Going green!

As a Society, becoming more aware of our impact on the climate and what we can do to lessen that impact is a priority for us. We have started to review all of processes and procedures to understand how we can reduce the amount of paper we use and transfer to a ‘digital first’ approach wherever possible. We have also looked at ways we can adopt a ‘no waste’ approach by reducing, reusing, and recycling and we encourage all our staff to follow this ethos whether working at home or in the office.

Having the majority of the team based at home during the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in less commuting for staff which has helped reduce the Society’s carbon footprint and this is something we are keen to continue. We have recently launched a fantastic Cycle to Work scheme for our employees which will not only help reduce our carbon footprint but also help improve their physical fitness and mental wellbeing.

Our Head of Member Services, Clare, has also completed a qualification with Cumbria Action for Sustainability which means that she is ‘carbon literate’ and can help both the business and our employees move forward in their journey to improving our impact on the environment

Finally, 2021 also saw us start an exciting new partnership with Greener Every Day, a local charity that are passionate about tree planting to offset carbon emissions. For every new purchase mortgage, the Society is donating the cost of a tree to the charity and hope to get involved in the actual planting in spring and autumn 2022.

Look out for our new green Affinity savings account partner to be announced this year so you can help support us in our green journey both now and in the future