FEW companies can claim to have embraced the green message like thecitysecret. Based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, the company has introduced a range of measures that fit in with its ethos that business should look after its staff and the world around them.
A software development company servicing some of the world's leading financial institutions, it was founded by managing director Martin Wornor seven years ago.
For many years, Mr Wornor worked in New York, Zurich and London. A job opportunity brought him to Newcastle and then to Richmond, where he established the company in 2000. Today, it has 37 staff and an annual turnover of £1.1m, with clients including Reuters, the largest financial information provider in the world.
Mr Wornor made the move to Richmond because he could see the damage that constant commuting was doing to himself and the planet.
He said: "I found that working in the cities, I lost so much time to commuting. You could find yourself travelling 40 minutes at the end of each day. Even in Newcastle, you could do a lot of travelling just to get to and from work.
"However, in the software business you can operate from just about anywhere, so I set up in Richmond.
"Some of the people working for us left the cities for similar reasons to myself, others are local people who want to stay in the area."
One worker attracted by a healthier work-life balance was Peter Allum, whose previous job was in London, working for Morgan Stanley. He moved to Richmond because he was disillusioned with life in the capital.
He said: "I have a much healthier lifestyle following our move North. I love the local markets and get fresh organic food deliveries to my door. The people are friendly, too. In London, my social life was limited to work, but here, I feel part of the community."
David Collins, who worked for a global investment bank in Japan, made the move because he was put off by high house prices, traffic pollution and stressful working conditions when considering a job in London.
He said: "Richmond is the best place I have ever lived. I can walk to work in five minutes and you can't put a price on that."
The company is equally concerned about protecting the environment, and measures include:
* Buying electricity from a supplier that obtains its power from 100 per cent renewable resources;
* Recycling paper, metal, glass and plastics and composting kitchen waste;
* A green car parking scheme; the company has a small car park outside its office in the former primary school in Zetland Square and spaces are allocated for those car-sharing;
* Limiting miles travelled by staff, including greater use of video and audio conferencing, and offsetting the company's carbon footprint from travel with trees planted nearby.
Mr Wornor said: "Work-miles are kept to a minimum in terms of business travel but, also, because members of staff tend to live near the workplace, the dependence on commuting by car is reduced. The company's town centre location also means that people can walk to shops at lunchtime. We find that our green approach attracts workers to the company, particularly the younger ones, who see it as an important reason to work for us."
He said it also appealed to clients and prospective clients who were conscious of the benefits of using environmentally-friendly businesses to deliver their services.
Mr Wornor said: "Once you have started with green measures, it is easy to do these kind of things. I want people to realise that being green is not about being a hippy, but can be part of business life.
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