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Our Good Deeds

As the oldest hotel in Falmouth, we have a deep, long-standing connection with our maritime home, and the fellow members of the community that we have the privilege of sharing it with. Aside from providing guests and visitors with unforgettable experiences in our waterside hotel, we work hard to ensure we are giving back where we can.

A legacy to be proud of…

Located in the heart of the town since 1640, today’s Greenbank stands proudly on the foundations laid by our ancestors, through times of both great struggle, and prosperity. It’s not always been plain sailing, but we appreciate our past, and know that it’s now our chance to carve a mark on The Greenbank legacy.

We have set intentions to always strive to do our bit for a better future in Cornwall, and the hospitality industry. We believe in good deeds and taking action, and passionately support the causes close to our hearts, from charity events and fundraisers, to environmental schemes and community sponsorships.

Here are some of the initiatives and pledges we’ve been fulfilling:

Environmental

At The Greenbank we believe we have an obligation to seek out the most sustainable business practices to support our climate, the local economy, and our Cornish community. We are immensely proud of our Gold Level Green Tourism award, an accreditation which we have held for several years, which requires a dedicated approach to sustainability.

Businesses opting to join The Green Tourism Business Scheme are assessed against a rigorous set of criteria, covering energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity, and more.

Transport

A key way we can exercise a lower carbon footprint is by looking at the transport we have available for our guests, who are often travelling from different parts of the country.

We encourage a greener way of getting around, by offering financial incentive schemes for guests who choose to arrive by public transport, actively promoting the Fal Mussel Card, and using our harbourside location to persuade visitors to arrive by boat or water taxi.

Beach cleans

Our hotel is not just a place to stay, it’s an integral part of the community it serves. One of the most attractive features to our beautiful maritime town that draws thousands of visitors every year, are the coastlines. We undoubtedly have a duty to protect our beaches, and this is why we host a bi-yearly beach clean for Surfers Against Sewage, supported by Sharp’s Brewery.

We encourage our Greenbank and Working Boat team members to volunteer, along with members of the community, who are treated to refreshments on the house for their hard work. Our teams also get involved with Falmouth’s annual Spring Clean in March.

Reusable glasses & water stations

It’s no secret we love to host a get-together, especially in our Cornish pub, The Working Boat. During all of our events, we implement a reusable glass scheme, to eradicate any single-use plastic. This means we can wash and re-use again and again, offering the perfect eco-friendly solution that also avoids smashed glasses, keeping everyone safe and happy during a busy event!

At both the hotel and pub, we also offer free tap water refills to members of the public who want to re-use their water bottle.

Two Minute Beach Clean Station

As part of the nationwide project to encourage litter picking, we invested £400 to install one of the Two Minute Beach Clean Stations in the Greenbank Gardens. The station has a litter picker and refuse bags for members of the public to tidy up surrounding areas of the Greenbank Beach.

We take responsibility for the emptying and disposal/recycling of the rubbish too.

Sustainable purchasing

It’s not only what we do, but how and where we spend our money, that speaks louder than words. Running a hotel requires a lot of purchasing from external suppliers. We have been putting our money where our mouth is, and have been praised for our responsible purchasing over the years. We’re proud to source our food and drink from local suppliers wherever possible, to showcase the wonderful produce Cornwall has to offer, as well as cutting down on our carbon footprint.

Our team are dedicated to recycling, and we ensure all of our staff receive training in this area to avoid any unnecessary waste. We use waste compactors to reduce our bin collections by half, and we’ve installed energy saving water pumps.

When it comes to coffee, our guests can enjoy a guilt-free cuppa, as we use biodegradable coffee capsules supplied by the Eden Project, as well as working with Cornico Coffee in their coffee recycling scheme.

Our marketing materials are all created from recycled paper, and plastic is avoided at all costs, as we opt for wooden signage and natural varnishes instead. The housekeeping team also use plant-based cleaning products throughout the hotel.

