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Our 2019 speakers include leading experts on environmental issues, sustainable housing and behaviour change. They’ll be exploring topics related to this year’s theme: the Triple Bottom Line – how Ecology’s work can support positive outcomes from the perspectives of people, planet and prosperity.

John Alker, Director of Policy & Places, UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)
John leads UK-GBC’s advocacy strategy, working with government and the private sector. This includes Advancing Net Zero, a global programme catalysing decarbonisation of the built environment in response to the Paris Agreement. With previous political communications experience in emissions trading and sustainable homes, John also leads UK-GBC’s work on cities, bringing city policy-makers together with industry to enable sustainable place-making.

Emily Auckland, Network Director & Co-chair, UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD)
Emily works with UKSSD’s partner organisations to mobilise progress towards the SDGs. UKSSD is a cross-sector network of organisations who work together to drive action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the UK. An Edie Sustainability Leader of the Year 2019 finalist, Emily also works for environmental charity Bioregional and is a Fellow of the RSA.

Marianne Heaslip, Architect & Associate Principal, URBED
Marianne is an architect specialising in urban design, sustainability, and participative design, and a certified European Passive House Designer. She is also a member of the Terrace 21 housing cooperative – part of the wider Granby Four Streets community land trust. Marianne’s current work encompasses a variety of community-led housing and regeneration projects, including Carbon Co-op’s ‘People Powered Retrofit’ scheme.

Sumuyya Khader, Ecology borrower and Board member of Granby 4 Streets CLT
Sumuyya is a Board member of the Granby 4 Streets Community Land Trust (CLT) and a resident of the Granby area. The CLT is working to regenerate Liverpool’s Granby neighbourhood, renovating neglected properties to bring them back into use as affordable homes for local residents. Sumuyya also works as Operations Manager at Granby Workshop – an architectural ceramics studio based in Liverpool.

Adriana Kocornik-Mina, Metrics & Research Senior Manager, Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV)
Holding extensive experience in development and sustainability research, Adriana is responsible for advancing research initiatives on values-based banking. She oversees the GABV Scorecard, a tool for assessing the alignment of financial institutions’ business models with sustainable banking principles. Adriana is also leading an engagement platform where knowledge is co-created around best practices and methodologies for impact creation and measurement.

Jan Maskell, Registered Occupational Psychologist, Carbon Conversations
In her work with Carbon Conversations Jan encourages behaviour change at a personal and organisational level, recognising the need to mitigate the impact of climate change and our impact on the environment. She lives in an eco-community and promotes this as an example of sustainable living through outreach work with academics and practitioners, as well as aspiring groups.

Gareth Redmond-King, Head of Climate Change, WWF-UK
Gareth leads a team of climate specialists focused on UK policy and action to reduce emissions across sectors, working closely with a wider network of climate and energy specialists. His work includes energy sector knowledge and engagement, greenhouse gas removal options, co-operation and engagement with businesses on climate change, and climate change action across international networks, including the UN.

Rose Seagrief, Programmes Manager, Power to Change
Rose leads a programme that provides funding for groups at the early stages of creating community-led housing. Rose has witnessed the power of communities – from the remotest Scottish islands the urban neighbourhoods of Leeds and London – to take matters into their own hands and deliver solutions that bring about lasting change, improving the quality of life for the whole community.

You can register to attend our AGM and Members’ Meet-up 2019 via our dedicated Eventbrite registration page.

Click here to register now.

Registration is open to all members and non-members who are interested in finding out more about Ecology Building Society.

Please register by 5.00 pm on Thursday 18 April 2019 (for catering purposes). We will contact you to confirm your place – if you have not heard from us by Thursday 25 April 2019 or are unable to register online please contact us on 01535 650 770.

Please note: we will be taking photographs and filming the day for use on our website and in materials such as our newsletter. By attending this event you are giving your consent for us to film and take your photograph unless you tell us that you object to this.

You’ll find details of our office address and location here.

