2024
Social initiatives across our portfolio
Increasing access for young people and underrepresented groups
The Poplar Baths affordable housing and recreation centres development project included the Haileybury Youth Centre, which runs several sessions for local youth groups. One of the early initiatives was to provide youth club sessions for young people from the local community, providing a safe space for them to socialise and increase levels of engagement in and with the community.
However, the building wasn’t being fully used due to budget constraints. As part of our supporting initiatives that benefit communities living near to our assets, BBGI, through the Portfolio Company, committed to help fund the centre for four years.
By donating £20,000 each year, we are enabling Haileybury Youth Centre to increase its range of sessions, engage more effectively with local young people and reach out to underrepresented groups. During 2023, Haileybury Youth Centre reached around 200 more young people with over 350 hours of additional contact each week as a result of this additional funding.
BBGI’s funding through the Folera Portfolio Company is continuing into 2023/24 to help deliver a range of opportunities and access to them for different youth groups across different activities, including plans for:
- Weekly SEND Youth Club
- Community hockey programme utilising the rooftop sports pitch
- Girls summer camp
- Leadership programmes providing a diversionary programme that supports the development of young women into leadership roles and developing those in care into leadership opportunities
- Young women music programme
“The Folera/BBGI funding has provided a marked increase in our ability to deliver enhanced services and activities from the Haileybury building to the local youth community whilst helping to improve our engagement with them.”
Abzal Ali, Deputy Head YPS, LBTH
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/europe/affordable-housing-clean-energy-other/
Ayrshire and Arran’s Acute Mental Health and Community Hospital is engaging with its community via local work placements and regional purchasing.
The hospital strives to support its local community by engaging with its residents, purchasing from local companies and providing employment opportunities.
To guarantee consistent delivery of these socio-economic benefits, the Client has made the requirements to have dedicated targets in place. The Portfolio Company has the obligations to deliver this set of targets with the facility’s operations and maintenance contractor.
The local procurements targets aim to spending at minimum 50% with sub-contractors that operate within a 30-mile radius of the site, and 80% with Scottish-based companies.
The local employment targets aim to attract applications from residents, offer work placements and apprenticeships to surrounding schools and colleges.
In addition, the project also researches for opportunities to provide financial support, time or business partnership with regional charities and trusts.
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/europe/ayrshire-and-arran-hospital-npd/
In 2023, BBGI collaborated with Liverpool & Sefton Health Partnership (‘LSHP’) to fund and provide space for the Action for Children’s ‘Wellbeing Star Programme’.
The Wellbeing Star Programme is a community intervention, which helps young people think and begin conversations about their mental health and wellbeing, as well as learning the skills and tools they can use to look after themselves.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of children and young people from the local community needing support for their mental health.
With this funding and space provided, the Wellbeing Star Programme was delivered in Mere Lane Community Practice, as well as in local primary schools by a trained staff member.
The Programme supported students in years 3-6 in four primary schools, delivering 25 groups in total, supporting 497 children and young people. The programme is a community-based intervention to start conversations with young people about their mental health.
After completing the Programme, more than 95% of students said they now know who to go to if feeling sad, that they had learnt helpful tips to lift their mood and they now understand how exercise can improve mood.
Mere Lane Group Practice provided a fantastic space for collaborative group work. The young people benefited from a neutral learning space, as learning in a new environment can be particularly useful for transition to secondary school.
“We really appreciated you visiting our school and working with our children. The feedback from our staff and children was really positive and behalf of Gwladys Street, I cannot thank you and your colleagues enough.”
Designated safeguarding & mental health lead, Gwladys Street Primary School
“We found the team to be extremely professional and effective. They communicated well in the run up to the work, were flexible and supportive and very organised. The children and adults appreciated the sessions and found them useful. A pleasure to work with.”
Deputy Headteacher, Whitefield Primary School
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/europe/liverpool-and-sefton-clinics-lift/
Working with Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, we led the initiative to donate a much needed fully-operational MRI machine worth AU$2 million to a primary healthcare clinic in India.
When the Royal Women’s Hospital had to relocate the MRI suite, it decided to install a new machine rather than relocating an existing one, which was still fully operational and had not reached the end of its life.
BBGI’s Director took the view that the machine, being functional and very expensive, should be relocated rather than prematurely scrapped, and began working with other parties to find a new home for it. In June 2023, an agreement was reached with a clinic in India, and GE Healthcare technicians began shutting the system down and deinstalling it.
Siemens, who had won the tender for the replacement, removed the old 11 tonnes machine. EverX, a specialist in supplying pre-owned radiology imaging equipment, assisted on the logistics with the clinic in India.
Thanks to the machine’s relocation, there is the potential to positively impact numerous lives in India and provide diagnostic abilities previously unavailable to the local communities. The project also minimised the environmental impact of scrapping the machine, with the huge amount of embedded energy required to manufacture a new one.
“We are providing multiple positive environmental and social outcomes by donating a fully operational MRI machine, worth around AU$2 million, that is much needed by local communities in India that was previously unavailable. We are sharing our experience across BBGI to implement similar initiatives across our investment portfolio.”
Luke Falla, BBGI Director
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/australia/royal-womens-hospital/
Environmental initiatives across our portfolio
Teams from the Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals partnership in British Columbia have ‘adopted’ the local section of Mill Creek, cleaning up refuse from the waterway to revitalise the local natural environment and improving the water for drinking and recreational use.
The city of Kelowna’s ‘Adopt-a-Stream’ programme helps protect and clean the area’s waterways, which provide a home to 85% of the local wildlife species, valuable breeding areas for fish, and affect the quality of the region’s drinking water.