Supporters of the Good Seafood Guide

The Cornwall Good Seafood Guide is a local sustainability programme which supports Cornish fisheries, healthy seas, and sustainable species. We use this guide when purchasing seafood for our restaurant, to ensure we aren’t having a detrimental effect on the fishing industry or the marine environment.

Plastic-free projects

Our hotel is a proud member of Plastic Free Falmouth, and we’ve been implementing our own in-house schemes to reduce single-use plastic in our hotel. We have abolished plastic straws, swapping them for biodegradable options in our bar, pub, and restaurant. We’ve also introduced branded refillable glass water bottles in all of the rooms in our hotel.

The Greenbank team are excited and proud to be pioneering a plastic-free future for the hospitality industry in Cornwall.

Charity

Giving back to those less fortunate and the local community has always been something we are deeply passionate about. Whilst our guests enjoy the beauty of Cornwall, we can’t ignore the pockets of need that exist so closeby. Wherever possible, we donate our time and money to charities, community projects, and worthy causes.

Doing our bit

We have donated lots of gift vouchers as raffle prizes to various charities and individuals raising money for worthy causes. Since 2022, we have given out over £4500 worth of gift vouchers.

The charities and communities who have benefited include: local schools, nurseries, colleges, theatre groups, choirs, hospitals, nursing homes, rotaries, and sports clubs.

Some of the specific charities include: Falmouth Skate Park, Falmouth Spring Flower Show, Cornwall Music Service Trust, Falmouth Spring Flower Show, Cornwall Music Service Trust, Falmouth Marine Band, Falmouth Primary Academy, Pink Wig events, Flushing Regatta, Penhaligon’s Friends, and Falmouth Working Boat Association. Plus national appeals including: Sepsis Trust, Cornwall Children’s Hospice, Cornwall Hospice, Alzheimer’s Society, MacMillan Cancer Support, Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Lily Foundation, and Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

In addition we sponsor lots of local events. These include: Falmouth Gig Club, Falmouth Rugby Club, Penryn Rugby Club, Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival, Falmouth Week, Falmouth Town Council’s Charity Ball, and Truro Food Festival.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust

We have been a business member and supporter of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust for over ten years, and have previously hosted various events for the trust at The Greenbank.

Charity of the Year

Each year, we nominate a ‘Charity of the Year’, and pledge a goal amount to fundraise for this cause. In 2019, our chosen charity was Cornwall Air Ambulance’s New Heli Appeal. We pledged to raise £10,000, and far exceeded this goal with a whopping grand total of £34,000, from team sky-dives and a coastal walking challenge, to pub quizzes, charity auctions, and generous guest donations.

Cornwall Community Foundation

For the last three years, we’ve been partnering up with Cornwall Community Foundation as our Charity of the Year. This organisation works with thousands of local community groups and charities in Cornwall. Ranging from mental health support centres and food banks to children’s youth clubs, environmental causes and elderly social events, we believe this is the perfect way for us to raise money for a whole host of worthy causes.

In 2023, The Greenbank, and our sister hotel The Alverton, joined forces and raised over £8000 to two local charities under the Cornwall Community Foundation – Penn An Dre Resident’s Association in Truro, and Pendennis Leisure Centre CIO. One of the many examples of very localised, worthy causes and community projects.

The Greenbank Community Fund

The Greenbank Community fund is one of our newest ventures, where members of our hotel team form part of a grant panel, who will regularly vote for the individual charities, communities, and projects we donate to. We’re excited to be deciding exactly where our money is being spent, and seeing the positive impact on these charities, both big and small. So you can expect even more fundraising activities in the future!

Genes 4 Jeans Day

Every September we take part in Jeans 4 Genes Day, encouraging the whole hotel to wear their favourite denim items to work for a £1 donation. All the proceeds go towards supporting children with life-altering genetic disorders.

