Ideostone
Links
Airplot
For an organisation that provides services to business, it may seem counterintuitive to oppose the building of the third runway at Heathrow airport. However, this planned development is so wrong on so many levels that we just cannot let it happen. We’ve joined the Airplot, Greenpeace’s innovative method of protesting and ensuring that there is a legal block to the planning applications or moves to buy the land by compulsory purchase. Follow the link to find out more.
Bricks and Bread
A sustainable living centre in the middle of Aldershot! The people at Bricks and Bread can provide a wealth of information about ‘green’ building techniques and materials and they run training courses for tradesmen and the general public. The site is open to the public and we recommend that you visit if you are in the area.
BBOWT
We have been long-time supporters of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. They do tremendous work in safeguarding the biodiversity of the local area and also campaign against inappropriate developments that will have a detrimental impact on our rural landscapes.
Business Link
Although they can be a bit bureaucratic and it can be difficult to navigate through the different layers of people, we have found Business Link to be very helpful. In particular, their Land Based Industries seminars (all free) have been a useful source of information and contacts.
CarbonSense
CarbonSense try to make sense of greenhouse emissions by producing some really interesting graphics that help to visualise what they mean. Their ‘Carbon Quilt’ idea is a work of genius.
Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust’s stated mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy now and develop commercial low carbon technologies for the future. Their site has a great deal of information about climate change and their Carbon Footprint calculator is the one used by most businesses.
Centre for Alternative Technology
One of the original environmental pioneering sites, the Centre for Alternative Technology remains at the cutting edge. Both the website and the actual site in mid-Wales are excellent resources for gathering information about sustainable technologies.
DigitalMeeting
We have used the DigitalMeeting technology for meetings and to record podcasts. The systems work faultlessly and they are also really helpful to the technophobes among us.
The Ecologist
A pioneer of the environmental movement, the Ecologist has recently gone completely digital. This is a fantastic resource for up to the minute news about environmental issues and their archives are a wonderful repository of information from the last 30 years.
Matt Boothman
Matt has been writing paperless online arts journalism since June 2008, most of which is still available to read and all of which is archived on his website. He is also a proofreader actively seeking commissions. Disclaimer: there is a family connection here.
MWA Design
MWA designed this website. They listen to what you want and give you design and functionality that really works. We hope you’ll agree and use them!
The National Trust
This is definitely not just for the middle-aged, middle class members of society. The National Trust is taking a real lead in managing their significant land holdings in a sustainable manner – both in the gardens that accompany some of the stately homes that are in their care but also the farms, coastline and moorland that they own and look after.
New Economics Foundation
Our principal consultant attended a lecture given by Andrew Simms (policy director at NEF) some years ago and has been a fan of the work of the NEF since. The NEF is a think-tank that is dedicated to challenging the economic status-quo and promoting a new economic model based on people and the environment. They provide a lot of thought-provoking information and ideas and you can download a number of their pamphlets free of charge from their website.
NetRegs
This is a good resource that allows businesses to make sure they are complying with current environmental laws and regulations. The guidance provided is free of charge.
North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry
We were introduced to the NHCCI whilst working with WinACC and find their networking events very useful. If you are a small business and need help or advice, they are a very good resource.
The Open University
Our principal consultant did a degree with the OU and liked it so much he got a job as a tutor with them. The OU is an amazing organisation that offers some fantastic and easily accessible learning. And the cost is not prohibitive.
Reading Green Business Network
This is a new, web-based community for individuals active on climate change, sustainability and other green projects within businesses and public sector organisations in the greater Reading area. Activity levels are quite low at present but the more people that join the network, the more useful it will become.
Royal Horticultural Society
The RHS may have a staid sort of image but they are doing some very good work in relation to the sustainability of gardens and gardening and they are promoting allotments and ‘growing your own’ vegetables.
Sandbag
Sandbag is a campaigning organisation using the power of the market to remove quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere whilst campaigning for tighter caps on emissions.
Save the Rain
At ideostone, we believe that water is a precious resource, not just a cheap commodity. We should do all we can to conserve our water and rainwater harvesting is a great way of doing this. You can get lots of good information from this site.
Soil Association
The Soil Association promotes sustainable agriculture – that is, without the input of damaging pesticides and herbicides. They are responsible for one of the most recognisable accreditation schemes for organic produce and they are just catching up with the problem of rising energy costs and dwindling resources. Having seen at first hand some of the damage that can be done through industrial agriculture, particularly to our soils, ideostone is happy to support the work of the Soil Association.
Sustainable Business Partnership
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Sustainable Business Partnership aims to provide information to all business sectors to enable them to embed sustainable practices in all aspects of their work. Their regular meetings are a good opportunity to network and to hear some local experts share their knowledge and experience.
Vallender Consulting
Marketing is not my strong point and, over a couple of cups of strong, black coffee, Phil Vallender helped to demystify the process and confirm we were moving in the right direction. If you need help with developing a marketing strategy, check out the Vallender Consulting website.
WinACC
Our principal consultant has worked with Winchester Action on Climate Change and ideostone supports the work they do. WinACC is an excellent example of the way an effective network of local people, businesses and organisations can begin the transformation to a low carbon district. WinACC has a positive vision for the future – low energy bills, healthy lifestyles, strong communities – with a target to reduce CO2 emissions by one-third by 2015.
Zoe Lewis Architecture + Design
From their base in central Reading, Zoe Lewis Architecture + Design specialise in domestic and commercial architecture with an emphasis on sustainable design and use of materials.
Berkshire Directory. We are listed under Caversham Business and Economy category