A Cambridgeshire care provider is continuing to clean up its carbon act by installing electric car charging ports on its premises — a new initiative that forms part of its continued efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and promote green energy.
Askham Village Community, located in the picturesque village of Doddington, has already made significant strides towards becoming more sustainable, having been harnessing energy from its very own solar farm located in a field adjacent to its care and rehab centres.
The installation of the new charging ports will now allow visitors and staff to charge their electric vehicles while at Askham, and is a positive step towards promoting the use of eco-friendly transport and reducing carbon emissions.
Since its installation in 2021, Askham’s 150kW Solar Photovoltaic System has enabled it to offset a large proportion of its daytime electrical consumption — with the care community projected to save as much as 800,000 kg/CO2 over the next 20 years.
Always looking to make small and measured steps towards becoming more green, Askham has also embarked on a transition to LED lighting, whilst also reviewing all of its suppliers to ensure green credentials are given due consideration.
Commenting on these sustainability efforts, Aliyyah-Begum Nasser, Director at Askham, said: “Installing the electric car charging ports was an obvious next step at Askham as we can see how important it is for us to play our part in encouraging more drivers to opt for electric vehicles. It’s important that we support the use of carbon conscious transport and demonstrate to those visiting that we have a genuine commitment to being more sustainable. This commitment is also evidenced by the solar farm that sits next to our care centre, which allows us to significantly reduce our imported energy consumption and utilise the latest sustainable technologies.”
Askham is a family-run community that always puts the resident at the heart of its operation. Whether they are visiting for the day, receiving long-term or respite care, or even specialist rehabilitation — each individual can expect a personal experience within a compassionate care environment.
Aliyyah continued: “There is something very rewarding about generating your own renewable energy and given the soaring costs of energy, this has been a particularly valuable asset over the past few months. The environmental impact of social care is significant, with all the PPE and packaging we are responsible for using. Therefore, it’s important we offset this in whatever way we can — it really is a shared responsibility and something we simply cannot ignore. Something as simple as remembering to switch off lights and limiting wasted water use can have a huge impact over time and this is a mindset we all need to adopt if real progress is going to be made.”
Askham’s solar field was built in partnership with Optimeyes Energy alongside the Engenera Renewable Group, who have created a carbon-saving system that is made up of rows of ground-mounted solar modules, each with the capacity to provide up to 330w of electrical generation.
Askham is always welcoming new residents and staff into its growing community — with real scope for professional development through bespoke training plans designed to nurture ambition and reward hard work. For further information, please contact 01354 740269 or visit https://askhamvillagecommunity.com/