Hospitality Action

We are proud supporters of Hospitality Action, a charity that helps workers in the hospitality industry during times of hardship. Our Managing Director Ben Young is on the board of Hospitality Action South West. Every summer we take part in the charity’s Social Sunday event. This sees our chefs creating a special menu where we donate £2 for every person who dines with us.

Room to Reward

We have partnered with Room to Reward, a unique charity that recognises the good deeds, extraordinary individuals and inspirational volunteers who deserve a treat. We donate our unsold hotel rooms to the charity, who choose from a list of nominated ‘Hidden Heroes’ to enjoy a relaxing stay with us.

Homelessness in Falmouth

We have teamed up with a local charity who feed the homeless community in Falmouth with donated meals from local businesses. Our Executive Chef Nick Hodges and the Greenbank kitchen team pledged to cook a batch of meals every Wednesday evening to be distributed directly to the street corners around the town, providing a vitally important hot dinner that could make all the difference to a homeless person.

Christmas Jumper Day

On National Christmas Jumper Day every year, we do our bit and wear our festive knitwear to help raise money for Save The Children.

Amazon Charitable Spend

Although we purchase most of our products from local companies, if we need to shop on Amazon, we have chosen the children’s charity Barnado’s to receive our charitable spend percentage.

Community support

Falmouth is more than just a location to us, it’s our beloved home. We’re so proud to be a part of the community, and always like to get stuck in with local projects and events going on. We plan to continue supporting the town in any way we can.

Community events

Falmouth’s calendar is always brimming with interesting things to do that bring together communities and like-minded people to celebrate. From Falmouth Oyster Festival, Falmouth Week, and The Greenbank’s Fal River Festival, to Falmouth Classics Regatta, Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival, and the Town Council’s Charity Ball – we’re extremely involved in what’s happening on our doorstep. 

Sponsorships

Our Executive Chef Nick Hodges is on the committee of Falmouth Community Football Club and The Greenbank sponsors Falmouth Gig Club, Falmouth Rugby Club and Penryn Rugby Club. We are also involved with Friends of Greenbank Gardens. One of our team members is on the committee, who meet monthly.

The Working Boat’s pub quiz

Since 2018, we’ve been hosting our famous Sunday night pub quiz down at The Working Boat. A popular event amongst our local drinkers, we decided to take the opportunity to raise some more money for worthy causes.

Each month, we dedicate a particular charity to focus on – chosen by our team members and regular pub quiz goers. The suggested £1 entry per person goes towards the charity, and thanks to the wonderful support of our locals and visitors, the quizzes continue to be a roaring success.

Throughout 2022 we managed to raise £3,731 for a list for charities. And in 2023, we raised £4,103. The charities that have recently benefited from our quizzes include: Crisis, Mind UK, Georgia’s Voice, West Cornwall Search and Rescue, Penryn and Falmouth Food Bank, Falmouth Community Football, Man Down, The Wave Project, Cornwall Hospice Care, and K9 Crusaders.

Previous years

We started the quizzes in May 2018 and raised £3800 in total. The charities we supported were: Cornwall Hospice Care, ShelterBox, When You Wish Upon A Star, Man Down, Ronald McDonald House Bristol, The Snowdrop Suite, and Crisis. Each team member chose a charity, as a cause close to their hearts. Find out more about our first year of pub quizzes here.

After a successful first year, we kick-started in January 2019 with a fresh batch of charities to raise money for. We supported: Falmouth Community Football Club, MQ Mental Health, Parkinson’s UK, Fishermen’s Mission, British Heart Foundation, Surfers Against Sewage, ShelterBox, Hospitality Action, The Lily Foundation, Cornwall Air Ambulance, Penryn and Falmouth Foodbank, Movember, and Crisis, raising over £4300 in total.

Nominate for 2024

We’re excited to carry on this venture next year to continue our support for even more fantastic causes. And if you’d like to put forward any charities for 2024, please contact our team via hannah.martin@theworkingboat.co.uk.

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