space with winding paths to allow residents to explore all of the different areas.  Wildlife will really be able to flourish in this garden because of the elements of water, food and shelter that have been built into its design.”

Our journey to becoming carbon neutral began in 2020 and is led by Joanne Balmer (BEM), our CEO, and the Sustainability Green Committee, which is made up of leaders and team members from across the company.  We have shown a pressing desire to do more than have green practices. Oakland Care wanted to explore our carbon footprint, understand our emissions, and take steps to reduce our environmental impact. Certified by Carbon Neutral Britain, Oakland Care has measured and offset our carbon footprint, allowing us to become a Certified Carbon Neutral Business for the fourth year in 2024.

The garden has been gradually transformed from a bare piece of land at the back of the purpose-built home, which offers all-inclusive residential, nursing, memory and respite care, into a wildlife-friendly space with the help of Kent Wildlife Trust and grant funding from Low Carbon Kent.  Residents have given their input into the design and contributed plants from their family gardens.

In addition to hosting activities centred on sustainability, Oakland Care’s care homes have also begun participating in Oakland Care-wide ‘Green Week’, which is dedicated to empowering their residents, team members, and suppliers to protect and enhance our local environments. The week included events such as beach cleans, planting of 100 trees in a new Oak Tree Nursery, establishing wild gardens, supporting local green charities, and hosting guest speakers from local wildlife trusts.

Oakland Care emphasises that as the UK’s only carbon-neutral care group for the fourth year in a row, we want to continue encouraging other care home providers to improve sustainability. We believe that together, the industry can drive real change to alleviate the climate emergency while empowering residents and team members to make their mark on this crucial issue.

Oakland Care feels a strong sense of responsibility to protect the environment and work towards a sustainable future for all. Through our efforts, we are making a positive impact on the world and inspiring others to join us on this journey.

Find out more about our Oakland Care Sustainability Journey.