Image credit: ecolife.zone https://www.ecolife.zone/
If you happen to look at the hillside of Bryn Arw, you will see an interesting call to arms cut into the bracken. The phrase is the work of Utility Warehouse (UW), the multiservice home services provider, who has used this hillside to launch its ‘Get your hands dirty’ campaign.
And if you’re not planning on going to the Brecon Beacons anytime soon, fear not, you can see the slogan from the comfort of your sofa, thanks to Google Earth.
But ‘Get your hands dirty’ is more than a call to arms – it reflects the attitude of the business itself. Uniquely in the utilities industry, UW works with a nationwide network of local Partners who recommend home services to friends and family. In addition to rolling up their sleeves to help people they know save time and money, many UW Partners also get their hands dirty on a local level, setting up and running initiatives in their neighbourhoods, like local fairs, fundraising and litter picking.
Utility Warehouse has been increasingly active in the Brecon Beacons since they launched the UW Woodland on Bryn Arw in 2020, promising to fund the planting of a new tree for every customer that signs up to all its services.
Over the past year, they have planted more than 130,000 trees here, creating a brand new woodland. And with Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters calling for more trees to be planted in Wales, UW is certainly doing its bit to help achieve this.
Andrew Lindsay, CEO of Utility Warehouse, has said: ‘We are delighted with the growth of the UW Woodland at Bryn Arw which now has over 130,000 native broadleaf saplings and covers the size of over 70 football pitches. It’s a great start, but we’re not stopping there.
‘Alongside our amazing UW Partners, we’re excited to be getting our hands dirty and launching initiatives like this to help support and develop local communities all over the UK.’
Lindsay also mentions that ‘when looking for a charity partner, it was important that we partnered with someone who believed in the same things as we did’.The UW Woodland is a partnership between Utility Warehouse and Stump Up for Trees, a community-based charity planting one million trees in the Brecon Beacons area.But what makes them stand out is their belief in meaningful conservation. The UW Woodland is about much more than planting trees for the sake of it – it’s about preserving the ecosystem on Bryn Arw. The types of trees that are planted on the hillside are carefully picked to create new homes for creatures big and small and increase biodiversity, as well as tackle climate change by absorbing carbon.
Why green initiatives by companies like UW can help the economy
Projects like the woodland conservation don’t just have a positive environmental impact, they also contribute to economic growth. Forbes reported that over half of global GDP, or $44 trillion, is potentially threatened by nature loss, making restoration an economic priority in the decade ahead.
However, there is good news: the sustainable management of forests by companies conserving woodlands could create around $230 billion in business opportunities and 16 million jobs worldwide by 2030.
Green initiatives, especially for companies in the energy sector, are also important from a reputation perspective. As Forbes reports, “strong business positioning and values-based leadership are instrumental for businesses to build long-term value. Forest conservation and restoration support businesses to become leaders in sustainability, strengthening business reputation among customers, employees and ecosystem partners, including the communities in which they operate.”
Going beyond forests
And it’s not just forests that UW are helping to preserve. They’re also joining the effort to turn back the tide on plastic pollution by joining forces with Ocean Generation.
Ocean Generation aims to increase awareness of the dangers of plastic in our rivers, seas and oceans. They do this by supporting community-based education programmes and enabling underrepresented young people to participate and have a voice.
Over the last 12 months, money raised by UW Partners for Ocean Generations is matched by UW. This money will go to helping communities understand the impact of plastic on ocean health and the ways in which changes in behaviour can positively impact this.
Lastly, UW customers have access to a wealth of benefits, many geared towards environmental wellbeing. Customers have the opportunity to receive a free smart meter upgrade, free LED lightbulbs, and – if you book all UW home services – 100% renewable energy.
