From composting and car sharing to ethical banking and exploring greener digital options, Going Green Together participant OASES shares how practical changes are helping the charity put its environmental values into action.
For Outdoor and Sustainability Education Specialists (OASES), sustainability is quite literally in its name. As a charity dedicated to environmental education, helping others become more sustainable is central to its work.
But how does OASES make sure its own operations reflect those same values?
From recruitment and travel to waste management, banking and pensions, the charity is finding practical ways to make everyday working more sustainable.
Getting the whole organisation on board
At OASES, sustainability isn't left to one person. Environmental values are reflected in recruitment, trustees actively support the organisation's environmental commitments, and progress against action plans is regularly reviewed at team meetings.
This shared approach helps keep sustainability on the agenda, even when the demands of running a busy charity compete for time and attention.
Small changes that make a difference
Some of OASES' changes have been surprisingly straightforward.
Turning waste into a resource
Last year, OASES reintroduced composting into its waste management plan, putting food waste to good use in the school and community gardens it creates.
Since 2024, the charity has built 61 school and community gardens. While it can't produce enough compost to fill all the raised beds, it uses its own wherever possible and tops up with locally produced, quality-assured compost.
The team even jokes that its coffee grounds have created a community of very caffeinated worms!
Making greener travel more practical
As a regional charity, travelling to locations poorly served by public transport can be unavoidable.
To encourage car sharing, OASES introduced an additional mileage incentive of 5p per mile for staff travelling with a colleague or volunteer. This helps reduce the need for separate journeys, saves money on mileage claims and makes travelling a little more sociable.
Looking beyond everyday operations
OASES also reviewed its banking and pension providers to check whether their investments aligned with its environmental values.
Happily, both were already ethical choices, demonstrating that taking action doesn't always mean changing something. Sometimes it's simply about checking that existing arrangements reflect your values.
Building on progress with Going Green Together
OASES was already committed to environmental sustainability before joining Going Green Together, but the programme has helped the charity build on its existing work.
Through webinars, peer support sessions and networking events, the team has connected with other organisations, exchanged ideas and discovered new approaches to put into practice.
Alice Evans, OASES Manager, explains:
"Going Green Together have been a team of friendly faces, committed to helping us along the way. We can access their webinars and peer support time; we find their networking events so helpful; every organisation has new ideas that we can implement ourselves."
OASES has also benefited from subsidised Investors in the Environment (iiE) accreditation fees through Going Green Together partner Genee, alongside pre-audit support ahead of its annual renewal.
For a small charity, the subsidised fees make accreditation more affordable, while the pre-audit provides reassurance that everything is in place for renewal.
OASES has achieved the Green iiE Award, the highest level of recognition within the Investors in the Environment accreditation scheme.
As Alice explains:
"We are really proud of the work that we have done to become a better, more sustainable organisation. It is a big bonus for us that funders are increasingly asking to see our eco-credentials when we apply for project funding, and having a Green iiE Award makes answering those questions very easy. The annual renewal process keeps us accountable too."
Sharing ideas and inspiring others
One of OASES' more recent discoveries came from something surprisingly simple: an email.
After hearing that another organisation had switched to EcoSend, an environmentally focused email platform, the team was inspired to consider a similar change to reduce its digital footprint.
It also sparked a realisation: sharing what you're doing can be just as valuable as taking action yourself. What seems like a small change to one organisation could inspire another to take its next step, something OASES now hopes to encourage by sharing more of its own experiences.
What can other VCSE organisations learn?
For Alice, one of the biggest lessons has been the importance of involving everyone.
"Getting everyone in your organisation on board is perhaps the most helpful thing you can do, so start there. Your colleagues will have ideas you would have never thought of and will help to share the load."
Her advice is to give colleagues ownership of individual actions, set realistic deadlines and make sustainability a regular topic at team meetings.
OASES' experience shows that making environmental progress doesn't always require major changes or significant investment. Small, achievable steps, shared commitment and opportunities to learn from others can all make a difference.
Take your next step with Going Green Together
Inspired by OASES' experience?
Whether you're taking your first steps towards environmental sustainability or looking to build on what you're already doing, Going Green Together offers practical resources, peer learning, guidance and access to specialist support.
Explore the support available to your organisation: www.goinggreentogether.org