Going green: Ways to make your hall more eco-friendly

There are many practical things you can do to make your village hall, community centre or property more sustainable.

This article provides some suggestions about how to make your hall more eco-friendly including:

• how to shift where you spend money on consumables such as power, food and cleaning products.
• how to change the way your space uses energy and water.
• ways to make it easy for people who use your space to reduce their environmental footprint.
• ways to maximise how your space is used.

Your hall will of course have its own history and building quirks, which means that some of the actions may not be appropriate. As a basic rule of thumb, you should survey your space looking for ways to 'reduce, reuse, recycle' on all fronts.

Phillip Vincent, Communications Manager from ACRE (a charity which provides nationwide support and advice to England's 10,000+ village halls) said, "As a public space and focus for your community this is an opportunity for you to lead a positive change and innovate for the future”. If your committee needs inspiration, take a look at these examples of village halls responding to the climate crisis who have made large and small changes to their buildings.

Inside your building

Four changes you can make to the space inside your building.

1. Next time you buy products, replace them with sustainable alternatives. Make a list of all the items you buy such as hand soap, toilet rolls, cleaning products, refreshments etc. How many come in plastic wrap? Can you buy from a refill centre or in bulk to avoid plastic packaging? Is there a reusable alternative to the items you buy such as metal teaspoons rather than plastic ones? Can you switch to greener alternatives such as from Fairtrade or chemical-free producers?
   
2. Use energy efficient appliances for example, LED light bulbs or infrared heaters rather than fan or oil heaters. When the time comes, replace your fridge with a modern one which is A* rated and recycle the old one. Check the energy rating of all new products before you buy them.
   
3. Use water savers in toilet cisterns and tap aerators to save water. Many water companies have schemes offering free products to help people save water. For example; save a flush from Southern Water.
   
4. Encourage users of the building to recycle and avoid waste. For example, provide split bins and a compost bin for food waste. Clearly label a tap for drinking water or offer a refill station. You might need to install friendly signs reminding people to turn off the lights and recycle. Positive reinforcement tends to work better than an order or telling off!

Outside your building

Three changes to consider if you have an outside space.

1. Convert grass areas into growing space to build a community garden growing fruit, herbs, vines and vegetables. Use rain barrels to harvest rainwater from the roof. Increase biodiversity by planting native wildflowers and trees which attract pollinators. BuzzAboutBees have some useful advice about choosing bee-friendly wildflowers and how to get free seeds. Set up bird feeders to attract birds. This guide to garden birds from The Wildlife Trusts includes how to make your own bird feeders which could be a nice project for children in your community.
2. Plant native or fruit bearing trees for shade, fruit and biodiversity, see Woodland Trust for more information. The Trust also has a free trees for schools and communities scheme. Also plant climate tolerant plants which don’t need extra watering and provide useful ground cover.
3. Encourage people to walk or cycle to the hall. Do you have cycle racks or storage where people can safely leave their bikes? Can you include maps of road-free routes on your website to tell people how to get to you without a car? If less car parking space is needed, could you convert this to a garden area too? Tarmacked surfaces absorb heat and can weaken flood defences.

Review your energy use

The way you use energy in your building probably has the most significant impact on your sustainable footprint. Here are some suggestions about how to ensure your use is efficient and green.

1. Reduce the amount of heat energy you use by draft proofing your windows and doors, insulating your roof and water tanks. Some of these measures can be low cost, such as installing a heavy curtain at the door to stop warm air escaping. Current covid guidelines recommend that doors and windows are kept open to improve ventilation, which will impact the temperature inside your building and its energy efficiency. You could come up with some creative ways to keep visitors warm such as providing blankets.
2. Change the heating system away from a gas boiler. This article by Friends of the Earth explains different types of heating systems.
3. Switch to a renewal energy supplier or generate your own power. If you are considering installing solar panels, use a reputable supplier and ensure an accredited company is completing regular maintenance on them. Small wind turbines can be an option for community sites, take a look at this advice from CAT.

Some of these changes will have costs attached to them whereas some could save you money over the longer-term. Some will be simple to action, some more time-consuming and complicated. Importantly, by doing something different, you'll be helping to contribute to a more sustainable future for your community.

Find information about our village hall insurance here.

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