Community
Landfill Communities Fund (LCF)
Viridor provided £9,409,206 of funding for conservation and
community projects in areas of landfill operations via the LCF. Such
projects can create significant long-term environmental and social
benefits, including jobs and volunteer engagement opportunities.
This successful and innovative tax credit scheme enables landfill
operators to contribute up to 6% of landfill tax liability to registered
Environmental Bodies, such as Viridor Credits Environmental
Company, providing essential and important funding access for
local communities and conservation groups.
Viridor Credits is an independent charity set up to consider applications and distribute LCF funding in areas around Viridor landfill operations. Decisions on local funding are taken by 22 area panels using criteria of eligibility, sustainability, value for money and proven need.
Awards can be made to approved types of projects including:
- Provision or maintenance of public amenities (such as community halls, parks, sports and play area facilities, etc.)
- Conservation or promotion of biological diversity (including habitat protection or enhancement and support for important species)
- Maintenance or restoration of historically and architecturally important buildings.
Example projects funded in 2009/10 include:
- Combe Wood South nature reserve, Backwell, North Somerset. A grant of £59,578 enabled a local group to purchase an area of neglected woodland and rare limestone grassland to protect and enhance for the benefit of local people, plants and wildlife.
- Spartans Football Academy, Edinburgh. Providing a top class sports facility in the deprived Granton area, this excellent initiative combines education with sporting opportunities. Viridor Credits made a grant of £21,458 towards vital equipment.
- The Fusilier Museum, Bury, Lancashire. A grant of £66,000 enabled a strong community-led project to relocate the Fusilier Museum from Wellington Barracks to the muchloved Bury Technical School. This has improved access opportunities to an important part of Lancashire and the British Army's history, creating one of the finest regimental museums in the North West.
Great Crane Project, Somerset. A showcase project to
reintroduce a population of breeding common cranes into
the Somerset levels and moors to help secure its future as
a UK breeding species. The project, a partnership between
the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, has
received £700,000 from Viridor Credits.
Charitable Support and Local Sponsorship
Viridor continued to support its two adopted charities, Scope and the Primary Immunodeficiency Association, with the company providing match funding to these organisations to any charitable funding raised by employees. A total of £4,294 was donated to charities.
The company also continues to deliver local sponsorship to
community endeavours including sports teams, education initiatives
and events in areas close to operations and services. Examples
include on going support for the award-winning Carymoor
Environmental Education Centre in Somerset, AFC Fritwell football
team in Oxfordshire and the Go4SET science, engineering and
technology education and business link initiative in Scotland. A total
of £60,456 was provided for local sponsorship.
Education and Lifelong Learning
As well as hosting educational visits for school, college, community
and other groups at its recycling and waste management facilities
across the UK, Viridor also operates and/or supports seven innovative
and interactive on-site education centres promoting waste prevention,
recycling, energy recovery and best practice. It also provides
information and signposting services assisting environmental
education programmes for teachers and lecturers. The total number
of visitors at the education centres was 8,139.*
Three of its education centres (at Bolton, Pilsworth, near Bury, and Ford, West Sussex) achieved the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, a national accreditation approved by the Department for Education combining the essential elements of learning and safety.
*some figures based on latest academic year.
Stakeholder Engagement
The company's open door' policy encourages communities and other stakeholders to become better informed on recycling and waste issues via visits to operational facilities. In 2009/10 many visits were accommodated including local community groups, local and national Government committees, officials and ministers.
Viridor maintains an active dialogue with government, industry,
media and other stakeholders through an active public affairs
programme. The company's Chief Executive chairs the UK
Environmental Sustainability Knowledge Transfer Network, UK
Trade & Investment's Environmental Sector Advisory Group, and the
Business Advisory Board for the Government's Living with Climate
Change programme. Other company directors and senior managers
actively participate and support various government, industry and
trade body committees and initiatives.
During the year a customer survey was completed to obtain detailed feedback on the company and its services. Results will be assessed, and recommendations for improvement will be implemented during 2010.