Graduate scheme to help with ‘green’ issues

A town’s largest Landlord and the County’s University have teamed-up in a ‘green’ business initiative which has been financially backed by Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP).

Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation wants to continue and improve on its energy-saving and ‘green’ credentials in every area of its diverse business – which ranges from property to farming, a Day Hospital to a Museum, cinema to IT.

Following discussions with the University of Hertfordshire’s Geography and Environmental Sciences department, the Foundation and the University applied for a KTP grant to ‘employ’ a University graduate at the Foundation for two years. The grant awarded is around £77,000. The Foundation, as a Small or Medium Enterprise (SME), is entitled to a total Government grant of 67 per cent of the cost of the project.

The University will also provide an academic supervisor, Lisa Palframan, Lecturer in Environmental Management, who will act as a mentor half a day a week, providing advice and support.

The graduate would have the time and relevant educational background to support the development of a comprehensive initiative to meet the Foundation’s sustainability objectives and project manage its implementation. It is hoped the graduate would start his/her work around late summer this year.

The University of Hertfordshire and the Foundation, in acknowledging the financial support from KTP, added: “KTP aims to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK Knowledge base. KTP is funded by the Technology Strategy Board, along with the other government funding organisations.”

Stuart Kenny, the Foundation’s Director General, said: “I am delighted that we have had the support of the University of Hertfordshire, which has an exemplary record in terms of working with businesses. Bringing in the particular skills of a graduate in this complex field will add value to the current Foundation’s internal Sustainability Group, which has already made progress in several areas.

“The strategy that will be developed will ensure that the Foundation will explore systematically, sustainability issues in relation to its own properties/operations, some of which in turn, could also have a wider application in the Garden City.

“We are grateful to the University of Hertfordshire for all their help and the KTP for giving such a generous grant.”