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Peterborough based housing association, Cross Keys Homes (CKH) is proud to have retained its Green Award accreditation from Investors in the Environment (iiE) for the seventh consecutive year. 

As the region’s largest provider of social and affordable housing and care, CKH recognises its responsibility to the environment and the people in its communities and has set testing targets in order to reduce its carbon footprint and protect the planet for future generations. Thus, CKH has been accredited to iiE since 2011, achieving its highest level Green Award accreditation for the first time in 2014.

CKH has adopted the ‘One Planet Framework’ for its environmental strategy, which allows it to reduce its external impact and ensure the continual improvement of its performance.

Among CKH’s environmental achievements, it has completed the largest social housing PV panel installation project in the country – installing panels on over 5,400 homes. It has supported the creation of the Westwood Community Garden as part of its role as locally trusted organisation for the WestRaven Big Local community regeneration scheme, and its Estate Ranger team are keen recyclers using previously dumped materials to provide community garden areas in its neighbourhoods. Plus, since 2008 CKH has reduced the carbon footprint of its head office by around 50%, with a combination of building improvements, employee engagement in energy saving campaigns and the installation of solar panels.

CKH’s Chief Executive Claire Higgins said: “Our position, as a commercial organisation, with a social heart, gives us both a responsibility, but also a great opportunity, to make a huge difference to the environments in which we work. The whole CKH is team is as passionate as I am that we leave this world a better place for future generations, and I am determined that CKH will blaze a trial as a truly green company. From building bug hotels with fly-tipped rubbish to equipping tenants with solar panels to generate green, free, electricity, we will continue to seek our new ways to make our communities vibrant, supportive, green places for all to live in.”