Investing in biodiversity - Annual Conference 2013 carbon offset donation

As part of our sustainable event strategy, we make a carbon offset donation to the institution that hosted the EAUC Annual Conference. We're delighted to share how the University of Nottingham used our donation in 2013.

Following the 2013 EAUC Conference, the University has used the donation of £250 to part-fund the purchase of a number of bat boxes to be sited around the campus including around the Orchard Hotel and East Midlands Conference Centre.

The bat boxes are made by a local Mencap group. Mencap projects provide a range of activities and projects to build vocational, work and social skills. Current projects within the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire area include the Rushcliffe Project, which includes a community garden. This garden promotes social, environmental and economic opportunities, such as Bat Box building.

The Bat boxes the users are making at the moment reflect all of these and give what we do a 'realistic' purpose. The added value is that people feel part of their community and gain so much self worth and confidence from doing projects like this.

Gavin Scott, Environment Manager, comments on the project, "University Park campus is an exceptional habitat for bats with 9 of the known UK species being frequent visitors or residents on the campus. By working with Mencap we will be able to increase and support this population further and at the same time support local members of our community build skills".

Learn more about sustainability at the University of Nottingham.