Sustainability – it’s in the blood
This month we welcome a new team member, Gill Silversides, who joins Re-Everything as CSR campaigner! She fits nicely into Re-Everything because of her passion for sustainability. In 2005/6 Gill took a break from her career working with organisations on their strategy and communications to put her money where her mouth is, and went to Namibia to volunteer with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas). Gill worked with organisations that support communities of people infected or affected by HIV & AIDS.
This was a life changing experience, and since then she has been inspiring organisations to reflect their values for social and environmental responsibility in their actions and communications.
One of Gill’s hobbies is tracing her family history, and like most people, she didn’t discover any rich or famous ancestors, but has learned a great deal about agricultural labourers in the 18th century. You can imagine her delight then, this week when she discovered she descends from the Saltren family who lived in Tapeley Park, a stately home near Bideford in Devon.
She was even more excited to discover that the current owner, Hector Christie, is making Tapeley a sustainable Stately Home.
I’m sure that many would just throw their hands up and despair at making a large old stately home sustainable, but not Hector. With the help of family and friends he is taking Tapeley of the grid, investing in wind and solar power. He gets involved in hands on community activity, hosts green festivals and works hard to promote sustainability at every level. Hector uses Tapeley to develop sustainable methods including straw bale building and permaculture and is best known as a tireless campaigner making his voice heard in what he calls “the urgent need for action to stop the pollution of our beautiful planet”.
It seems a passion for the planet and humanity really is something that is in the blood!
Find out more about Tapeley Park and Hector at http://www.tapeley-park.co.uk/index.html
To find our more about Gill and her work with Re-Everything, email her at gill@re-everything.com