During 2023, BBGI collaborated as part of a team at Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals (‘KVH’) Portfolio Company and enrolled in the scheme to help clean up and revitalise the section of Mill Creek that runs close to Kelowna General Hospital and close to the point where it enters Okanagan Lake.
Since then, the team and their partners at KVH have completed three extensive clean-ups with another planned in 2024 as part of its two-year commitment. So far over 26 hours of time has been voluntarily given by different teams from the hospital partnership, including the Interior Health Authority, P3, the service provider Black & McDonald; and the entire KVH team.
Each clean-up has included the removal of huge amounts of refuse from the waterway, such as bicycles, garden furniture, clothing, and luggage, as well as smaller items from the waterway. This initiative is part of a larger network of stream-clean-ups throughout the city, with 50 stream areas each being cleaned at least once per year.
Due to the enthusiastic feedback from everyone involved, the team is looking at extending its participation for another two years.
BBGI’s Portfolio Company, KVH, is the consortium chosen by Interior Health Authority to finance, design, construct, commission and deliver four new facilities between 2009 and 2012, including the 30 year maintenance and operations of these and the existing facilities.
Read more: Adopt-a-Stream, City of Kelowna
“The adopt-a-stream initiative has been very productive. The substantial amounts of large and small scape waste and refuse that has been removed by BBGI has greatly benefited the health and habitats of the local eco-system, which improves biodiversity as well as the water for drinking and recreation. Interior Health Authority Interior is happy to see our P3 partners contribute to this type of program and hope that they keep up the great work!”
Todd Yaseniuk, Manager, P3 Operations
“Your team is definitely eager and on-board!”
Jane Jones, Parks Community Relations Coordinator, City of Kelowna
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/north-america/kelowna-vernon-hospitals/
Working in collaboration with Kelowna General Hospital, Canada, we introduced an efficient on-demand system for the HVAC, saving over 31 tonnes of CO2 and CAD$19,000 annually.
The Centennial Building of the hospital, which contains acute care departments including an emergency department and operating rooms, requires particularly high heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (‘HVAC’) standards while in use, such as increased air changes per hour and strict temperature ranges.
The operating rooms in the Centennial Building were originally intended to be used around the clock but, with another facility now running 24-hour operations, the rooms are no longer required on evenings or weekends. As a result, when facility staff learned in 2022 that reduced usage meant there is an opportunity to relax or ‘setback’ the HVAC parameters during unoccupied periods, we assembled a team to increase our energy efficiency.
The local renewable energy provider utility, FortisBC, funded an energy study that was completed by Rocky Point Engineering and supported by our partners Interior Health and facilities management company Black & McDonald. This study verified that significant energy savings were available and specified how best to achieve them.
Implementation of these required the re-programming of the original system to be synchronised with the new operating hours and installation of occupancy sensors to allow for on-demand HVAC usage for outside of scheduled periods. We worked with our partners to cost this up and then arranged the funding for the project, which was successfully delivered on 18 May 2024.
The scheme means that the hospital saves an estimated 31 tonnes of CO2 per year and CAD$19,000. Additionally, the wear and tear on the HVAC equipment is also reduced, contributing to equipment reliability and reduced lifecycle expenditure over time.
Read more: Interior Health Climate Change Report 2023
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/north-america/kelowna-vernon-hospitals/
A space for healing, celebration and tranquillity
Toronto has the largest urban Indigenous population in Ontario. In 2020, the city’s Women’s College Hospital opened its Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health to support a wellness system that acknowledges and respects Indigenous people, providing meaningful, culturally safe care, which is free of racism and discrimination.
Following a request from the Centre, BBGI funded £4,000 through the Portfolio Company, and facilitated the construction of a rooftop Medicine Wheel Garden. In Native American culture, the Medicine Wheel is a symbol of the circle of life. The Garden is a place to harvest native, medicinal plants and to be enjoyed by the Indigenous community and to be enjoyed by the Indigenous community.
Read more: Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health
“When First Nations, Inuit or Métis patients come to Women’s College Hospital for testing, treatments or procedures, we will have a viable means to offer them comforts for preparation, prayer, purification and spiritual healing by maintaining our own crop of medicinal instruments at the Medicine Wheel Garden.”
Christine Monague, Indigenous Peer Support and Relations Advocate
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/north-america/womens-college-hospital/
BBGI is focused on increasing the creation of suitable nesting and feeding areas for bees at many of our assets.
These initiatives help to grow bee and insect populations and increase biodiversity. We have good support from our public sector clients for our initiatives.
BBGI often has access to large extensions of land alongside its transport projects, which lend themselves perfectly to creating new bee habitats, and we have launched such initiatives at some of our transport projects. Examples of such initiatives include the E18 Motorway (Norway), Northwest Anthony Henday (Edmonton, Canada), Northeast Stoney Trail (Calgary, Canada), and Golden Ears Bridge (Vancouver, Canada). Additionally, some of our social assets initiated the creation of bee hotels on their roofs or surrounding areas, being Rodenkirchen schools (Cologne, Germany) and Liverpool & Sefton Clinics LIFT (Liverpool area, UK). Altogether, these initiatives have already created c.150 bee habitats, which are homes to c.10 million bees.
A critical factor in the success of restoring bee numbers and habitats is the creation, improvement and growth of surrounding vegetation for them to feed. Across our assets c.200 acres were set aside and planted with wildflowers and forage areas. Examples of such initiatives include: wildflowers field planted on one of Rodenkirchern school’s rooftops. At E18 Portfolio Company, the green areas around the road are mowed only once in late summer, resulting in increasing wildflowers and their density. Along North East Stoney Trail and Northwest Anthony Henday Drive we created c.80 hectares of ponds, drawing wildlife and vegetation back to the area, allowing native vegetation and birds to flourish.
