Barenbrug UK Ltd and The Green Light Trust

GLT started back in 1989 as an environmental charity. Their goal was to educate and inform the UK public on environmental matters. Over the years they developed programs for people across the spectrum, aged from 8 to 81. These programs can help to find a route back into employment or to overcome addiction issues. The outdoors, specifically woodland, is the central pillar of their interaction with their users. For more information on who GLT help and how, please see their website: www.greenlighttrust.org/  You can also learn a bit more about why Barenbrug UK partnered with GLT and how the Mental Health Awareness training day GLT provided for our Management Team went, by watching this video: 

In December, the CEO of GLT provided the wider staff with an understanding of what it is GLT do. We have agreed on 4 days per calendar year at which point Barenbrug UK will provide people to help complete tasks or projects. The first of these was done in February this year.

The Foundry is the head office and indoor teaching / learning facility for the GLT. Set to the edge of a community woodland, with a wind turbine for generating electricity, and accessible vegetable gardens, this space is used primarily by those with physical disabilities. The Foundry is an old building, constructed with traditional materials and methods and, when it was moved and restored 12 years ago, the floor was no different. That means the brick tiles were laid on sand. Over time the sand shifted, the bricks moved. This had left the floor deeply uneven in places and difficult for wheelchairs to traverse. Several employees of Barenbrug UK have relayed the uneven parts of the floor.

The Green Light Trust’s whole premise is using the natural environment, primarily forest, to engage and invoke personal development and progression with their service users. Some of the activities include making green wood furniture, observing wildlife and making and cooking food on an open fire. When the GLT asked if we would be able to lend some ‘hands’ and some man-hours to the annual clear up of the forest after the most recent coppicing, we of course jumped at the chance to get involved! 

Four members of staff, donned all-weather gear and headed out for day in the woods! The day entailed gathering the coppiced material and sorting into wood suitable for seasoning to use on the campfires and for doing ‘green’ woodworking. The ‘tops’  (twiggy bits) were put into ‘dead hedging’ to help section off a portion of the woodland that had some new tree saplings. Deer are rather partial to saplings and so some protection was needed!

In addition to these hands-on days we have also established some in-house fundraising, such as a monthly raffle, managed by Marketing and HR. Our Graphic Designer, Heidi is going to fundraise for and run a half marathon, the Great East Run, on the GLT’s behalf. Alongside this, we have also pledged our technical expertise, for instance, our Marketing Manager Shane is going to give the GLT a master class in social media management.