Tag: The Conservation Volunteers

Tech titans trade the cloud for Cramond coastal restoration

Business software experts join efforts to restore an iconic coastline

THE UK’s leading finance software implementation specialists have taken to the beach to help a conservation charity restore an historic Scottish coastline.

A team of 30 employees from Eureka Solutions descended upon the Cramond Foreshore and assisted The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) charity in restoring the coastal habitats and dune systems in the area.

The team’s efforts were part of the Sage Foundation’s initiative to support UK charities by providing volunteers to help achieve tasks relatively quickly that would otherwise take months to complete.

The volunteering work centred around removing invasive non-native plant species like Japanese Rose and suckering ash and sycamore to allow native plants to re-establish.

Volunteers also helped sow a special ‘Edinburgh coastline’ wildflower seed mix to create new pollinator corridors and extended protective fencing to prevent further degradation of sensitive grassland spots.

David Lindores, CEO at Eureka Solutions, said: “Our team was proud to roll up their sleeves and make a tangible difference in restoring such a unique and ecologically important area.

“We had a great day working alongside colleagues from TCV as well as volunteers from Modulr – it was wonderful to see different organisations coming together for a common cause.

“The Sage Foundation contacted us and asked if we could lend a hand to the vital conservation work happening along the Cramond coastline, and we couldn’t be happier to get involved. As an established business of twenty years, we feel it’s important to support community and environmental initiatives like this.”

Cramond Foreshore is a designated Site of Special Scientific Importance (SSSI) and holds historical significance as the location of the “Dragon’s Teeth” anti-tank defences, Cramond Island and Lauriston Castle.

The extensive coastal path stretches from the mouth of the River Almond in the west, past the historic Roman village of Cramond, across the tidal causeway to Cramond Island, and continues eastward towards Granton Harbour.

The volunteering day was organised through the Sage Foundation, which facilitates charitable donations and volunteering opportunities for Sage employees and partners worldwide.

Eureka Solutions also has a long-term charity partnership with the Ayrshire Cancer Trust in which it raises funds through team events and initiatives throughout the year.

The East Kilbride firm specialises in implementing business software solutions and is one of the UK’s leading experts in Oracle NetSuite, iplicit and Sage 200, as well as producing its own complementary software solutions including the integration application, Besyncly.

With over 20 years of expertise, the firm works with hundreds of clients across multiple sectors providing consultancy, implementation, training and technical support.

For more details contact Eureka Solutions at info@eurekasolutions.co.uk or visit www.eurekasolutions.co.uk

Royal Bank of Scotland colleagues launch tree nursery at Edinburgh HQ with The Conservation Volunteers

  • Royal Bank of Scotland colleagues have created the Gogarburn Tree Nursery at their Edinburgh site to support Scotland’s biodiversity.
  • Michael Duncan, Head of Giving Strategy & Programmes at the Royal Bank of Scotland, The Conservation Volunteers CEO, Rebecca Kennelly MBE and Francesca Osowska, CEO of Nature Scot officially launched the new nursery. 
  • Royal Bank of Scotland have supported conservation projects with The Conservation Volunteers since 2007.

Royal Bank of Scotland colleagues have launched a new tree nursery at the Gogarburn headquarters in Edinburgh, in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers, whose mission is to connect people to nature and to nurture green spaces for local communities.

This tree nursery is part of the ‘NatWest Forest’ initiative, which invites colleagues across the business to take part in planting and nurturing trees across Scotland. Since autumn 2021 NatWest Forest has grown to encompass 150,000 trees across the UK, with 3,800 currently onsite at Gogarburn.

Overseen by The Conversation Volunteers, tree seeds that have been collected by colleagues, are being grown in the Gogarburn nursery. They will be tended to for the next two years and will then be planted around Scotland creating a legacy of locally sourced and grown trees for many years to come.

All saplings planted at the site are native species to Scotland including Scots pine, field maple, holly and birch. The site will support the biodiversity of Scotland, allowing declining species of trees that are rare and valuable to the environment to be replenished while protecting native habitats for wildlife. 

Royal Bank colleagues have contributed more than 26,000 hours of volunteer time with The Conservation Volunteers in 2023. Together with volunteer effort, this most recent project has been enabled through expert advice from The Conversation Volunteers who have led on the construction of the tree nursery and preservation of the natural environment

The project is another example of the bank’s work and commitment to tackling climate change. The financial partner for COP26 in Glasgow in 2020, 16,000 people across the bank will take part in a climate education programme by the end of this year. The training is being delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and gives colleagues the skills to support customers with their own climate ambitions.

Pictured are Michael Duncan, Head of Giving Strategy & Programmes at the Royal Bank of Scotland and The Conservation Volunteers CEO, Rebecca Kennelly MBE alongside special guest Francesca Osowska, CEO of Nature Scot, who champion projects like this to improve Scotland’s biodiversity and geodiversity.

Michael Duncan, Head of Giving Strategy & Programmes, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “We are delighted to launch the Gogarburn Tree Nursery, this new, innovative and forward thinking project with our long standing charity partner, The Conservation Volunteers.

Through this project, our colleagues will support by collecting local native tree seeds and growing these at our tree nursery on our campus. This will enable indigenous trees to be planted across Scotland leaving a true legacy for years to come, while providing colleagues with opportunities to learn more about nature based climate solutions.”

Rebecca Kennelly MBE, Chief Executive, The Conservation Volunteers, said: “This new innovative project demonstrates how the teams are constantly renewing and planning for volunteering to leave a lasting impact on climate, wildlife and communities.

“The Gogarburn Tree Nursery project is a brilliant example of volunteers supporting a closed loop; from collecting and propagating seeds, to the trees grown here being planted in local green spaces by more volunteers in years to come. A great new way for NatWest Group volunteers to connect with nature”.