Stanley Head is home to a rich diversity of wildlife and we want to keep it that way. We are also committed to doing our bit for the bigger environment – our planet.

Following a recent review of working practice we are phasing in a programme of measures on site intended to reduce our carbon footprint. Changes to the way we work include:

• Timed heating systems
• Energy-saving Light Bulbs
• Recycling waste material wherever possible
• Electronic rather than paper-based communication
• Efficient use of transport
• Sourcing local produce for our kitchen whenever appropriate
• Water metres to monitor usage
• Composting kitchen waste
• Installing our first wind turbine

Further planned developments include:

• Solar powered water heating
• Additional wind turbines
• Increase amount of waste being recycled
• Growing our own food

The Environment Around Us

We are also committed to respecting the local environment both on site and when visiting the Peak District and other local venues:

This means:
• Taking all litter home with us or disposing of it appropriately,
• Minimising our impact on the countryside by not taking anything away, no matter how interesting,
• Disturbing as little as possible by not touching too much or making too much noise,
• Respecting the Countryside Code at all times,
• Taking care to avoid certain areas of importance during breeding times of wildlife and livestock.

We also:
• Provide specialist nesting boxes for various owls, birds and bats
• Allow ‘rough’ areas of vegetation to grow in quiet corners of the centre to provide habitats for species of birds, mammals and insects, as well as a wealth of plant life,
• Manage a reintroduction programme for birds such as pheasant, partridge and grouse following their decline in the area as a result of hunting.

Because of our location and the volume of school children we host every week, we believe that we are in a position of influence and have a duty to lead by example in protecting our local and global environment. For this reason, we try to ensure that there is a subtle theme of environmental responsibility running throughout all of our courses.

If you have any ideas on how you think we can be more environmentally-friendly please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   with your suggestions.

Environmental Projects Opportunity

We have recently undertaken a couple of environmental partnership projects with schools and Scout Groups who have volunteered their services around the centre in return for some free activities. This serves a number of purposes such as a way of accessing our activities when budgets are tight, but also working towards awards and badges by undertaking an environmental project – particularly useful for the uniformed groups. If you are interested in finding out more about this, please contact the Centre for a chat.