The British Salt team break ground on exciting project for Cledford Primary School.

Our community is an integral part of who we are as a business and so giving back to them is really important to us. Some of the team from British Salt (BS) embarked on a project to make a breakout garden for Cledford Primary School situated just a stone’s throw from our BS site.

HR & Communications Manager Pauline was approached by Year 6 teacher Kate Marsland and headteacher Chris Adlington. She said of the project:

“Kate reached out to us and told us all about her plans for the breakout garden and we knew that we just had to be involved. A lot of our staff have connections with the school, so it just made sense. What’s more our friends at ADSS Ltd leant us a hand to prep the foundations.”

What’s the purpose of the breakout garden? The space will offer pupils a calm space away from the classroom, a quiet spot in nature for the kids to enjoy, complete with reading shed, wildlife area and sensory pathway.

After an initial site visit, the team, headed by Joe Evans Head of Site Operations and Pete Founds, Head of Engineering and Maintenance, worked closely with Kate and Chris to come up with the design and layout.

Pete said: “It’s great to be a part of this project and turn our hand to creating a garden for the kids. We’re looking forward to finishing it and the kids enjoying it!”

Kate added: “We’re really thankful to the team at British Salt for helping us bring our vision for this space to life. The breakout garden will be such an important resource for the children, and we’re excited to see it finally come to fruition.”

So far, the foundations have been laid, and the path is beginning to take shape. We’re excited to progress the project this year and will keep you all updated on our socials.

L-R Kate Marsland, Chris Adlington, Pete Founds, Joe Evans

It was with a heavy heart that we learnt of the passing of our Chairman Emeritus, Mr Ratan Tata.

A rare leader who steered by example, whose unwavering commitment to excellence and ambition saw the Tata Group extend beyond India. We are grateful that his vision included making us, here at TCE, part of the Tata family.

Not only a visionary leader but a philanthropist, he dedicated his time to supporting causes from healthcare to animal rights, rural development, sustainability and education.

He will be missed, and he will continue to inspire us all. We extend our greatest sympathies to his family.

We’re proud of our impressive track record when it comes to reducing our carbon emissions. Since 2000, we’ve reduced the carbon intensity of our manufacturing by 55% by innovating and evolving our projects and processes to reduce our environmental footprint. We’ve pioneered groundbreaking technology, opening the UK’s first carbon capture and utilisation plant, and found ways to give back to our environment through various stewardship and conservation schemes. Now, we are pleased to announce, all our efforts in this area have been recognised with a couple of high EcoVadis scores.

What is EcoVadis?

In a nutshell, they are the world’s largest provider of business sustainability ratings. They evaluate how well an organisation has integrated the principles of sustainability and CSR into their business and management systems by evaluating four key areas: environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. The business will then receive an overall score, providing them with solid and universal credentials to share with suppliers, customers and even internal teams, as well as a baseline that they can improve upon.

TCE take home gold and British Salt bank a bronze

As the first year of application, we were thrilled to gain such good results for both TCE and British Salt. With a score that not only puts us in the top 5% of companies rated in our industry (manufacturers of basic chemicals, fertilisers and nitrogen compounds, plastics and synthetic rubber) but also in the top 5% of all companies rated within the EcoVadis network (more than 125,000 companies), TCE took home a gold medal. British Salt put in another excellent performance, achieving a bronze medal with an overall score that put them in the top 9% of salt extraction businesses and in the 83rd percentile of all companies rated on the platform.

These scores are an important demonstration of our commitment to our customers, who are becoming more conscious of supplier sustainability performance, and allows us to further support their sustainability goals.

Head of Energy and Carbon Capture, Rob Hudson says of these achievements: “This is a fantastic achievement and the result of a lot of hard work. It represents a significant step in proving our sustainability credentials to our current and future customer base. Critically, we have the track record to back it up and the plans to sustain it – a great effort by Jen and team to pull this off.”

We welcome this recognition of our continuous improvement and now have a baseline to improve upon. The learnings from this process will help us to strengthen and improve our sustainability management system going forward.

We were so thrilled to receive over 50 applications from some amazing initiatives, schemes and projects from all over Cheshire! We’d love to have helped everyone but with the help of a specially selected panel made up of TCE employees we have managed to whittle the list down to 12 amazing projects.

What will winners of the community fund receive?

