Local environmental charity Spurn Bird Observatory Trust Ltd has made it to the final of awards after impressing judges for their approach to driving growth through sustainability...
05 March 2025
Spurn Bird Observatory Trust Ltd from the East Riding of Yorkshire has been selected as a finalist for the first-ever ‘Green Growth Awards’, a new national competition recognising small businesses leading the way in embracing sustainability to innovate and drive business growth.
Launched by Small Business Britain, in partnership with BT, the inaugural Green Growth Awards will award two sustainability grants of £5000 to two small businesses that have successfully boosted their bottom line by implementing sustainable initiatives. The grants will help provide additional funding for businesses to invest further in this area.
Spurn Bird Observatory founded in 1946, has made it to the final round of the awards after impressing judges with their commitment to green growth. This includes the rebuilding of the charities Kew Villa office using the best in class sustainable practices and achieving a much sought after LEVEL A EPC rating which only 0.2% of the UK’s new builds achieve.
On being named as a finalist, Rob Adams BEM said: “ We are absolutely delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist for New Green Growth Awards. This achievement fits perfectly with our charities aims to create a sustainable environment in which to operate and develop our small business unit and is great news for both wildlife and the people of Spurn. ”
“The Green Growth Awards recognise the outstanding small businesses that are not only leading the way in sustainability but are also using it to fuel innovation and growth,” says Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain.
“These businesses are proving that greener practices not only benefit the planet but also create real business success—whether through cost savings, waste reduction, or deeper customer engagement. Their passion and commitment are making a real impact on their communities and the economy.”
The nation’s 5.5m small businesses are estimated to represent half of the UK’s business emissions and the Green Growth Awards has been launched as part of Small Business Britain’s ongoing partnership with BT to empower UK small businesses to better understand their environmental impact and embrace more sustainable practices and growth opportunities.
“The Green Growth Awards shine a spotlight on the small businesses that are not only driving sustainability but also setting the standard for innovation and growth,” said Chris Sims, Chief Commercial Officer, UK Business, at BT.
“It’s truly inspiring to see how these businesses are leveraging sustainable practices to achieve real business success and create positive change in their communities. We’re really proud to support this initiative.”
BT is also a member of the Willow Review Steering Board; a new independent review aiming to underline the financial case for sustainability for small businesses, which has been spearheaded by Small Business Britain and is backed by the UK Government.
The winners of the Green Growth Awards will be announced at a special event at BT’s Headquarters in London on 11 March 2025.
About Small Business Britain
Small Business Britain is the UK’s leading champion of small businesses, supporting the UK's 5.5 million small businesses, no matter their location, their sector, or their ambition level.
Through a series of campaigns, networks, training and reports, Small Business Britain champions and informs small businesses in the UK. Committed to making entrepreneurship as inclusive as possible, it brings small business owners together to foster growth and increased confidence.
https://smallbusinessbritain.uk
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About BT Group
BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network and IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.
BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; BT Business* covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers - over 650 communication providers across the UK.
British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
For more information, visit www.bt.com/about
*BT Business was formed on 1 January 2023 from the combination of the former Enterprise and Global units. It will commence reporting as a single unit from 1 April 2023, with pro forma reporting information to be produced ahead of BT Group’s Q1 FY24 results.
About Spurn Bird Observatory Trust Ltd
Spurn Bird Observatory Trust has been monitoring the birds and wildlife at Spurn Point, East Riding of Yorkshire, since 1946. Alongside monitoring work, the observatory runs a hostel, supports residential volunteering, facilitates ecological research in the area and owns seven plots of land, managed for wildlife and public engagement.
Media Contacts
For more information, please visit www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk or email info@spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk
1 British Business Bank, ‘Smaller businesses and the transition to Net Zero’, page 7:
https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/sites/g/files/sovrnj166/files/2023-03/J0026_Net_Zero_Report_AW.pdf
