This year, we were honoured to be finalists in the ESG Champion category at the Surrey Business Awards. This recognition highlights our commitment to embedding Environmental, Social, and Governance principles into every part of our operations.

While we didn’t take home the award this time, the shortlisting itself is a significant milestone in our ongoing journey to redefine what it means to be a responsible business in the events and temporary space industry.

We’ve taken bold steps to challenge the norms of our industry and prioritise what matters most: sustainability, employee wellbeing, and delivering value with a conscience.

The impact of our ESG initiatives

Our industry, by its nature, has traditionally been asset-heavy and single-use focused. But we’ve seen this as an opportunity to drive meaningful change. In 2023, we became B Corp certified, solidifying our commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. This process pushed us to reevaluate our entire operation, from banning single-use plastics to installing smart meters, offering sustainable pensions, and educating clients on making eco-friendly choices.

Some key achievements over the last 12 months include:

• Saving 348kg of CO2 by switching from halogen to LED lighting in our warehouse, office, and onsite operations.
• Introducing comprehensive employee benefits like life insurance, income protection, and an Employee Assistance Programme, with resources including 24-hour GP access, counselling, and healthy living support.
• Collaborating with Surrey mental health charity Oakleaf to deliver regular wellbeing workshops and team support sessions.
• Reducing waste by harvesting rainwater, refurbishing equipment, and recycling e-waste such as batteries and old phones.
• Using a default sustainable pension fund and providing financial wellbeing resources for employees.
• Expanding our electric vehicle usage to reduce emissions and working towards a fully electric fleet by 2030.

We know that simple changes can have a significant environmental impact, but we knew we wanted to go further. By redesigning our product offerings, we now provide clients with more sustainable options for temporary spaces. For example, instead of opting for high emission portacabins, our modular marquees can be tailored to client needs, reducing transportation emissions and allowing for easier maintenance.

Open, honest conversations to educate our clients about sustainable choices help us to deliver solutions that minimise their environmental impact.

Creating a workplace that values staff

We’ve also worked hard to shift the cultural norms of our industry, moving away from the traditional “work hard, play hard” ethos to a focus on employee experience. From quarterly surveys and daily emoji trackers to coaching programmes and wellbeing workshops, we’ve created a workplace where people feel valued, heard, and supported.

Our ESG journey is far from over. Over the next three years, we aim to continue evolving into a long-term temporary space provider with sustainability at our core. This includes tough decisions—such as walking away from unsustainable projects—and prioritising environmental responsibility over short-term growth.

We’re setting ambitious goals, such as reducing our yard’s energy usage by 30% in 2024, exploring renewable energy options like solar panels, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.

Our MD James Morris commented, “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Surrey Business Awards for recognising our efforts and to our incredible team for making all this possible. Congratulations to the winners and all the finalists—it’s inspiring to be part of a community driving positive change. Being recognised as finalists in the ESG Champion category is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team. ESG isn’t just a box we tick—it’s a cornerstone of our business strategy and values. This recognition motivates us to keep pushing boundaries and setting new standards for what responsible business looks like.”