The applicants who have been successful will receive a grant of up to £500 and could even receive some handy TCE volunteers. As the fund was launched to celebrate the company’s 150-year anniversary, the panel also voted for a special Anniversary Winner. The team voted for the cause they felt most passion about supporting, and the selected scheme would walk away with a grant of £1,500.

Who is TCE supporting with their Community Fund?

The panel voted to support an array of local not-for-profits and initiatives, from those doing incredible work in mental health, to disability support groups, schemes supporting local women and projects for community schools.

1. Chapter Mental Health is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people experiencing poor mental health in West Cheshire. They plan to use their grant to fund all important peer group support sessions for those living with mental health issues.
2. Motherwell Cheshire CIO – this not-for-profit does invaluable work supporting women and girls. From mental health support through counselling to supporting mums and running their community share hub, their mission is to encourage, inspire and empower women and girls to improve their mental health and challenge the associated stigma.
3. Cheshire Autism Practical Support support families throughout Cheshire with autism spectrum condition or Aspergers syndrome, whether diagnosed or not. They will use their funding from the Community Fund to provide STEM workshops for autistic and neurodivergent children from the ages of 5 to 18.
4. Down Syndrome Cheshire is an amazing charity which supports children and adults with Down syndrome, and their families. They were voted the Anniversary Winner and will use the £1,500 to fund volunteer coaches to run football sessions.
5. Snow Angels CIC is a social enterprise supporting older people to continue to live independently and keep well. They plan to use their grant for their weekly social club aimed at supporting older people with learning disabilities.
6. Disability Positive – a charity which provides services and opportunities to people living with disabilities and long-term health conditions, and their families. They plan to put their grant towards their Good Company scheme, a fully accessible social group where young adults (those over 18) can enjoy trips to the theatre, parties, cooking classes and sporting events.
7. Winsford Community Disabled Football Club are a wonderful team based in Winsford who welcome anyone living with a disability who has a passion for the beautiful game to come along and hone their skills. They are planning to purchase new equipment and run exciting new activities for all their members.
8. Let’s Farm – an amazing business who give young people aged 18 and over the opportunity to gain valuable employability skills on a working farm. The youngsters get hands on with everything from lambing to health checks and conservation, environmental and enrichment programmes. The grant will pay for a polytunnel where the young adults will learn to grow their own fruit and vegetables and even make simple meals.
9. Lostock Gralam Primary School, down the road from our Lostock works, plan to use their grant for building an all-weather field for the children to use at break times and for PE.
10. Northwich and District Youth Centre is used by a wide range of community groups, from kids’ clubs to disability support groups. Their grant will go towards fixing a leaking roof!
11. Winnington Park Ladies RFC are going to be using their grant to develop the women’s team, attract more players, book in more matches and further hone their skills on the pitch!
12. Green Uniform and Baby Bank – this Winsford not-for-profit organisation started off life in a local dinner lady’s home and has now expanded to help young families in the local community. As well as a uniform swap service, they run events and initiatives for local families and will be using their funding from the Community Fund to launch baby essentials packs for families who need support.

We’re really looking forward to seeing what these amazing causes can achieve with the help of the Community Fund and are excited to build long-lasting relationships with those doing excellent work in our communities. Keep your eyes peeled for updates from all our recipients soon!

For more information on the fund head to: https://tatachemicalseurope.com/our-community/community-fund/

After over 100 years of industrial use, we are transforming the Lagoons at Cledford Lane into a wildlife reserve. At British Salt we are always looking for ways to proactively invest back into the local area and the community. This project allows us to do just that, as well as set a route for other businesses with portfolios of brownfield land to follow.

What is the aim of the project?

The scheme will revitalize the former industrial land to create safe public access to large swaths of the site that have, up until now, been inaccessible. The restoration will protect and enhance unique habitats that have already sprung up on the site and will preserve and enhance the rare biodiversity of the land and secure the future of the site for the next 30 years as a haven for wildlife.

What was the site originally used for?

The 70-acre site is made up of a network of 8 settling lagoons that date back to 1896. Originally used by the soda ash and salt purification industries in Middlewich, the land was used for settlement and storage of non-toxic process waste materials.

Tell us more about the build

In a bid to keep things local and in an effort to mitigate disruption for residents and minimise the works’ overall carbon footprint, the project plans, in part, to use excess soil from the construction of the local bypass.

