One year later, leisure trust highlights progress in decarbonisation, employee engagement and carbon reduction.

A Suffolk-based leisure trust is showing that successful long-term sustainability programmes are driven just as much by people and culture as they are by technology.

In a recent customer spotlight interview with TEAM Energy, Tyler Coulson, Environmental Manager at Abbeycroft, discusses how the not-for-profit charity is advancing its sustainability strategy through a combination of energy efficiency improvements, staff engagement activities and behaviour change initiatives across its 12 leisure centres throughout West Suffolk and Babergh.

Since first sharing its sustainability journey with TEAM Energy, Abbeycroft has continued to invest in projects aimed at lowering energy use, reducing carbon emissions and minimising waste, while helping to safeguard the future of community leisure services.

Recent projects include the installation of destratification fans at its Newmarket leisure centre to improve heating efficiency within pool hall environments, alongside a major decarbonisation programme that has delivered air source heat pumps at its Bury St Edmunds site. A similar scheme is now planned for the Haverhill centre. Once both sites are fully transitioned, they are expected to operate without gas, marking a significant step forward in Abbeycroft’s carbon reduction plans.

In addition to energy-focused initiatives, Abbeycroft has expanded its sustainability efforts by introducing refillable water stations to help tackle single-use plastic waste and establishing a partnership with Leisure Loop, enabling old swimming equipment to be recycled into new products and construction materials.

However, the organisation believes some of its most meaningful achievements have resulted from growing sustainability awareness and encouraging behavioural change throughout the workforce.

Environmental champions have been appointed across multiple sites, employees are taking part in carbon literacy training, and sustainability is increasingly becoming a consideration in everyday operational decisions. Abbeycroft says this increased engagement is helping foster a culture where environmental responsibility is shared across the organisation, rather than being led by a limited number of specialists.

Sam Arje, Senior Energy Consultant at TEAM Energy, said:

“Many organisations focus on technology when tackling carbon emissions, but Abbeycroft’s experience shows that lasting progress happens when people are fully engaged in the journey. Their combination of strategic investment, staff empowerment and partnership working demonstrates how sustainability can become part of everyday operations while continuing to deliver value for communities.”

Partnership working and external funding have also been key contributors to Abbeycroft’s progress. Close collaboration with West Suffolk Council and Babergh District Council has helped the organisation identify opportunities, secure investment and deliver projects that may otherwise have been difficult to implement.

Tyler Coulson, Environmental Manager at Abbeycroft, said:

“What started as a programme focused on reducing energy consumption has evolved into something much broader. We’ve seen genuine behavioural change across the organisation, with colleagues becoming more engaged in sustainability and taking an active role in helping us achieve our environmental goals. By combining investment in technology with education, collaboration and continuous improvement, we’re creating a culture where sustainability becomes part of everything we do.”

Looking ahead, Abbeycroft intends to continue evaluating emerging technologies, enhancing the quality of operational data, strengthening strategic partnerships and expanding community engagement activities to support its long-term carbon reduction objectives.

The case study highlights how organisations can use sustainability initiatives not only to reduce emissions and lower operating costs, but also to engage employees, build stronger partnerships and create wider social benefits for the communities they serve.

Read Abbeycroft’s full interview.