It’s no secret that we all need to be more sustainable in how we live our lives. The UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goals were created to ensure that the planet and all those on it can live peacefully, without poverty in an environmentally friendly world. Friends House has several policies in place to ensure that we do our part in this, which are built into our environmental commitments.

10 Years of Sustainable Events

Friends House is one of the founding members of the Camden Climate Change Alliance. Since it began in 2008, we have taken steps to reduce our carbon footprint.

In 2009, we pledged to reduce carbon emissions at Friends House by 30% over the next ten years. We are pleased to announce that we have surpassed this goal. By taking simple steps, such as switching to renewable electricity supplier Good Energy, we have made a significant reduction to our carbon footprint. Our most recent statistics appear in our Company Annual Report 2018.

Aside from sustainable policies that benefit the planet as a whole, we also try to support our local community.  At Friends House, we have two beehives on our roof that help the local ecosystem.

Catering at Friends House now better than ever

Our catering is organic, Fairtrade and locally produced where possible. However, our new menu now uses even more organic food than ever before. More of the food is also handmade on-site by our chefs, reducing the carbon footprint by cutting down on the number of deliveries.

Our catering is Vegetarian Society approved, so your vegetarian and vegan delegates can enjoy their refreshments with confidence. We have also been awarded a Good Egg and a Good Chicken Award from Compassion in World Farming, which means that the eggs and chicken used in our food are cage-free and cruelty-free. All of the fish served at Friends House is also sustainable and approved by the MSC.

Fair prices and fairly treated staff

Fair pay helps people stay out of poverty, and is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. As part of our commitments, we guarantee that our staff are paid fairly. Aside from being a recognised Living Wage employer, we also pay our staff at a 1:4 wage ratio. This means that the highest paid staff members are given a salary no more than four times higher than the lowest paid staff member.

We believe in Fairtrade, which is why our suppliers are as ethical as we are. When you hold an event at Friends House, you know that everyone who contributed, from our energy suppliers to our catering specialists, is as sustainable as possible. At Friends House, we also run a Bake the Difference programme for people with a history of offending/anti-social behaviour and a diagnosis of personality disorder valuable baking skills to help them find employment. Participants on the programme are also paid as they learn so that they can gain independence and reintegrate into society.

Find out more about holding a sustainable event at Friends House. Call our Events Team today on 0207 663 1100 or fill in an online enquiry form.