The 125 beehives at E18 Portfolio Company produce on average six metric tonnes of wildflower honey, and 2023 produced c.2.4 metric tonnes. BBGI works with a local beekeeper, who manages the hives. The honey is collected and packaged to meet local health standards, with donations made to a local food bank in Luxembourg.
“We are proud to support the expansion of nesting and feeding areas for bees and insects. Based on the success from these initiatives, we plan to share our learnings across BBGI and explore the feasibility of implementing similar programmes in other locations.”
Trond Heia, BBGI Director
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/europe/e18-motorway/
Finchley Memorial Hospital delivers a range of planned diagnostic procedures as well as providing cancer treatment and screening services, and antenatal and postnatal clinics for the North London area.
BBGI’s Portfolio Company, North London Estate Partnerships, provided funding to volunteers from Our Home Our Planet, a local gardening group, to restore and care for the planters in the sensory garden, and plant them with edibles and flowers. The was to help raise awareness of growing fruits, vegetables, and plants that encourage pollinators, promoting sustainability and awareness of environmental issues, while highlighting how gardening can help mental health and wellbeing.
Initially the community garden will be maintained by the volunteers, any produce will be either taken to a food bank or available to staff and patients. As the project evolves the hope is to engage with communities in the local area.
"The Finchley Memorial Hospital Wellness Garden serves as a social hub, bringing together patients, residents, local volunteers, and the core group of Our Home Our Planet gardeners who share their knowledge. Gardening has huge mental health benefits and working as a group helps combat social isolation and loneliness for members of the local community. The garden is a testament to the power of community collaboration. It not only provides a space for relaxation and reflection but also promotes environmental awareness, social connection, and overall well-being.”
Liz Dembina, a volunteer with Our Home Our Planet
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/europe/north-london-estates-partnership-lift/
Women’s College Hospital (‘WCH) is an ambulatory teaching hospital with a focus on health for women, health equity and health system solutions consisting of a 40,295 m², 10-storey building with 18,561 m² of three-level below-grade parking. The facility is in downtown Toronto.
The initiative included replacing 12 existing EV chargers and adding 8 new chargers. BBGI donated five of the eight new EV chargers and added new signage to highlight the availability and location of them. The initiative was proposed by the hospital and was implemented in collaboration with the Women’s College Partnership (WCP), BBGI’s Portfolio Company created for the design, construction, financing, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the hospital.
The initiative was introduced by the hospital and issued as a variation to the Portfolio Company to implement the project. The Portfolio Company’s subcontractor, Black and McDonald, supported the hospital in selecting the best proposal. The funding was split between the hospital and the Portfolio Company, which contributed c.£5,000, covering the cost for 5 of the 20 new EV chargers. Currently, on most business days, all 20 charging stations are being used. The 20 charging stations will allow an estimated 10,000 vehicles to be charged per year.
“In collaboration with the talented teams at WCH, we’re proud to not only be saving CO2 emissions, but also encouraging more people to use EV powered vehicles by adding new and improved EV stations, which we’ll add to as demand grows for them by WCH staff and patients. We’ll continue to explore adding and improving EV charging stations across our investment portfolio.”
David Damboise, BBGI Director
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/north-america/womens-college-hospital/
Upgrading the operations fleet with an electric vehicle suited to meet the unique needs of highway maintenance.
Highway operations and maintenance involve various tasks such as routine inspections, debris removal, pothole repairs, snow ploughing, and emergency response. Traditionally, these tasks rely on conventional gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles, contributing to elevated carbon emissions and high operational costs. The emergence of electric vehicles (‘EV’) presents an opportunity to address these challenges while promoting sustainability and enhancing public perception.
In 2023, BBGI, through its Portfolio Company, acquired the first EV for the Ohio River Bridge Project fleet, a Ford F-150 Lightning specially outfitted to meet the unique needs of highway operations.
This vehicle offered multiple advantages, including operating without air pollutants, lower maintenance requirements and operating costs, connectivity with smart technologies with real-time data and acting as a portable supply power for hand tools for interventions without the need of a generator.
With an estimated range of over 300 miles per charge, a maximum payload of 2,200 lbs, and a towing capacity of 10,000 lbs, this vehicle effectively meets the operational requirements of highway maintenance tasks. The existing solar panel array provides enough capacity to charge the 98 kWh battery of the vehicle.
“The incorporation of the Ford F-150 Lightning into our highway operations and maintenance fleet, exemplifies the potential of electric vehicles to transform traditional infrastructure management practices. By embracing EV technology, BBGI not only achieved environmental and economic benefits but also positioned itself as a leader in sustainable transportation.”
Volker Ellenberg, BBGI Global Head of Asset Management
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/north-america/ohio-river-bridges/
Eyemouth High School, in Berwickshire, the Scottish Borders, educates around 500 students.
In November 2023, several members of the Scottish Schools’ Senior Leadership Team came together to plant 80 trees for Eyemouth High School, which we donated to improve the outdoor space at the school, which also helps to reduce the carbon footprint both of the school and BBGI as a corporate.
BBGI’s Portfolio Company maintains three schools in the region. The schools are among the most environmentally sustainable schools in Scotland, with zoned heating areas to control internal temperature and minimise energy consumption and high ceilings to maximise daylight, assist natural ventilation and improve air quality.
Find out more: https://www.bb-gi.com/our-portfolio/our-assets/europe/scottish-borders-schools/
2023
Social initiatives across our portfolio
BBGI is proud to have worked for a long time in partnership with its management services providers to support initiatives focusing on health, education, empowerment, and the raising of skills and aspirations of people in and around our primary care health facilities procured under the so-called Local Improvement Finance Trust (‘LIFT’) scheme.
