Serco volunteers make their conservation efforts count

The voluntary contributions of our employees are vital to achieving Serco's overall Corporate Responsibility objectives. During 2005, Serco people worldwide volunteered to take part in a wide range of conservation initiatives, both inside and outside working hours.

At Shrivenham in the UK, their efforts are overseen by Alasdair Harper, Environmental Co-ordinator on our 28-year contract at the Ministry of Defence's Joint Services Command and Staff College. “Our staff take conservation issues extremely seriously,” comments Alasdair, who retrained for his current job with Serco after 20 years as an army physical training instructor. “Their hard work has been a driving factor in our efforts to sustain the incredible biodiversity that we have on site.”

Located in 700 acres of countryside, the college is surrounded by some of Britain's most beautiful woodland, which is particularly notable for its abundance of owls and rodents. In 2004, a nature conservation committee of Serco volunteers completed a nature conservation plan and a biodiversity study of the site, both of which have now become part of the contract's environmental management system.

Elsewhere in the UK, a group of staff volunteers recently spent one of Serco's Volunteering Days undertaking vital conservation work on Bartley Heath, which lies beside our offices at Hook in Hampshire. 

The heath is home to numerous plants and wildlife, including some of Britain's rarest birds. But the area's delicate environmental balance is under constant threat of invasion by silver birch trees. They destroy other flora and fauna, hide Bartley Heath's many ponds and hamper grazing for the local New Forest ponies. They also make it difficult for walkers to enjoy the heathland.

Armed with loppers and saws, the Serco volunteers set about clearing the silver birches under the direction of a staff member from the Hampshire Wildlife Trust. By the end of the day, they had cleared a sizeable area that should remain free of silver birches for at least three years.

At RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire, Serco Defence and Aerospace staff have been closely involved with plans to create a dedicated wildlife area on the site. Working in consultation with the local wildlife trust, their aim is to create a new sanctuary for the area's wildlife, notably the Mallard ducks which have made RAF Wyton their home. Picnic tables and a public viewing platform will enable all employees to enjoy the site's beautiful natural surroundings and its diverse fauna and flora.

Prison community's environmental efforts win respect and recognition
With 600 staff looking after 1,200 prisoners, HMP Doncaster in the UK is a community within a community and it is developing a strong reputation for its environmental achievements.

In 2001, the facility implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS), which helped it become the first prison in the world to achieve ISO 14001 certification for environmental management. Environmental awareness is now integral to the prison culture.

As part of its 10-year biodiversity management plan, the landscaped grounds and rough areas around the site have been impressively improved while protecting the native flora and fauna.

On the strength of these improvements, the prison won this year's Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Business and Biodiversity Award. The judges were particularly impressed by the wildlife gardens where native flowers thrive without interference from invasive plants or grass cutting. 

HMP Doncaster celebrated two additional achievements in 2005. Following an Environmental Sustainability Audit by the British Safety Council, it gained a four-star rating with a score of 94.6 per cent. It also achieved 17th place for environmental performance in the Yorkshire & Humberside area.

Woking team goes beyond the call of duty
Working beyond its contractual obligations, our Environmental Services team at Woking, UK, is making a positive impact on local surroundings while raising public awareness of environmental issues. Throughout 2005, team members originated a series of inspired projects that are helping to establish a more diverse wildlife habitat across the borough. 

At the request of Woking council, for example, they helped a local owl enthusiast to site three nesting boxes in a suitable tree. Elsewhere, they have sited bird boxes to create nesting habitats for birds, bats and a multitude of insects. Using branches and wood collected during the course of its tree maintenance work, the team has built eco-piles to provide a habitat for hedgehogs, snakes, small mammals and insects – including the endangered stag beetle. Wherever possible, it uses local materials, recycling wherever possible to reduce costs and conserve resources.

These initiatives continue to attract strong interest from the public and team members take every opportunity to educate people about the work they are doing. Long term, they have ambitions to create a sustainable network of wildlife corridors throughout their area and beyond.