Just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for all your hard work that went into the event. It is much appreciated. I wanted to share that we were all extremely pleased with the venue and running of the event and what a fantastic client turnout. Well done.
Kirsty Lambert, Business Development Director, Switch2
Small changes, big difference
Welcome to 2017 - and a Happy New Year to you all!
2016 was turbulent in so many ways, and there is a lot of uncertainty about what 2017 may hold. A new US President; a hard / soft / gooey / crunchy Brexit; ongoing instability in countries across the globe; economic turbulence: so many large events can leave people feeling powerless and out of control of their own destinies.
Here at SE2, we believe that small changes can make a big difference. Each of us has the ability to do something to improve the lot of others, leading to greater social, environmental, economic and basically human outcomes. We tried to embody that in our Christmas donation for 2016, which went to the Dream Children's Home in Kenya to help pay for a bountiful Christmas for some great children looked after by inspiring adults (scroll down for some amazing pictures).
We also try to embody this philosophy in a lot of the work that we do. We're not engineers, so we can't build great infrastructure projects like district heating networks or solar farms. Rather, we can help to influence the human decisions and behaviours that shape these projects. In 2017, we'll be working with the Heat Networks Delivery Unit at BEIS to help project developers in the public sector to build capacity and knowledge, and to develop stakeholder relationships: the soft skills that enable large scale projects to succeed. We're also working with the Energiesprong team to help engage housing providers and the energy efficiency supply chain to build the relationships and frameworks which will bring bold new models for retrofit to the UK market.
We're also helping to understand and shape the small changes that people can make locally or individually. Liz is continuing to work with the voluntary sector in Kensington and Chelsea to raise awareness of fuel poverty and encourage referrals into the Borough's fantastic Healthier Homes support scheme. And she has been working with Lewisham Council to understand more about the impacts and opportunities presented by smart meters, particularly to those in fuel poverty, through some research funded by Smart Energy GB. Meanwhile, Rachael is continuing her secondment into Southern Housing Group, leading their work on corporate sustainability whilst also supporting residents and neighbourhoods to identify the small changes that can make a real difference to individual lives.
You can find out more about the work we have been doing in recent months in our latest newsletter.
If you're thinking about how your organisation or community can become more sustainable, please do get in touch. You can call us on 020 8469 1333, email liz.warren@se-2.co.uk or send us a quick note on Twitter: @se2limited
And now the photos:
The Dream Children's Home was set up by Rachel Gichia, whose own upbringing in poverty led her to promise never to let an orphaned child suffer after losing their parents. From opening her home to orphaned children in 2004, she and her family have developed the Dream Children's Home to now support 80 orphans. You can donate to the Dream Children's Home at http://www.dreamchildrenshome-kenya-orphanage.org/donate.php