The LIFT programme was established in 2001 to bring about the largest and most concentrated investment in the primary healthcare and community estate across England. These projects were a UK government initiative to create long-term public-private sector partnerships that provided new and improved facilities for health and social care at a local level.
BBGI and its management services providers make their primary health buildings a key part of the local communities, with spaces for community groups and fundraising activities. We continue to support initiatives that deliver lasting positive benefits, which in 2022 included the Sea Cadets ‘On the Water‘ programme. Funding for the 2022 programme was provided by 13 corporates and charitable trusts, with three of BBGI’s Project Companies: Liverpool and Sefton Healthcare Partnership, North London Estates Partnership and Barking Dagenham & Havering.
‘On the Water’ is a fully externally funded initiative designed to engage and introduce young people to a range of exciting boating activities with Sea Cadets. These activities are offered at no charge, and targeted to areas and communities that hard-to-reach by youth work, while providing ways to sustain the impact and build future positive impact in young people’s lives.
The programme exceeded its targets including: number of young people (1,384 vs 1,200 target); number of qualifications (201 vs 136 target); and number of sessions of activity delivered (8,940 vs 5,400 target). The programme successfully engaged hard-to-reach groups, with 8 in 10 young people who attended matched to at least one category.
Reported impact by young people and parents and carers was overwhelming high. Alongside the more general positive results around outreach, there are clear signs that ‘On the Water’ is a successful model to reach young people with some of the most extreme levels of disadvantage, with 37 per cent of attendees scoring in the lowest indices across multiple deprivation.
Ian Tayler, Director at BBGI, said “The programme shows a very high level of satisfaction especially in the case of parents, carers and group organisers – with scores in the high 80s- low 90s almost unprecedented. This creates a very high chance that they will tell their community and their friends about the project, which will in turn help to increase the influence and reach of ‘On the Water.’ Based on the success of this amazing programme, we are looking to support it again in 2023, building on the positive impact delivered to those who take part.”
Kelowna Hospital offers high-level, specialty medical care including 24-hour emergency and trauma services, ambulatory and outpatient clinics, and diagnostic/paramedical services.
The Portfolio Company and the subcontractor in charge of the facilities management services at Kelowna Hospital have volunteered at the Central Okanagan Food Bank during the Christmas season since 2013.
Central Okanagan Food Bank is the largest food bank in the interior of British Columbia, providing nutritional food assistance to individuals facing food and financial insecurity.
In December 2022, two volunteers from the Portfolio Company joined others to assemble and deliver approximately 50 special holiday food hampers to Central Okanagan Food Bank beneficiaries. The food bank distributes over $3,500,000 in food each year by working with local grocery retailers to recover food that is fit for consumption but not for sale.
As the food bank is volunteer-driven, the Portfolio Company and its subcontractor saw first-hand the positive impact it provides to the community.
“Thank you so much for your volunteer support during our busiest time of the year.”
The Central Okanagan Food Bank Team
Read more: Central Okanagan Food Bank
The Northwest Fire & Rescue project was a significant undertaking aimed at modernising 16 community fire stations across Merseyside, Cumbria and Lancashire.
The project was designed to improve operational spaces while also creating resources for community use. Upgraded facilities included meeting rooms, lecture rooms and gyms, available to local communities. These spaces intend to provide a range of services from community events to physical fitness programmes. Additionally, the fire stations now house specialised Fire Cadet Units that provide young people with the opportunity to learn about, engage with, and experience the Fire & Rescue Service.
The 2022 session of the Fire Cadets initiative was delivered with the aim of encouraging self-development and instilling fundamental Fire Service principles of self-discipline, leadership, and teamwork. The programme aimed to develop healthy relationships and a growth mindset among young people, inspiring them to make positive life choices for their futures. The nationally recognised programme had a significant impact on participants' personal, social, and educational development.
The BBGI team recognised the importance of investing in young people's development and was proud to support the Fire Cadets initiative with a contribution of £7,000. The team's contribution was part of a broader public sector initiative that provided a total of £9,000 towards the project. The partnership with North West Fire & Rescue and the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service aimed to enhance public service delivery and promote community development.
The Fire Cadets initiative offers a unique opportunity for young people to develop their personal growth and leadership skills, and the BBGI team's contribution played a small part in improving participants' lives. The project's success highlighted the importance of collaboration between public and private sector organisations in promoting community development and creating positive social change. By investing in young people's development, the North West Fire & Rescue and BBGI team have made a positive contribution to the future of their communities.
Read more: Merseyside Fire Cadets
“I am very proud of all participants, they are a credit to themselves and are outstanding ambassadors, representing MFRS Fire Cadets and our community!”
David Mottram, Assistant Chief Fire Officer
The Metropolitan Remand Centre, which is part of the Victorian Correctional Facilities, recently made a charitable donation of furniture through the operator Cushman & Wakefield. The furniture was donated to several organisations that work with disadvantaged communities, some of which are located outside of Australia in impoverished countries often affected by drought, internal wars and low economic circumstances to which the provision of these goods makes a major difference to the lives of many of its people.
One of the organisations that received a donation of furniture is the Rotary Donations in Kind project. This long-established Rotary initiative aims to provide requested goods, predominantly hospital and school needs, to overseas recipients. The 198 chairs that were donated to Rotary Donations in Kind from the Metropolitan Remand Centre have already been earmarked for a school and public library in Timor Leste and will be packed and shipped in March/April 2023.
