| Buckinghamshire & Berkshire Sustainable Business Partnership |
| Overview |
| Organisation, structure and staffing |
| The Buckinghamshire and Berkshire Sustainable Business Partnership (BBSBP) was formed in November 2002 although the partnership has existed since 1997 as the Thames Valley Business Environment Forum. The BBSBP co-ordinates support programmes for businesses in Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It aims to facilitate implementation of improvements in environmental management and related good practice measures that can result in increased efficiency, competitiveness and reduced costs. This includes support for compliance with environmental legislation, which in turn leads to reduced risk.
The BBSBP is open to all local authorities, not-for-profit environmental service providers, business support agencies, businesses, government bodies and academic institutions in the two counties. The Partnership has 20 member organisations represented.
The Partnership currently consists of a network of representatives from Local Authorities, Business Links, the Chamber and academic institutions. It is co-ordinated by the Corporate Environmental Advisory Centre, based at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, High Wycombe. |
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| Objectives |
Through regular meetings, networking and ongoing communication the Partnership:
- Shares information so that activities throughout the area can be co-ordinated to make the best use of resources
- Disseminates and promotes the spread of good practice
- Facilitates new initiatives or enhances existing programmes
- Acts as a focal point for attracting/bidding for funding support
- Acts as a signpost to sources of advice and assistance and highlight areas of interest such as new legislation, consultation exercises, relevant business awards schemes etc
- Works in partnership with regional government bodies such as SEEDA and GOSE through membership of the South East Sustainable Business Partnership (SESBP)
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| Services offered |
Services provided by partnership members include:
- Help line for businesses
- Training and seminars
- Research
- Environmental auditing services
- Site visits
- On-line support through the egeneration website
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| Summary of key achievements 2003-2004 |
- Delivery of the CEAC and Slough Business Environment Club (SBEC) seminar programmes including two hazardous waste workshops in partnership with Envirowise and the Environment Agency
- Delivery of a pilot BEET (Business Energy Efficiency Training) project
- Development of a public sector supplier support project
- Continuation of ‘Recycle Resources’ a business recycling support project
- Promotion of local environmental awards schemes and SEEDA Sustainable Business Awards
- Ongoing travel planning work with businesses
- Established closer working partnership with Business Link
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| Previous Projects |
- CEAC and SBEC seminar and workshop programmes
- CEAC Environmental review project
- Research into environmental attitudes and practice of local companies
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| Current Projects |
- CEAC annual environmental business training and workshop programme
- Recycle Resources project
- Slough Business Environment Club (Environment Agency, CEAC, local businesses)
- Green transport initiatives for businesses (Wycombe District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council, Slough Borough Council, West Berkshire District Council, Buckinghamshire Economic Partnership)
- CEAC business directory of regional environmental product and service providers
- Aylesbury Save Awards (Aylesbury Vale District Council) and Rotary Environment Awards
- Egeneration Buckinghamshire/Berkshire (http://www.egeneration.co.uk/bucks_berks/)
- Promotion of local suppliers and local food groups
- Promotion of SEEDA Sustainable Business Awards
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| Future Projects |
- Securing funding for a public sector environmental supplier programme
- Publicising best practice in the region i.e. SEEDA Sustainable Business Awards for the South East winners
- Renewable energy projects for businesses (Thames Valley Energy Agency)
- Further development of elements of the egeneration website
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| Achievements April 2004-March 2005 |
| Number of businesses engaged |
Around 300 |
| Number of organisations on newsletter distribution list |
700 |
| Number attending training events |
220 |
| Number receiving site visits |
12 |
| Number of businesses asking for advice |
70 |
| Number of new egeneration registrations |
143 |
| Total egeneration registrations |
470 |
| External funding secured |
(£'000) 42
UK – 42
EU – 0 |
| Number of environmental suppliers in area promoted |
273 |
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| Other achievements: |
Feedback from events shows a consistently high satisfaction rate. Typically three quarters of attendees intended to take action as a result of attending an event and speaker ratings ranged between 75-100%.
CEAC site visits to businesses have been rated 9 out of 10 and feedback indicates that the visits resolve companies’ queries in the majority of cases. |
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