By bike

We have some space available for  bicycle parking. You can take your bike free-of-charge on trains in West Yorkshire (restrictions may apply).

By rail

We will be offering a complimentary taxi shuttle service to and from Steeton & Silsden railway station. Please let us know if you require this when you register to attend the AGM.

By bus

The Ecology office is approximately a three-minute walk from the Belton Road stop on Keighley Road (serves bus services 62 and 903).

By car

There are a limited number of car parking spaces available. Drivers may also be able to park for free on the road adjacent to our office (Belton road). If doing so, please park with consideration for our neighbours. If you’re using a satnav, the destination postcode is BD20 0EE.

This year’s AGM and members’ Meet-up will take place at our eco-build office in Silsden, West Yorkshire.

The building has a living roof, high levels of insulation and low energy requirements. Photovoltaic panels generate electricity from the sun, windows are double-glazed and filled with argon to improve heat retention, and a heat exchanger and high-efficiency condensing boiler maintain a comfortable temperature.

Wherever possible, materials used in the building are from renewable sources, recycled or low toxicity. Our sedum nature roof provides a habitat for insects and birds, and a rainwater harvesting system supplies the water for our toilets and for the plants on the roof.

The gardens around the building have been designed to minimise environmental impact, increase biological diversity and remain low maintenance.

We’re close to many of the region’s attractions in Bradford, Leeds, Skipton and Harrogate, as well as the Yorkshire Dales National Park. You can find out more about the area on the official Welcome to Yorkshire site.

Wifi is available for visitors.

It’s very important to us that as many members as possible take up their opportunity to vote – it’s what makes us a democratic Society. All eligible members will have received an AGM voting pack including information about our AGM resolutions, via post or email, by early April, along with our Annual Review and Directors’ election statements.

This year’s voting will be administered by Electoral Reform Services (ERS), the UK’s leading provider of independent election services.

Voting online is the greenest and easiest way to have your say. Simply visit ersvotes.com/ecology19 and enter your two-part login code as shown on your voting form or email.

We’ll donate 50p to international development charity Trees for Cities for every member who votes online (20p for those voting by post). We’ll also donate £1 to Trees for Cities for every member who signs up to receive future voting packs by email.

Please ensure we receive your vote by 5.00 pm on Wednesday 24 April 2019.

 

09.15	Registration and refreshments Meet your fellow members
09.30	Building societies for beginners Optional session giving an introduction to the building society model and the workings of an AGM
10.15	Annual General Meeting including Ask the Directors
11.30	Putting people, planet and prosperity at the heart of the business Introduction to the triple bottom line approach and Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) Dr. Adriana Kocornik-Mina, Senior Manager, GABV
12.00	Putting the planet first Gareth Redmond-King, Head of Climate Change, WWF Marianne Heaslip, Architect and Associate Principal, Urbed John Alker, Director of Policy and Places, UKGBC
13.00	Lunch (vegetarian, complimentary) Our catering provider is Shine Collective, a Leeds-based social enterprise which supports people with convictions and invests its profits into projects that make a positive impact in the local community
14.00	Putting people first Summuya Khader, Ecology borrower and Board member of Granby 4 Streets CLT, Liverpool Rose Seagrief, Programmes Manager, Power to Change Emily Auckland, Network Director and Co-chair, UKSSD
15.00	Break
15.15	Let's talk about carbon Interactive group session using the Carbon Conversations approach to help members understand how they can reduce their carbon footprint Jan Maskell, Facilitator, Carbon Conversations
16.15	Closing comments Paul Ellis, Chief Executive
16.30	Close

No, the Carbon Club is open to anyone who wishes to reduce the negative impact of their unavoidable carbon emissions. Joining the club is one way to actively play a part in reducing the environmental risks that carbon emissions pose to our planet.

If you suspect that you or somebody you know is being – or has been – subject to financial abuse, please refer to the UK Finance It’s your money guidance leaflet. This covers different types of financial abuse, what you can do to protect yourself and who to contact should you need urgent or longer-term help.