A SOLIHULL veterinary hospital has been honoured with the prestigious 2023 ‘Overall Outstanding Achiever’ award.
The honour follows Willows gaining a sought-after Green award from iiE, the national accreditation scheme for businesses working to reduce their carbon footprint, at the end of last year.
David Hindley, facilities manager at Willows, is a key figure in the hospital’s ‘Green Giants’ group, which is at the forefront of its push to reduce emissions and improve sustainability.
He said: “This is a tremendous achievement and we are all thrilled to be honoured by iiE with this ‘Overall Outstanding Achiever award’.
“To be declared the best small to medium-sized business in the UK in terms of eco-friendly practices and environmental success is huge.
“It’s a glowing endorsement of our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment and all the hard work and dedication to creating a more environmentally friendly hospital.
“It’s also a new motivation to keep trying to make further improvements and rest assured our ‘Green Giants’ group is continually looking at how we can further reduce our carbon footprint.”
Willows has been recognised after investing £35,000 in a deluxe compressor and state-of-the-art oxygen generator system.
The hospital has also switched all of its lighting to LED energy-saving lights, created new waste streams and reduced single-use items, including saving 4,000 surgical hats from going to landfill by introducing washable hats.
David added: “The oxygen generator system means we are no longer reliant on external suppliers for deliveries of oxygen.
“We are also benefitting from the wide-ranging improvements and continuous changes we have introduced across the hospital which have resulted in another significant reduction in our environmental impact.”
Toby Gemmill, managing director at Willows, said: “It’s been a remarkable effort by the entire team.
To achieve such a successful outcome has taken a truly united effort, with every member of the team playing their part to earn this recognition.
