HCR Group plant 135 trees to launch Sustainable Relocation initiative

March 24, 2010 - PRLog -- On Sunday 21st March, as part of an ongoing commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, Independent Relocation Company, HCR Group launched its sustainable relocation promise - planting a new tree for each corporate relocation case undertaken.

To launch the campaign, over 30 employees and their families joined together in Tongham Community Wood, near Farnham to plant 135 trees.   The trees planted by volunteers included Hazel saplings, together with a mixture of flowering trees. Volunteers from Tongham Wood Improvement Group affectionately known as TWIG, were on hand to ensure that the trees were planted successfully.

HCR Managing Director, Andrew Finney got the proceedings underway by planting an oak tree. Andrew Finney explains, "Under our Sustainable Relocation Promise, trees will be planted in community woodland, nature reserves, National Trust sites and urban areas across the whole of the UK. Once planted, they will be monitored, to ensure they are maintained appropriately and last a lifetime – guaranteeing that they really do help reduce the carbon footprint produced by our clients' relocations.”

Clients will even be provided with certificates (printed on recycled paper of course) and a unique reference number to enable them to track their tree's progress online.

Andrew Finney reiterated the company's focus on sustainability with the following statement: “As a relocation specialist we understand the necessity for employee relocation from a commercial stand point, but we also would like to work in partnership with our clients to reduce the effects of these relocations on the environment. Here in the UK only 12% of our land is wooded, compared with an average of 32% for each European country.

Our vision is to help retain wooded areas, which play a critical part in reducing pollution as well as generating oxygen, maintaining wildlife habitats and improving quality of life. Planting 135 trees on Sunday, was only the start, from now onwards we will continue to plant a tree for every corporate relocation, by this time next year we are hoping to have a created a forest!”

HCR have already obtained environmental Management System Certification and are the first relocation company in the UK to be accredited with this achievement.

To mark the start of the HCR Sustainable Relocation Promise, HCR have also launched a new website dedicated to this new initiative. The interactive flash microsite, developed in-house, provides visitors with an overview of HCR’s sustainable relocation campaign, as well as providing tips on how individuals can reduce their carbon footprint – http://www.sustainablerelocation.co.uk

“The website was created the not only to support the HCR Sustainable Relocation Promise, but to help highlight how critical it is that we all try to reduce our carbon footprint.” Commented HCR Marketing Executive Simon Hood.

Photos from the day can be found on the HCR website - http://hcr.co.uk/?page=sustainablrelocationphotos and a video can even be viewed on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBjk4PWvo9o



For more information and to obtain high resolution photos of HCR’s Sustainable Relocation Promise launch event, please contact Simon Hood on 01256 313741 or via email shood@hcr.co.uk

Notes for Editors:
HCR Group, based in Basingstoke, is the UK’s largest independent relocation specialist and a leading provider of rental accommodation for professionals and their families – UK and Worldwide. Its clients are corporations and government departments. HCR currently has 6,700 people housed under HCR tenancy, and pays in excess of £75 million in rent and utilities per annum on behalf of their clients. It relocates approximately 10,000 people p.a.  HCR provides a choice of services including funded Guaranteed Sales Price, Look See, Home Search, Policy Consulting, School Search, Managing Expenses, and Visa & Immigration.

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HCR Group, based in Basingstoke, is the UK’s largest independent relocation specialist and a leading provider of rental accommodation for professionals and their families – UK and Worldwide.