Growing a Greener Future: Community 1st’s Commitment to a Sustainable NHS
Community 1st is the established long-term NHS estates partner in Oldham, Sheffield, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We are helping our partners to lead the way in delivering a greener NHS.
Our journey toward Net Zero started more than 21 years ago, sparked by our commitment to building the most efficient, effective, and sustainable infrastructure for the NHS right from the initial design phase through construction and into operation. From day one, our main goal has been to maximise the carbon efficiency of each building we create and operate.
This work continues. We recently installed 167 solar panels at Foxhill Medical Centre in Sheffield, supplying clean energy to the building, supporting day-to-day medical services with renewable power, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Read more here.
But it’s not solely about the buildings themselves. By creating green spaces and promoting biodiversity, we can improve the environment and the well-being of patients, staff, and the local community.
Last year, Penntorr Health’s Wellbeing Garden was recognised with the prestigious Collaborative Green Space Projects Award at the NHS Forest Awards. Read more here.
We have also supported local initiatives, including the social prescribing gardening project at Foxhill Medical Centre. Here, a raised bed was constructed for local volunteers to cultivate plants and vegetables. Read more here.
These gardens and outdoor areas become havens for holistic health development by encouraging sustainability and creating a sense of community, which benefits patients, NHS employees, volunteers, and the environment.
We continue to work in partnership with building users and head tenant Community Health Partnerships to look at innovative ways the building fabric and use of spaces can support carbon reduction and the longer-term NHS Net Zero targets.
There is always more we can do, and our estate team supply chain partners Blue Support Services are experienced in undertaking a wide range of sustainable building projects and retrofit installations.
We are working on projects across our LIFT estate and supporting wider NHS estate projects to deliver improvements aimed at tackling carbon reduction, including assisting with funding and business case applications.
Get in touch with our team to discuss your suitability projects: info@community1st.co.uk
General Manager
