Celebrating sustainable Quaker business success

Carbon Smart has awarded Friends House, the central offices of Quakers in Britain, with a Gold Certification for reducing its carbon footprint by 29 per cent since 2009. Numerous green initiatives in Friends House led to this achievement, including using 100 per cent renewable energy and a zero waste to landfill policy.

Paul Grey of Friends House Hospitalityreceives award from Ben Murray of CarbonSmart
Ben Murray (right) presents Carbon Smart award to Paul Grey of Friends House Hospitality (Photo credit: Susannah Fields)

The award was made as Friends House (London) Hospitality Ltd this week celebrated ten years of running a successful, ethical, fair and sustainable business. The Deputy Mayor of Camden, Cllr Richard Cotton, joined customers, Quakers, press, partners and suppliers to mark 'Putting faith back into business'. They met in The Light auditorium, in Friends House.

Friends House (London) Hospitality Ltd is the sole trading company of Quakers in Britain.

This success has built on foundations laid by Quaker businesses over the centuries: fairness, transparency, quality and trust. Quakers have long tried to live simply and in 2011, decided to become a low-carbon community.

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Profit doesn't have to be made at the expense of people or our environment.

- Paul Grey, Friends House Hospitality

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Val Brittin, Chair of the Board of Directors, opened the event, saying, "Our business success is underpinned by our Quaker values and commitments. We believe being ethical, fair and sustainable is the only way to do good business in an ever changing world." Finger food, prepared in-house, with ethically sourced products, was served to guests.

Andy Pag, adventurer, defined sustainability as using resources responsibly. He spoke about bio-fuel. He drove around the world using recycled cooking oil as fuel.

Paul Grey, Chief Executive Officer of Friends House (London) Hospitality said, "While many people have lost faith in business, we say that profit doesn't have to be made at the expense of people or our environment."

This year the company will gift aid £816,000 to support the work of Quakers in Britain. Paul Parker, Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain: "Quakers are proud of what our hospitality company demonstrates – that it is possible to run a business on faith principles. The Quaker values run through our company and its trading practices. And its profits support Quaker action for peace and social justice and help to sustain 480 Quaker meetings around Britain."

Sustainability in Friends House