The land will be regenerated with environmental impact front of mind. Circa 200,000m3 of restoration soils generated from developments in the local area, such as the Middlewich Bypass construction, will be used to ‘cap and restore’ the land, ensuring minimal disruption to local communities while reducing the overall carbon footprint of the project. Water collection system improvements are also planned to ensure that rain falling on the site does not come into contact with waste material. This improvement of the water discharge quality will also improve the long-term health of Sanderson’s Brook, with the aim of supporting the biodiversity of this watercourse.

Why are brownfield projects like this one important?

The restoration of the lagoons is a positive step in the preservation of dwindling biodiversity in the UK, which is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world*. The project is not only an opportunity to create a valuable environmental asset of regional importance, but also a chance for the public to access much of the site for the first time in over a century.

How will the local community be able to enjoy this space?

A set of circular footpaths will connect to existing local routes so local residents, walkers and dog walkers will be able to enjoy the restored site safely and without detriment to the valuable flora and fauna.

How does this project relate to legislation and Biodiversity Units?

We’re working with specialist partners Green Earth Developments (“GEDG”) to deliver this project, which is one of the first schemes to use the provisions of the Environment Act 2021 to deliver Biodiversity Units. These units can assist other developments in the area that now have to deliver a 10% net gain in terms of biodiversity as part of their planning permissions. In essence Biodiversity units from this scheme can be used to offset losses on other sites thus ensuring Cheshire East has an overall net gain.

Our Sustainability Manager at British Salt, Jennifer Haynes, said of the project: “Good stewardship of our legacy assets is a real focus for us and the opportunity to make a positive impact is really exciting. We really hope the approach for this project provides a route for others to follow, showing how industrial businesses can use what they already hold to make a significant environmental contribution.

“We plan to set up a local Liaison Committee to help steer the long-term management of the site ensuring that its place as a Middlewich community asset is assured for future generations.”

Sources

*State of Nature – Natural England, Pete Brotherton, 2023

Following the success of last year’s event, we are excited to announce that once again, we are sponsoring St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice’s Twilight Walk. The 10-kilometre torchlit walk through Delamere Forest will take place on the 23rd of March and aims to raise invaluable funds for the Hospice.

Last year, we were approached by a filming team to use the Carbon Capture Plant (CCU) as a backdrop for the filming of COBRA, a prime-time TV drama series starring Robert Carlyle and Victoria Hamilton. As a long-time supporter of St Luke’s Hospice, the team couldn’t resist the opportunity to use the filming as a way to raise funds for a good cause. The fee paid by the production company was used to cover all the costs relating to the Twilight Walk, meaning that every penny of the staggering £62,000 raised by the 850 participants could go directly towards helping families and patients cared for by the hospice.

This year, once again, thanks to an exciting filming project, we will be sponsoring the Walk for the second year in a row, as well as getting involved in the running of the event, with many staff members volunteering to help at the event village.

Phil Davies, General Counsel & Compliance Director, said: “St Luke’s were appointed our “Charity of the Year” some years ago, and after so many of our people came forward with their personal experiences of the incredible work that goes on in the hospice and how their own families were supported during difficult moments, it’s no surprise that the hospice has been our charity partner ever since. Having worked with the amazing team at St Luke’s for many years now on various events and challenges, from the National Three Peaks to the Sandstone Trail, sponsoring the Twilight Walk felt like a natural fit and after last year’s success we jumped at the chance to do it again this year and help raise all important funds!”

Andy Bailey, Corporate Partnerships Manager for St Luke’s adds: “We were delighted with the funds raised last year, which thanks to TCE’s sponsorship, meant that all funds raised could go to support local people and their families. We are thrilled to be working with the team at TCE once again and hope that we can beat last year’s incredible feat. It really is an unforgettable experience, combining the magic of twilight with the beauty of Delamere, as hundreds of supporters walk together for the hospice.”

The charity is close to the hearts of many of us here at TCE and this year, as well as sponsoring the event, we will be running a raffle for walkers to win various prizes.

For more information on the event or to take part, head to: https://slhospice.co.uk/event/twilight-walk-2024/

Pauline Yould, HR and Communications Manager, pictured with ‘Class of the Year’ winners

As long-time advocates of STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in our local communities, we leapt at the chance to be a part of the Northwich Guardian’s annual Education Awards, sponsoring the Class of the Year category.

What are the Northwich Guardian Education Awards?

