Environmental Social Governance
ESG at Sopwell House
Sopwell House is committed to supporting and implementing initiatives that contribute to sustainable development; economically, socially and environmentally.
It is vital that we are forward thinking and dynamic with our CSR actions for we truly believe the small positive steps will have big impacts.
- Recycling Nespresso Capsules
A popular amenity in our rooms, suites and conferencing facilities, we ensure all of our Nespresso pods are recycled via a regular Nespresso collection.
Nespresso are committed to being 100% sustainable, using specialist facilities to recycle the 3 products that make up a singular Nespresso pod.
- Recycling Batteries
We collect used batteries and when the designated box is full it is collected by a special battery recycling company. The purpose of disposing of these products properly means its likely they can be used again, reducing the amount of material waste, but also prevents environmental concerns due to high chances of water and soil contamination if they are not disposed of in the correct way.
- Towels and Linen
We actively encourage guests to reuse linen, particularly longer term guests, cutting out the energy & water used in the laundering process.
We do this via tent cards in each room and suite to communicate this.
- Toiletries in rooms
We have switched over from small throw away plastic bottles to large refillable dispensers in all bedrooms and public areas to significantly reduce the amount of single use plastic required for guest toiletries.
- Recycling of materials
We make a conscious effort to recycle all waste materials including glass, paper, cardboard and food.
- Shiva Foundation
Shiva foundation is a charitable organisation focusing on hotels and other stakeholders in the hospitality industry. They provide guidance for recommended actions to set up strong processes and protocols to address risk of modern slavery within hotels and supply chains. Shiva has helped us to create internal training and processes to increase awareness and subsequently reduce the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking within our business.
- Room to Reward
This scheme allows us to say ‘thank you’ to the hidden heroes in the local area. The aim of Room to Reward is to celebrate the impact certain individuals have on the world at small and large scales, recognising the difference they make and give back a fraction of the time they have selflessly dedicated to helping others.
As part of this scheme, we gift Sopwell House rooms or suites to those who selflessly shine, giving them a memorable experience. Whether they choose to use the stay as an opportunity to unwind or celebrate, we hope this gesture will have a positive impact and show thanks for such kindness.
- Wine to Water Initiative
Wine to water provides programs committed to supporting life and dignity for all through the power of clean water. We are working with the charity by raising money via our own wine to water scheme. This works by adding a small extra charge to certain wines on our menu of which all proceeds go to the charity. Every wine bottle poured goes towards more clean water for over 300 different communities across the globe.
- Sleep Smart
http://streetsmart.org.uk
An innovative fundraising scheme that runs during the festive months of November and December. A voluntary £1 is added to guests’ final room bill. At the end of the campaign, we pass on the total money raised to Sleep Smart, who then use the money raised to support reputable charities locally. This is a great opportunity for our hotel and its guests to give back during a particularly difficult time of the year.
- The Springboard Charity
The proprietor of Sopwell House, Mr A Bejerano, is a patron for the springboard charity who help young people achieve their potential and nurtures unemployed people of any age into work. The charity helps alleviate poverty by supporting disadvantaged and underprivileged people into sustainable employment within hospitality, leisure and tourism.
- Hospitality Action
Hospitality action is a charity who offers assistance to all who work, or have worked within hospitality in the UK. They are always on hand 24/7 to provide help, advice and support whenever times get tough for matters including but not limited to financial advice, bereavement, mental health issues, and drug & substance abuse support. The charity hosts multiple events to raise the funds it needs to enable this level of support and we continue to support these events wherever possible.
- Supporting Rennie Grove Hospice Care
Rennie Grove Hospice Care is a local charity to St Albans providing specialist care and support for adults and children with a life-limiting illness in Bucks and west Herts.
We support the charity year on year by hosting their annual Question of Sports Charity Dinner, involving 200+ businesses, raising around£30-£40k for the charity. The hotel also gets involved in any corporate campaigns, for example a christmas donation of £500, an amount that covers the cost of a night team for one night, this particular campaign raised £25,000 for the charity in December 2018.
- In-House SKS team
We have implemented a dedicated team to explore and actively implement CSR within the hotel. The SKS meets on a regular basis to work on initiatives and schemes to ensure the hotel keeps moving forward with being sustainable, environmentally aware, community driven and charitable.
- LED lighting
As an ongoing project we are replacing all normal lighting with LED lighting. LED lights are up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting. 95% of the energy in LED's is converted into light and only 5% is wasted as heat.
