CUMBERWELL PARK SHOWS COMMITMENT TO THE GREEN AGENDA
Bradford-on-Avon venue Cumberwell Park has recently been recognised in several award schemes for their environmental work . Cumberwell Park offers a space for meetings , conferences and events as well as being home to a golf club for 1500 members .
The family run business won the environmental category in the Bath Life Awards and their head of conservation , Jon Keepen was a runner up in the British and International Greenkeeping ( BIGGA ) Awards category of Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year . Judges at the Bath Life Awards praised Cumberwell for its “ highly thoughtful conservation work : the commitment and range of work it does and the way it communicates its importance to members .”
Conservation work The conservation work at Cumberwell Park covers a number of key areas . Jon ensures that the course is sympathetically managed for the wildlife as well as for the golfers to enjoy . There are a number of bird boxes installed on the course for raptors such as barn owls , kestrels and little owls , all of which have successfully produced young in recent years . This is a testament to the food sources available on the site . Other boxes are on the course to suit smaller birds such as the blue tit .
The matrix of water bodies , grassland and trees benefit a wide range of species . Wild flower meadows and rough areas are cut and baled to enable flowers to flourish which in turn benefits the pollinators . Trees are integral to the course with both woodland and individual trees playing their part . Thousands of trees have been planted by the James family since the opening of the original golf course in 1994 . Large lengths of hedgerows have been planted , and only last month 420 metres of hedging was sown on the orange course comprising 1,700 native plants to benefit local wildlife .
Sustainability in catering The Cumberwell Park team is dedicated to sustainability in the catering side of the business . The meat is sourced by the head chef from a local butcher to ensure that food miles are minimised and other food products are sourced locally wherever possible . The venue has also been recycling waste for some years from both the catering and greenkeeping areas including cardboard , paper , plastic , cans , metals and cooking oil are all separated . Food waste is sent to a local anaerobic digestion site , minimising what is sent to landfill .
Setting an example The team have recently installed a water fountain in their downstairs bar to enable customers to refill their reusable water bottles , therefore reducing the plastic water bottle requirements . Plastic straws have been taken out of circulation in favour of a recyclable alternative and further cardboard and plastic reduction is being investigated .
Entering business awards and winning them
Multi-award-winning Denise O ’ Leary of Purpol Marketing gives her top tips for entering and winning business award schemes .
Has my company got what it takes to win an award ?
Almost certainly yes , but you need to commit to :
• Choosing the right award to enter
• Take the time and effort to craft a compelling entry
With many hundreds of awards to select from and stiff competition for top prizes it ’ s not easy . You need to give yourself the best chance , making your entry a timely process .
Isn ’ t it just the big companies that win awards ?
This common assumption is wrong . A few less ethical award schemes might favour big brands , but it is those who actually enter that win . You have to fill out the form and stop wishing .
• Visualise why you want to win
• A gleaming trophy for your office ?
• Being featured in the press ?
• An invitation to the palace or No . 10 ?
• Raising your profile ?
• Gaining respect and admiration of your industry ?
• Building trust in your business ?
• Recruiting new talent ?
• Winning new customers ?
• Proving others wrong ?
Choose the right award scheme for you
Whether you are a micro business , a single person organisation , part of a large corporation , an outstanding entrepreneur , a charity or social enterprise or a public sector body there is an award out there with your name on it .
Choosing the right award is critical to success and value leveraged . Where does your business shine ? What do you do really well ? You don ’ t have to be the best in the world , the UK or even in your sector , you just have to be the best company who actually entered .
What kind of recognition will deliver the most for your business ?
• International
• National
• Regional
• Local
• By sector- e . g . Travel and Tourism
• By industry / job role – e . g . architect
• By demographic- gender , age
How to find the right awards for your business
• Look at previous winners- Do you want to be associated with them ?
• Choose the right category- What gives greatest credibility ?
What awards title would you be most proud of winning ? What to consider :
• When the award deadline is .
• Cost of entry
• Will the benefits outweigh any cost involved ?
• Do you definitely fit the criteria ?
• Is there a more obscure category you could enter to avoid competing against many others ?
Top tips for writing your award entry
Once you have chosen the right award , do your research . Make sure you find information relevant to the category you ’ re entering and provide facts and figures to prove how you match the criteria . I would also :
• Write your award offline before uploading into the portal .
Later this year they are moving to online membership renewals to save on the use of paper bills .
Cumberwell Park is increasing its community focus in 2018 as part of a wider business plan . The events team is working with local companies and Wiltshire College to host fashion shows , craft fayres and other events whilst raising key funds for charities based in and around Wiltshire .
01225 863322 enquiries @ cumperwellpark . com
For more info : www . cumberwellpark . com
• Follow the instructions , stick to the word count and answer every question .
• If entering multiple awards , write every award individually . In two different categories , the same question will require a subtly different answer .
• Make your entry stand out with colours , imagery , short and easy to read paragraphs and no unexplained acronyms or jargon !
• Make use of headings and sub-headings , graphs and tables to bring your entry to life .
To find out more about Purpol Marketing ’ s services including bid writing visit : www . purpolmarketing . co . uk or email : hello @ purpolmarketing . co . uk
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018 35