There will be a photocall at Central Joinery at the Cadley Hill Business Park, Ryder Close, DE11 9EU on Monday 23 June, 2008 at 2 pm where the Chairman of South Derbyshire District Council, Cllr Mrs Ann Hood will be presenting Neil Bark with the Navigator Award. Also at the photocall will be Julien Bastid and Tina Boddington of Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire and Peter McBride of Business Link

Energy and waste efficiency is an issue for every business. While there’s plenty of information available to businesses, there’s usually very little support to help companies introduce environmental efficiency measures.

The Resource Navigator Club provides free support to companies throughout Derbyshire so that they can identify and achieve potential savings and improve efficiency.

Says Cllr Mrs Ann Hood, Chairman of South Derbyshire District Council, “Through the Resource Navigator Club companies in South Derbyshire have already made significant savings. Three local companies have won countywide awards for work which has led to savings for their businesses. Central Joinery in Swadlincote has won the waste award as they reduced the cost of waste sent to landfill by 57%. Greenbank of Woodville won the energy award with a 42% reduction in the cost of energy and Bretby Conference Centre co-won the best data collection and logging award.”

Says Neil Bark, Managing Director of Central Joinery, “The Resource Navigator Club has been a great support in our commitment to environmental issues and we have also been able to make some significant savings. I would recommend the Club to other companies who want to benefit from expert knowledge and new technologies.”

Funded through the government programme, Envirowise, the Club started in March 2006, and is led by a partnership team between the environmental charity Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire, and the environmental consultancies Gerrard & Associates and T4 Sustainability Ltd. The programme is supported by South Derbyshire District Council, the Derby & Derbyshire Economic Partnership and East Midlands Business.

A number of free services are offered to members including an on-site improvement assessment, recommendations to help businesses to prioritise their actions as well as networking meetings which also provide the support to help members to put recommendations into action.

Derbyshire businesses interested in the Resource Navigator Club can contact Groundwork's Business Support Officer Julien Bastid on 01773 539 430. Further information about the Business Navigator programme can be found at www.south-derbys.gov.uk/navigator