GD902 Workplace Project

"Assessing a local environmental NGO in Warwickshire: Identifying opportunities to deepen the charitable impact of Forest of Hearts"

Dissertation context

Upon starting my capstone, I was set on a workplace project because it would complement my skills and aid in my transition into the job market, as well as make up for my lack of professional experience. I wanted to put myself out there and work in sustainability, putting my journey in academia and knowledge to use, and luckily Forest of Hearts were very enthusiastic to receive me and supportive of my personal objectives.

Based in a region in the UK surrounded by greenery, Forest of Hearts is a non-profit organisation that works with local communities in creating initiatives supporting environmental action, alongside creating and maintaining green spaces to improve public wellbeing. It operates with a strategy split into three branches (as shown below), all of which I got to be involved with.

Goals/aims

My aims were threefold:

• Explore my role in a work environment: honing my capacities as a team player, developing communication and speaking skills, as well as project management responsibilities.
• Be involved in local environmental processes: exploring the relationship between biodiversity and people, gauging and engaging with community interest in the environment.
• Research the organisation’s relationship with companies: delving into the intersections between the non-profit sector and businesses, and exploring how businesses are able to maximise their partnerships with an environmental charity like Forest of Hearts.

Outcomes/conclusions

My three-month placement (which later turned into 6 months) introduced me to crucial corporate environmental initiatives, such as Environmental, Social and Governance goals (ESGs) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). I was involved in organising green team-building and volunteering events and analysing sustainability reports in order to help companies attain their sustainability goals. Alongside the corporate facet, I took part in biodiversity auditing, helping the charity keep a record of the local fauna and flora in specific project sites, as well as garden creation and maintenance alongside its volunteering group Green Therapy.

Working on the scoping paper at the end of the course posed some interesting but challenging questions about the charity’s operations and how it can maximise its impact, which has led to deep reflections on my experience working within it as well as its role in wider environmental stakeholder dynamics.

The placement has allowed me to see the initiatives led by communities in sustaining environmental protection. It has elicited an interest in working in corporate sustainability and participating in driving initiatives that empower companies to hold themselves accountable with regards to sustainability, addressing their roles as major contributors to environmental impacts.

My interest has landed me a sustainability data analyst job offer in London, which will involve collecting, analysing, and interpreting data related to ESG factors, assessing corporate sustainability performance, tracking key metrics like carbon emissions or energy use, and providing insights to help ensure regulatory compliance.