Fit for the future

The other night I pledged to continue promoting sustainability through my writing. Let me explain, I’d been invited along to Centre Point, in London, by the National Trust for the launch of the Fit for the Future Network. This network, created by the Trust together with Ashden, the sustainable energy charity, aims to allow leading sustainability experts and energy champions to learn from each other and share best practice about how to reduce their carbon footprint.

Charities and landowners, including the Landmark Trust, Crown Estate, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Youth Hostel Association and Royal National Lifeboat Institution are all involved and plenty of pledges to support the Network were made on the night, as can be seen here.

As a writer researching issues to do with sustainability in the built environment, I’ve long wondered at the number of disparate groups and projects in the sector. Quite simply there seem, sometimes, to be an awful lot of people doing very useful and similar things without sharing the resulting knowledge sufficiently well. Anything that can be done to bring people together must be a good thing.

The Fit for the Future Network was born after National Trust advisers in Wales received a Gold Ashden Award for their energy efficiency and renewable energy work in the region. During their projects the advisers identified a need for more signposting and communication with peers in other organizations. With continued support from Ashden, the Trust set up the the non-commercial, solutions based Fit for the Future Network with the aim of sharing the lessons they have learnt so far, as well as learning from other practitioners’ experiences.

Speaking at the launch of the Network, Dame Helen Ghosh, the Trusts director general, said: “Many people talk about the power of one but I’m a great believer in the power of many.” I couldn’t agree more.

Image: National Trust