The Western Emergency Relief Network is a network of 60 partner welfare agencies and 13 Rotary clubs that supports its partners and their beneficiaries with material aid such as household furniture, whitegoods, kitchenware, electrical items, beds and bedding. Beneficiaries typically require assistance due to homelessness, domestic violence, drug and health issues, or refugee circumstances, but they can also be in a crisis brought about by fire or flood. The donation of 191 chairs from the Metropolitan Remand Centre will be used to support families and individuals in critical need within the community.
The Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network is a multi-Rotary Club community service project and registered charity that supports people in inner Melbourne as they set up homes following homelessness, domestic violence, release from jail, refugee displacement, loss from fire and flood, or other crises. The organisation received a donation of 30 stackable chairs and sofas from the Metropolitan Remand Centre, which will go to the Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network in East Brunswick.
“We are very pleased to have received the chairs.”
| “Your donation will assist in providing those in need with hope and support.” Ross Butterworth, Administration Manager | “Your donation will make a difference to the lives of many of our clients, so thank you.” Susie Cole, Chair |
Read more: Rotary Donations in Kind | Read more: WERN | Read more: RIMERN |
In 2022, BBGI collaborated with Liverpool & Sefton Clinics to fund and provide space at the Kensington Health Centre for the 'Liverpool Through Our Lens' photography programme, which enabled vulnerable and disadvantaged people to enjoy specially adapted photography lessons.
The programme was delivered in partnership with Community Integrated Care (CIC), which is one of UK’s largest and most successful social care charities, and Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery, a recognised expert on socially engaged photography. The participants of the programme were volunteers with some of the biggest health and social issues from CIC’s Inclusive Volunteering Programme, each supported by a carer/worker to ensure their individual needs were met.
The photography programme ran from October to early November 2022, coinciding with the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool. This programme enabled volunteers to engage socially, access and explore their community, and learn new life skills and passions. The participants created photographs of the city that were displayed at a professional gallery in the Fan Zone at the Championships, attended by approximately 50,000 people. Participants also had the opportunity to see the games, meet gymnasts, manage the gallery display, and participate in a wider supplementary programme of inclusive activities at the World Gymnastics Championships.
The photographs were also exhibited to approximately 5,000 people at the Rugby League World Cup and will be permanently displayed at the Kensington Health Centre. The programme made a lasting positive impact on the lives of 30 people in need, giving them new skills and inspiring them to be more active and engaged.
John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at CIC, commented: “Much more than learning how to use a camera, the project inspires independence, encouraging people to go out and visit their city and share their photography experiences with the group and carrying this skill on for the rest of their lives.”
Nuria Rovira Terradas, Assistant Creative Producer at Open Eye Gallery, said: “It’s been great to see the volunteers grow in their confidence as they learn more skills and share their photographs and experiences with other people. Every photograph tells a powerful story, but it’s the stories behind the lens that have the greatest impact.”
Ian Tayler, Director at BBGI, said: “Based on the success of this amazing programme, it will progress throughout 2023, building on the positive impact provided to this group of volunteers. We are also continuing to explore how we can deliver similar community initiatives based out of our other health centres.”
Read more: Open Eye Gallery
Downpatrick Campus, a South Eastern Regional College (SERC) site in Northern Ireland, offers a wide range of courses, full-time and part-time in speciality training such as beauty, computing, travel, art, engineering, healthcare and animal care.
In 2022, the Student Engagement team launched a new student well-being room for students at SERC Downpatrick.
The student well-being room is a quiet area with a soothing atmosphere, which provides students with space to recharge and refocus. This room will also provide opportunities for students to meet, socialise and take part in activities that will enrich their student experience at SERC.
The well-being room was made possible with £5,000 of funding from our Portfolio Company. This funding has enabled the provision of virtual reality mindfulness activities, weighted blankets, and other therapeutic interventions that will help students dedicate time to their on self-care and restore attention prior to their return to learning.
Catherine Shipman, Student Engagement Manager said: “We are delighted to be able to launch the student well-being room at our Downpatrick Campus, this room will provide a much-needed quiet space for students to self-manage their mental health and well-being. We are very grateful to East Down Colleges for providing the funding to bring this project to life. This space will make a real positive impact on the lives of our students helping them to access support, connect with their peers and improve their health and well-being.”
Read more: SERC
Employee interaction and team-building is key to our success, and we want to give more opportunities to our teams to hold social and team-building sessions. This year we have focused one of our social events around a charitable initiative.
During one month, four of our employees volunteered at a local shelter in Luxembourg, serving lunch to beneficiaries. Administered by three associations in Luxembourg: Caritas Accueil et Solidarité, the Luxembourg Red Cross and Inter-actions, Winter Action (Wanteraktioun) is a humanitarian action sponsored by the government which has been continually implemented every winter since 2001.
Wanteraktioun aims to prevent homeless people from succumbing to hypothermia during very cold weather and people in social and financial distress to have a place to eat a warm meal and stay for the night.
At the multifunctional emergency structure located in Findel, Tania, Niamh, Philip and Cecilia worked in pairs to serve lunch and wash up the dishes afterwards.
Tania, Niamh, Cécilia and Philip, all BBGI employees said: “Participating in Winter Action together was truly amazing. It brought our team closer and gave us the chance to get to know each other on a more personal level. But what really struck us was the impact we were able to make by simply taking a little time out of our busy lives. We saw first-hand how difficult life can be for some people, and it made us grateful for what we have. It also inspired us to continue giving back and helping others in need.”
Read more: Winteraktioun
Environmental initiatives across our portfolio
Highway 104 is a 38 kilometre-long infrastructure project connecting Sutherland's River and Antigonish in Nova Scotia, Canada. To preserve and remediate the biodiversity of the surrounding area, we implemented an Environmental Management System throughout the project's design, construction, operation, and maintenance phases.
