The programme is being launched as part of B&Q’s endorsement of the Prince of Wales’ START initiative, which launched in February 2010.
Next month, as part of The Prince’s START initiative The Prince of Wales will go on a five-day tour of Britain, highlighting some of the best examples of communities and individuals starting to live more sustainably. Next month sees the launch of The Prince of Wales’ ‘A Garden Party to Make a Difference’ staged in the gardens of Lancaster House, Clarence House and Marlborough House from 8-19 September 2010, 10 am to 6 pm daily. B&Q is one of the START corporate partners.
So that all B&Q’s employees can make a START, over the next three months all 30,000 employees will be able to take up energy saving incentives including special discounts on energy saving bulbs, insulation and energy efficient thermostats. Every month there will be a different discount which if every employee took up would lead to a cash saving per employee of £140 and a total of £4.2 million equating to a CO2 saving of 651kg per employee, a total of 19 million kg.
An internal online forum has been set up for employees to share their green tips and stories with cash prizes for Eco ideas and Eco Heroes nominated by colleagues for changes they may have made to their home, community, workplace or lifestyle to make it more eco friendly.
Euan Sutherland, CEO of B&Q and Kingfisher UK said: "We want to make it easier for our colleagues and customers to green up their homes and we hope that our support of the Prince of Wales’ START initiative together with the investment we are making in special discounts on eco products for our employees will mean that as many of us as possible will be able to make a start in our own homes."
B&Q will also be supporting Start by helping to green up the nation through a series of innovative installations to inspire, engage and make it easier for us all to start to live a more sustainable life at ‘A Garden Party to Make a Difference’. In order to help make it easier for visitors to understand more about sustainable living B&Q has created a number of fun interactive installations to help bring to life some of things we can all do to live a greener life.
The aim of the Garden Party is to entertain, educate and inform visitors about introducing small steps towards sustainable living. It is an imaginative part of The Prince of Wales’s ‘Start’ initiative launched in February.
