Our sustainability journey

Carbon footprint offsetting

Southend Barns starts the journey in reducing its carbon footprint offsetting.

• We create a 5 year plan with targets and goals to becoming net zero. We instruct a consultant to calculate the carbon footprint for Southend Barns. We know we can reduce the use of carbon sources and we co-operate with Southend Farm to start to offset the weddings.
• Southend Barns produces 184 tons of CO2. We are committed to reducing this over the next 5 years.
• Southend Barns and Southend Farm have had a biomass boiler supplying hot water and heat since 2012. The estate also has three reservoirs that feed our irrigation system for both the wedding venue and farm.

Carbon footprint offsetting

Let's Go! Net Zero

Southend Barns joins Let's Go! Net Zero, a countywide initiative for West Sussex to help you get started on sustainability.

• Complete an energy efficient test with an online audit.
• Start to install LED lighting across the venue. The kitchen, toilets, office and accommodation have been completed.
• Installed Solar PV to two areas to support ongoing energy costs.
• Our kitchen garden was created to grow vegetables, herbs and some soft fruits to support our busy wedding season.
• We create our own compost from vegetable peelings for to use in the kitchen garden.
• Food waste (cooked) collection in collaboration with Chichester district council is set up for our Roots kitchen, this is collected weekly.
• Install three beehives to create honey for Roots kitchen and also to support the pollination of flowers.
• EV car scheme started for employees.
• The venue and farms heating and water runs of a wood-fed biomass boiler.
• We have three reservoirs that feed our irrigation for the venue and farm.

Let's Go! Net Zero

Energy, waste and fuel

• More solar PV installed on the kitchen roof. These will supply 35% of our energy used throughout the year – complete.
• Chickens now part of our kitchen garden, supplying us with eggs.
• Less paper printing and waste with a move towards going digital – May 2024.
• Carbon offset offering from the farm to the wedding venue, allowing couples to buy for a small charge credits to make their wedding carbon neutral – June 2024.
• Continue installing energy efficient lighting throughout the venue – ongoing.
• Reducing glass and plastic use and waste throughout our catering operation – we have draught lager instead of bottled. We also have our own filtered sparkling and still water that uses single reusable glass bottles that are topped up – ongoing.
• Reducing gas, diesel and petrol usage on machinery and throughout the venue and farm – ongoing

Energy, waste and fuel

Efficiency targets

• Solar farm planned for two of our reservoirs which will supply the venue 100% of its energy use each year creating a huge carbon saving and offset – planning stages.
• Regenerative farming project for Southend Farm.
• To replace two gas boilers we have with air or heat source pumps.
• To contact all our suppliers including hotels and local accommodation to see what their new zero journey looks like.

Efficiency targets

Energy saving goals

• New lighting system for the main barn that is energy efficient, using energy saving technology and a central control point.
• To research and survey guests attending the venue where they are travelling from and how. We would like to encourage electric car usage and offer electric car charging facilities onsite.

Energy saving goals