We protected fish populations by replacing ageing infrastructure with baffled culverts and conducting fish rescue operations before construction. Wildlife passages and fencing were installed to ensure the safety of land-based wildlife and plants, with wildlife surveys conducted before construction to protect species including birds, bats, turtles, protected trees and lichen. To preserve habitats and waterways, we ran a workshop to educate project staff on habitat suitability index surveys, electrofishing techniques, fish species identification, installation and maintenance of watercourse restoration structures, riparian habitat planting, and watershed management. The workshop emphasised the importance of habitat and watercourse restoration in preserving biodiversity and was attended by over 20 participants from various organisations. The Environmental Management System resulted in the replacement of ageing infrastructure, incorporation of wildlife passages, fencing, and crossings, and the education of project staff on habitat and watercourse restoration. These measures helped to minimise the project’s impact on the environment while preserving and improving the biodiversity of the surrounding area.
Read more: Highway 104
Woodland View Hospital in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland was constructed in 2016 and comprises 206 beds across 13 specialist wards. The hospital is operated 24/7, 365 days a year. In 2022, Woodland View Project Company commissioned an energy audit to address reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
The audit found that heating and hot water accounted for the largest energy consumption and GHG emissions. The audit found that the energy usage could be reduced by c. 71 per cent, as well as generating 16 per cent of total energy through solar photovoltaic arrays (multiple solar panels electrically wired together to form a much larger PV installation), which could save a further 239 tonnes of emissions per year.
The report recommended using renewable energy, retrofitting existing equipment, and improving building insulation, as well as regular energy audits to assess and optimise energy use. Many of the measures have quick paybacks and therefore saving energy and responding to the climate crisis is also good business.
BBGI is supporting NHS Ayrshire and Arran to implement the NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy and realise annual savings in their energy budget by commissioning this energy audit as well as investing £14,000 from the project company’s ESG budget, with support from the FM provider Equans, to implement the quick payback measures identified in the audit. This is expected to save NHS Ayrshire and Arran approximately £78,500 per annum in energy costs and reduce the carbon footprint of the facility by c. 140 tCO2e per annum.
Read more: NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy
As part of the Portfolio Company’s ongoing responsibilities, it mandated an environmental study for the Champlain Bridge Project to assess the impact of the construction on local wildlife, including the white-fronted swallow, peregrine falcon and brown snake. The study included mitigation measures and nesting monitoring programmes for these species to safeguard their future reproductive success.
Peregrine falcon: The survey for peregrine falcons was conducted using binoculars and a spotting scope from the old Champlain Bridge to observe the artificial nesting box located on span E04 of the Champlain Bridge. The inventory was carried out to note nesting behaviours and the evolution of the brood, noting that the nesting in 2022 was successful, producing two young. To protect the breeding success of peregrine falcons and swallows under the Champlain Bridge, maintenance work should be performed outside nesting periods, especially in spans with known nests and falcon nesting boxes.
White-fronted swallow: The survey of white-fronted swallows was conducted by boat in mid-June during the peak nesting season. The specialist counted the number of active nests on the girder flanges under the spans of each section of the Champlain Bridge and the Nuns' Island Bridge. A total of 292 nests were found, of which 59 were active.
To ensure the maximum relocation of white-fronted swallows during the deconstruction of the temporary bridge north of the Nuns' Island Bridge, mitigation measures (including polyethylene netting, stainless-steel hardware, installation of the net to block access to the vertical wall and tight stretching of the nets during installation) were recommended.
Brown snake: A brown snakes inventory was carried out using two complementary methods: artificial shelter monitoring and active search. A total of 26 artificial shelters were installed on both sides of the Champlain Bridge in three sectors. Active search was also conducted by systematically searching for potential habitats. The results of the study indicate that the mitigation measures were effective, and the population of brown snakes in the protected areas persisted. To maintain the integrity of snake communities around the Champlain Bridge, we minimised vegetation, shrub and tree cutting in areas with confirmed brown snake presence, and avoided interventions during the period when garter snakes are in their hibernacula to reduce the risk of mortality.
Read more: Champlain Bridge
The Ohio River Bridges project includes a 2,500 feet long span cable stay bridge, 7.57 miles of associated six-lane highway, 24 bridges, multiple roundabouts, and a 1,680 feet long twin bored vehicular tunnel connecting Clark County, Indiana, State Road 265 to Jefferson County, Kentucky State Road 841.
One of the highlights of the project is its winter maintenance programme, which demonstrates the project's adherence to environmental stewardship. To reduce fuel consumption and equipment wear, we used wider ploughs on equipment to clear the entire lane in one pass. Additionally, state-of-the-art cutting bit technology on ploughs allows for higher efficiency of snow and ice removal, reducing the use of de-icing chemicals, while better quality bits required fewer blade changes than traditional plough bits.
The main de-icing material used was salt brine at a 23.3 per cent solution. This was made on site and mixed with a corrosion inhibitor that made the product 70 per cent less corrosive than straight salt. Furthermore, we used two varieties of rock salt pre-wetted upon application to the road, which reduced bounce and scatter by up to 40 per cent, keeping more material on the road and preventing it from entering drainage systems.
The Portfolio Company subscribes to a Maintenance Decision Support System that forecasts weather and road conditions and suggests treatment of products, amounts, and timing, which has helped save on labour and equipment costs. The winter equipment was calibrated before and during the season, and plough routes were optimised to reduce the carbon footprint during operations.
The Ohio River Bridges project's winter maintenance programme shows that infrastructure projects can prioritise environmental stewardship, and that new technology and equipment calibration can increase the effectiveness of winter maintenance programmes and reduce environmental impacts.
