The Castle Climbing Centre has landed the Green Thinking Award at the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s Community Sport and Recreation Awards.

Hundreds of excellent applicants where whittled down to just six winners.  

The Castle Climbing Centre in Stoke Newington, London, wowed the judges with their green fingers and commitment to running an eco-friendly business.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do – from using recycled rubber for a new bouldering area and composting all organic material on site. In 2009 they converted disused land around the centre into an award-winning permaculture garden where they produce food for their café and growing plots for the local community.

Grants are also given to the centre's staff to help them get involved with all sorts of environmental volunteering projects, from helping on organic farms to working for an NGO in Haiti.

Audrey Seguy, Managing Director of the Castle Climbing Centre, said: “Climbing is a fast growing sport with more and more people taking part and facilities opening. This award gives us a chance to reiterate our vision to both our customer base and also to our colleagues and show them how they too can make a difference. 

“2014 is a particularly exciting year for us because we’re growing the business by expanding the climbing facilities and we’ve given ourselves the challenge to consider sustainability in every step of the design process from lighting and ventilation to materials used. 

“We think that all business should aim to be more sustainable in the future and that you can do this and still be profitable and without compromising the quality of the facilities and services you provide.”

Sallie Barker, Interim Chief Executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance, said:

“Sustaining our natural environment is vital to countless sport and recreation activities so we were delighted with the quality of all the nominations for this year’s Green Thinking Award.

“Castle Climbing Club’s attitude to combining financial and environmental sustainability is an inspiration to organisations across the sport and recreation sector. We hope that the £1,000 prize money will help them to put their ambitious future plans into practice.”

Find out more:

• Read more about the Castle Climbing Centre's commitment to sustainability and download it's environmental reports.

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