Our ‘Green’ team has lots of proven bright ideas you may be interested in. Discover more about our green energy, carbon management and sustainability service choices – choices that will support your carbon reduction challenges and help you save money:

• Understand how to prioritise your estate improvements against cost and carbon metrics

• Make the move to green energy – 100% green from renewable sources

• Convert your waste to energy – for heating and transport

• Evaluate the renewable energy choices for your estate

• Develop robust business cases for appropriate technologies

• Get help with planning approvals and renewable incentives

• Effectively measure and report your carbon emissions

Equity Solutions is a proven estates expert. We work with our partners, transforming their estate to meet future need.

We can help you make the right choices for your changing world. Click here to discover more.

Oldham Community Leisure (OCL) is leading on the initiative, working alongside Oldham Athletic Community Trust, Community 1st Oldham and The Oldham College, to deliver a comprehensive programme offering a host of sporting activities, as well as volunteering opportunities and training. Community 1st Oldham and Sport England’s SportMatch are providing funding for the project.

The core aim is to increase activity levels amongst the 15 – 25 years age group in the Oldham area. A wide range of activities have been introduced and highlights so far include:

• Zumba classes at Radclyffe, Failsworth and Saddleworth schools and Oldham College have proved so popular that extra sessions are now planned for Oldham Sixth Form College.

• The running club is going from strength to strength with some participants having progressed from being absolute beginners to taking part in 5k park runs and planning to enter a 10k race event.

• Thanks to funding from Community 1st Oldham, Oldham Community Leisure has been able to sign up a new level 2 cricket coach. The cricket sessions are proving extremely popular and talks are being held regarding setting up a new cricket academy for Oldham.

• Two attendees of the water sports activities have completed a five day Pool Lifeguard Training course and are now qualified to find employment in the leisure industry.

• Participants of the indoor climbing sessions have progressed on to the National Indoor Climbing Achievement Scheme (NICAS).

The parent of one Energize participant who recently completed life guard training commented: “As the parent of a young person who has had to leave education due to a mental health problem, the opportunity to return to study and be able to access the funding through Energize was a huge step. The result was a totally positive experience which increased my son’s confidence which was at an all time low and provided him with a qualification. Thank you Energize!”

Community 1st Oldham is proud to support the Energize initiative and is delighted that the activities are proving so popular.

The RICS Awards showcase the most inspirational regional initiatives and developments in land, property, construction and the environment, with the Infrastructure category recognising projects that deliver essential facilities and services.

Werneth Primary Care Centre, developed by Community 1st Oldham, the LIFT company in which Equity Solutions is the private sector partner, delivers a wide range of health services in a state-of-the-art environment. In addition, the building incorporates a number of innovative sustainable design solutions in order to minimise its initial and ongoing impact on the environment.

Dance classes – The children will learn traditional Nepali dance – as well as being a fun activity for the children, it will also give them the opportunity when they are older of being able to teach in local schools/dance centres and earn some pocket money or fund further vocational training.

Swimming – Many of the children cannot currently swim and it is important that all the children learn to be strong swimmers for their safety, especially for trips out on the lake and later on in life.

Bicycles – Bicycles will be especially useful for the children as most people cannot afford any other form of transport. Lessons will also be provided to teach the children how to ride the bikes and basic road safety.

Art classes – Rupak is a very talented artist and he will be taking art classes to develop his skills. There is a good market for professional art work in the tourist area of Pokhara which is near to the home and this could provide Rupak with a source of income in the future.

These activities have been made possible by Equity Solutions staff fundraising for the Helping Hands Trust activities during 2011:

• Military Fitness 10k run, March 2011
• Dragon Boat Race, July 2011
• Urbanathlon, November 2011

Thank you to all the staff who took part in these activities, and also to everyone who donated money to support them. We will continue to support the Shangri-La Children’s Home throughout 2012.

Click here to read the most recent news from the Home, and how the money raised by Equity Solutions staff is helping the children to learn new skills .

The new building will adjoin and fully integrate with the existing Fitton Hill Neighbourhood Centre, which opened at the end of February, and will provide GP services in a brand new, purpose-built facility. It will replace the temporary modular building on Deanshut Lane which has been housing the GP practice until a permanent facility is developed.

The new centre should be complete in early 2013. Further information will be provided once construction work commences on site.

The centre has been shortlisted in the Partnerships Awards ‘Best Sustainability in a Project’ category, which recognises outstanding sustainable outcomes in a project.

The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on 31st May in London.

The students won Liverpool’s Great Enterprise Challenge contest at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress event on 13th March at Liverpool Echo Arena.  They impressed the judges with their T’s@The Park “Connecting Communities and Companies” project which designs and supplies promotional items such as T-shirts, hoodies and bags. It is a social enterprise that sources sponsorship for local charities and community groups to support them in establishing their own brand.

The school was presented with their award at the congress by Virgin boss Richard Branson, who said the students were an example to follow after beating around 170 other schools.

The excited students are now looking forward to an all expenses paid trip to Washington DC in September.  As well as sightseeing, they will also spend time at the Kauffman Foundation Headquarters and spend the day with US high school students.

Equity Solutions has operated Parklands High School under a PFI agreement since 2002.

Head Mrs Sharples and the Chair of Governors Mr Sandy Tittershill accompanied the children who were invited by Royal Liver Assurance, one of the school’s trust partners, in recognition of the school’s outstanding exam success.

In August 2011 the school achieved the best ever results in its history with 82% of students gaining five or more A*- C GCSEs.

Equity Solutions has operated Parklands High School under a PFI agreement since 2002.

The Greenbuild Awards recognise excellence in sustainable buildings, with a particular focus on those projects that can illustrate an understanding of the importance of building performance in use. The results will be announced at a ceremony on 9th May.

The centre has also been shortlisted in the Building Controls Industry Association Awards 2012, which celebrate excellence in the building controls industry. The centre is a finalist in the ‘Technical Innovation of the Year – Projects’ category which is awarded to the project that has demonstrated the most innovative approach to the design and application of building controls in a single project. The results will be announced at the awards ceremony on 10th May.

Werneth Primary Care Centre was developed by Community 1st Oldham, the LIFT company in which Equity Solutions is the private sector partner, and Equity Solutions Group company bluesky provided the architectural design, M&E engineering and environmental consultancy services for the project, with Green2Go supplying renewable and sustainable heat and power solutions.

These results demonstrate what can be achieved when Equity Group companies work together to bring their expertise to projects.