Read more: Ohio River Bridges
North Commuter Parkway includes a six-lane bridge crossing the South Saskatchewan River and 8.3 kilometres of new four and six-lane arterial roadways. The project improves travel times across Saskatoon and reduces fuel consumption for commuters and public transit, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving business productivity, and enhancing the quality of life for local citizens.
In 2017, North Commuter Parkways’ operator negotiated a fish habitat offsetting plan with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to compensate for serious harm to fish arising from the construction of the bridge. The offsetting measures of the plan included a substrate improvement area in the South Saskatchewan River to create artificial spawning habitat for walleye and other fish species, which covers an area of 7,525 m2 near the Chief Mistawasis Bridge.
Included as part of the offsetting plan was a three-year habitat effectiveness monitoring programme, with the goal of ensuring that the habitat offsetting measures function as intended, resulting in a condition similar to or better than habitat upstream of the bridge. The programme aimed to determine the success of the offsetting measures based on three factors: fish egg density, catch-per-unit-effort, and benthic invertebrate community density and taxon richness. If any of these factors were statistically the same or higher than the baseline conditions, the offsetting measures would be considered a success.
Statistical analyses comparing the substrate improvement area and the upstream control area over the three years showed no significant difference between areas for egg density, catch-per-unit-effort, and benthic invertebrate community indices, indicating that the habitat offset measures implemented were successful.
The success of this project highlights the importance of environmental offsetting plans in infrastructure projects, especially when they involve activities that could harm aquatic habitats. The use of substrate improvement areas to create artificial spawning habitats for fish is an effective way to mitigate the negative impacts of construction on aquatic ecosystems.
Read more: North Commuter Parkway
BBGI is focused on increasing the creation of suitable nesting and feeding areas for bees at many of our assets. These initiatives help to grow bee and insect populations and increase biodiversity. We have good support from our public sector clients for our initiatives.
BBGI often has access to large extensions of land alongside its transport projects, which lend themselves perfectly to creating new bee habitats, and we have launched such initiatives at some of our transport projects. Examples of such initiatives include the E18 Motorway (Norway), Northwest Anthony Henday (Edmonton, Canada), Northeast Stoney Trail (Calgary, Canada), and Golden Ears Bridge (Vancouver, Canada). Additionally, some of our social assets initiated the creation of bee hotels on their roofs or surrounding areas, being Rodenkirchen schools (Cologne, Germany) and Liverpool & Sefton Clinics LIFT (Liverpool area, UK). Altogether, these initiatives have already created c.150 bee habitats, which are homes to c.10 million bees.
A critical factor in the success of restoring bee numbers and habitats is the creation, improvement and growth of surrounding vegetation for them to feed. Across our assets c.200 acres were set aside and planted with wildflowers and forage areas. Examples of such initiatives include: wild flowers field planted on one of Rodenkirchern school’s rooftops. At E18 the green areas around the road are mowed only once in late summer, resulting in increasing wildflowers and their density. Along North East Stoney Trail and Northwest Anthony Henday Drive we created c.80 hectares of ponds, drawing wildlife and vegetation back to the area, allowing native vegetation and birds to flourish.
The 125 beehives at E18 produce on average six metric tonnes of wild flower honey, and 2022 was an exceptional year with c.11 metric tonnes produced. BBGI works with a local beekeeper, who manages the hives. The honey is collected and packaged to meet local health standards, with donations made to a local food bank in Luxembourg.
Trond Heia, Director at E18 Portfolio Company, said: “We are proud to support the expansion of nesting and feeding areas for bees and insects. Based on the success from these initiatives, we plan to share our learnings across BBGI and explore the feasibility of implementing similar programmes in other locations.”
At BBGI, our objective is to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and energy use, while improving the driver experience and road safety.
We are achieving this through our initiatives to replace conventional sodium lighting on our roads, bridges, tunnels, intersections, and picnic areas with new LED lighting. Switching to LED lighting on roads offers several benefits, including improved energy efficiency, lower maintenance costs, increased safety, and reduced environmental impact. LED lights consume significantly less energy than traditional lighting systems, resulting in lower electricity bills and reducing the need for frequent maintenance and replacements. Additionally, LED lights provide higher levels of illumination and higher lumens, enhancing visibility and improving safety for drivers, while also being more environmentally friendly than traditional lighting systems. Once LED lighting are installed, they open the possibility to be integrated into intelligent scheduling and management systems to achieve more precise control over lighting levels and timing, ultimately improving the efficiency of lighting systems while reducing energy waste and costs associated with unnecessary lighting.
We have already made the change to LED lighting across 12 transportation assets, resulting in a reduction of approximately 4,000 MWh in annual energy use. Compared to energy usage before installing LED lighting, these initiatives represent an estimated 18% decrease in energy consumption (averaged across 12 assets).
Bernardo Morgensztern, Director at BBGI commented: “To improve our roads’ environmental and operational performance, we have been upgrading the lighting to LED, which has delivered significant benefits. To further expand our efforts, we are sharing our established experience across BBGI and implementing similar initiatives across our remaining transport investments.”
2022
Social initiatives arcoss our portfolio
The Liverpool & Sefton Health Partnership LIFT scheme (LSHP) has been a success story of the LIFT programme having developed 15 buildings, several of them iconic in the local landscape.
LSHP has for a long time worked to make its buildings a part of the local communities, which are typically in disadvantaged areas, with spaces within the buildings being made available for community groups and fundraising activities. In recent years, LSHP has worked with its management services provider to establish an ESG foundation with dedicated budgets to support initiatives in or around the health centres benefitting the local communities. In 2021, this included BBGI working with the management service provider, supporting the local Sea Cadets with their ‘On the Water’ programme, targeted at children from the local communities with disadvantaged backgrounds or disabilities identified as ‘hard-to-reach’. These children were given the opportunity to take part in water-based activities during the summer that they would not normally have access to and LSHP then provided sponsorship for an awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the participants alongside their families and local dignitaries.
