Central Hall Westminster, (CHW) part of Central Hall Venues group, has been awarded the ECOsmart Platinum Venue Award for outstanding green credentials. CHW joins a select group of just 12 venues in the country, seven of which are in London, to receive the accolade.
COO Sarah Franczak, CEO Sarah Ainsworth and CFO Gary Savage
The industry-standard accreditation programme is run by Greengage Travel and Event Solutions which recognises and supports eco-friendly hotels and conference venues throughout the UK that demonstrate an environmentally conscious approach and the adoption of eco-friendly measures. Awards range from entry-level Bronze to Platinum, the highest possible standard.
Central Hall Westminster has long been a sustainable venue, having previously won the Eco-Smart Gold Award and several other environmental accreditations over the last seven years. However, having gone the extra mile to reach the highest possible standards of environmental sustainability, the venue underwent a rigorous audit from Greengage Solutions to reach Platinum, an award which recognises leaders in hospitality who have considered sustainability in all aspects of their business.
Alongside the existing measures carried out over the last five years including reducing water waste, ensuring zero waste goes to landfill, introducing catering sustainable practices and installing ECO LED lights in all rooms, CHW undertook several additional measures to achieve Platinum including:
● Providing LED lighting in all event rooms
● Monitoring energy usage on a daily basis
● Actively encouraging recycling in all meeting rooms
● Donating furniture and equipment to local charities
● Encouraging green meeting practices by providing conference organisers with a list of eco recommendations
● In conjunction with on-site catering partner, Green & Fortune, - giving preference to local and seasonal produce with vegetarian and vegan options; providing Fair Trade coffee, tea and sugar; offering organic wine as an option; and giving excess food to those who need it
● Filtering and bottling water on site
● Achieving the Platinum Award for its eco approach by Westminster Council
● Vetting suppliers to ensure they operate in line with the principles of the organisation
The venue’s dedicated green team of sustainable champions from across all staff areas helped drive these initiatives forward and implement over the last two years.
In addition, CHV’s Head of Communications, Anna Glazebrook, has been invited by Greengage to join its Platinum Inner Circle who meet regularly to discuss ideas and make recommendations to the events industry on sustainability measures.
Andrew Perolls, CEO of Greengage Travel and Event Solutions, comments: “We are delighted that Central Hall Westminster has worked so hard to take further measures on sustainability since they won the Gold Award and have now gone on to achieve Platinum. It is incredibly difficult to reach this outstanding top level and we were impressed with their long-term commitment to introduce green initiatives in all areas.”
Sarah Ainsworth, CEO of Central Hall Venues which runs Central Hall Westminster, adds: “As an organisation which exists to provide funds to maintain this beautiful historic building and donate to charitable works across the world, running a sustainable venue is incredibly important to us. Our Green Team and on-site partners have worked tirelessly to ensure sustainability is included in all areas of our operation and we are very proud to have achieved Platinum.”