In 2020, BBGI initiated the installation of 100 beehives along our stretch of E18 roadway and near our rest areas. The 100 beehives are home to approximately six million bees and produce more than a metric tonne of honey. Bees are vital to the pollination process and help the natural flora.
BBGI works with a local beekeeper, who manages the hives. The honey is collected and packaged to meet local health standards to be donated to a local food bank. Marta from our team in Luxembourg has worked closely with Caritas’ solidarity grocery to ensure the honey helps support those in need in our local community.
Kelowna General Hospital is a world-class teaching hospital and lead referral centre for over one million adults and children from across the interior of British Columbia, Canada. The hospital offers high-level, special medical care, including 24-hour emergency and trauma services, ambulatory and outpatient clinics, and diagnostic/paramedical services.
For the past eight years, staff from the Kelowna Hospital’s portfolio company and its subcontractor have been volunteering during the Christmas hamper season at the Central Okanagan Food Bank, an annual tradition where volunteers help to prepare and deliver food hampers to those in need.
The Central Okanagan Food Bank is a critical resource to Kelowna and surrounding municipalities that aims to create a healthy, hunger-free community for those in need. Over 18,000 children and youth alone access the Central Okanagan Food Bank services annually.
Environmental initiatives across our portfolio
Lagan College is Northern Ireland’s first planned integrated, all ability, coeducational 11-18 school. The school was founded in 1981 by a small group of pioneering parents, known as the All Children Together Movement, who wished to educate children from all religious traditions together in a different way, set against a backdrop of political and social unrest.
Globally renowned for its peace work, Lagan College is also a UK Ambassador School, committed to working with others to raise the profile of climate change and carbon reduction. The school has won five prestigious Eco Awards for its work educating others to care for the planet.
In 2022, the College will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, BBGI has donated and will work with Lagan College to plant 70 native tree species on the school site during the spring planting season and will gift a variety of tree saplings to each one of the other 69 integrated projects which have come into existence since 1981. In addition, an investment by BBGI is helping the College to expand its Chaplaincy Centre which lies at the heart of the school, which will help Lagan in its aim to become Northern Ireland’s first ever Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health.
The Ohio River Bridges East End Crossing Project, completed in 2016, is a largescale cross-river transportation and roadway project. Designed to meet current and future mobility needs of the Louisville Metropolitan Area, the project includes a cable-stayed bridge across the Ohio River connecting Indiana with Kentucky and associated roadways, tunnels and facilities. The project achieved an Envision Platinum certification in 2016 from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, by demonstrating comprehensive integration of principles of sustainability through all stages of the project.
During 2021 the original project debt was refinanced, and the new bonds qualified as a green bond offering based on the project's high standards for energy efficiency, sustainability and environmental stewardship. The financing is aligned with the ‘Green Bond Principles’ and meets the standard for ’Sustainable Infrastructure’ which is a new category.
The portfolio company has recently installed 130 solar panels on the O&M centre, solar-powered waste compactors, and an electric vehicle (EV) charging station. The new solar panels will satisfy all the power needs of the O&M centre and the portfolio company plans to replace some of its vehicles with EV alternatives as they become available.
The Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne covers in excess of 40,000 m2 and provides comprehensive state-of-the-art health care to the women of Victoria in a central location.
COVID-19 caused many frontline health care workers, at Royal Women’s Hospital, to alter behaviour and to favour cycling to work instead of public transit. As a result, the existing bicycle compound at the Royal Women’s Hospital was soon at full capacity, and many staff were forced to leave their bicycles in less secure areas or drive to work instead of cycling.
The portfolio company wanted to support frontline health care workers and offered to double the size of the bike compound. The portfolio company fully funded the project and, with the assistance of the facility maintenance contractor, delivered the project. The project was a success and reduced CO2 emissions. It is estimated that if the additional bike capacity causes those people to switch from car to bicycle travel, it will reduce CO2 emissions by 132 tonnes per annum.
The ’OPS E18 Kristiansand – Grimstad‘ is a stretch of road totalling 38-km including seven tunnels with a total length of 13.1 km, 61 bridges and 75 km of secondary roads. This project significantly improved road traffic safety, as well as providing greater access to the area.
During 2021, the portfolio company changed all lighting (with the exception of tunnels) from conventional lighting to LED. A total of 1,220 luminaires were replaced along the E18. In addition, 414 luminaires were replaced at intersections and picnic areas.
Annual power saving amounts to approximately 585,000 KW/h. This corresponds to an annual saving in CO2 of 150 tonnes. This has been done without any form of financial contribution from our public sector client.
The Samuel de Champlain Bridge in Montreal, Quebec is a 3.4 km, six-lane, high-level bridge with a dedicated two-lane transit corridor that is currently being retrofitted to accommodate the Réseau Express Metropolitan light rail transit system. A four-meters-wide multi-use path with scenic lookouts at strategic locations provides active transportation options for the public. The bridge crosses the St. Lawrence River and connects the City of Montreal to the City of Brossard on the south shore.
It may seem unusual, but falcons like to nest in bridge structures because of the height and access to water. Outside of nesting season, peregrine falcons are known to travel widely – their name, in fact, comes from the Latin word 'peregrinus', meaning 'wanderer’. Some nesting sites have been in continuous use for hundreds of years, occupied by successive generations of falcons.
The species is considered vulnerable in Quebec, and the bridge's management, is working to help the birds, installing nesting boxes, setting up a safety perimeter around work sites during nesting periods, monitoring the birds regularly, and intervening when necessary.