In a nutshell, the awards recognise the outstanding achievements of pupils, students and education providers who have overcome the odds or battled adversity to succeed, have excelled in their studies or played an active role in their school or community. This year TCE were proud to sponsor the Class of the Year award, which is for a class or team that have carried out outstanding work in the community or have who excelled in their studies or on a special project.

And the winner is…

The panel were inundated with nominations and after much deliberation Weaverham High School were named Class of the Year. The team produce, host and record a podcast, The Weaverham Way, where they discuss everything from mental health and wellbeing to arts and culture. They also have a regular segment, Weaverham Worries, where pupils are invited to anonymously share issues that are affecting them. Not only was this a project that added immense value to the students of Weaverham High School, but the team also displayed many qualities that we highly value at TCE: effective teamwork, strong communication, innovative thinking and impressive growth, as well as creating a project that serves their community.

Pauline Yould, HR and Communications Manager said of the awards: “Supporting the next generation has always been a huge focus for us here at TCE. From building bath bombs using TCE ingredients with local primary schools to challenging college students to decarbonise their schools, working with young people is just another way for us to give back to our local community. As a business who recognise the importance of working as a team, sponsoring the Class of the Year award was just a natural fit for us.”

Congratulations to the Weaverham Way team – we look forward to seeing what you do next! For more information on the awards and all the winners read more here:

https://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/24061276.inspirational-winners-guardian-education-awards-2024/

This year is a big year for the Tata Chemicals Europe and British Salt family as it marks 150 years of chemical manufacturing in Northwich! Back in 1873 John Brunner and Ludwig Mond built Winnington Works in Northwich, and a year later the first soda ash was produced. We’re proud of our rich history, none of which would be possible without the amazing communities that grew up around our plants across West Cheshire.

To celebrate our 150 years and to thank the local communities that have been a key part of our history we have been busy behind the scenes on a really exciting project. We can finally announce that our Community Fund has now launched! The fund is our way of helping local communities beyond providing employment for people, products and services and is an opportunity for local community focused charities, educational bodies, not-for-profits and individuals to benefit from some financial support from TCE.

What exactly is the Community Fund?

Simply put, the Community Fund is our way of providing both financial support and hands-on help from TCE volunteers into local initiatives. Each organisation can apply for up to £500 to help fund community orientated projects, events or services.

Who can apply?

We are welcoming applications from the following:

• Registered charities
• Not-for-profits
• Educational bodies
• Organisations that support schools and colleges (especially in STEM)
• Individuals involved in raising funds for or in support of charitable or educational, environmental or societal benefit

Who can’t we help?

Sadly, we won’t be able to consider projects or work that has already taken place or applications from the excluded groups detailed in the schemes terms and conditions.

How can I apply?

Applying for funding couldn’t be simpler and you have until 31st January so get that application in!

Fill out this form and tell us all about you, what your organisation or initiative is all about and what you’re planning to use our funding for. Whether you’re prepping a fundraiser, planning a careers day or building a sensory garden we want to hear all about your project.

Fill in the form to apply: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=6R9AX5WO_keBSCd9hMXDuKDrabX6vf5Hna4OzAjzEI1URURMUkkwR1I3SVdCWjFUM1hFWlNURlRMNy4u

How often can I apply?

You can only apply for funding once a year. However, if you’re initiative or business isn’t chosen then feel free to apply again!

Who do I contact if I have any questions?

Hopefully we’ve covered off most of your questions but if you’ve still got some lingering make sure you check out our Community Fund hub. Still got questions? Contact Pauline Yould on pyould@tatachemicals.com

Last month, some of the team jetted off to Barcelona for the Convention on Pharmaceutical Ingredients (CPhI). The biggest event in the pharmaceutical industry felt like the prime location to announce British Salt’s latest innovation, Medi-Salt, as well as connecting with customers old and new. The team enjoyed the opportunity to network with industry leaders, understand their needs and discuss how and where our products could add value.

British Salt’s latest innovation: Medi-Salt

The exhibition was an opportunity for us to announce the latest innovation from British Salt. We’ve been supplying the global pharmaceutical sector with high purity sodium bicarbonate for decades and our latest product will do just that. Medi-Salt is a new and unique pharmaceutical salt that can be used in treatments that will improve the lives of millions of people across the world, including:

• Haemodialysis treatments
• Oral rehydration salts
• IV solutions
• Eye drops
• Personal care products

We are building the UK’s first pharmaceutical salt production plant right now and this state-of-the-art facility is set to produce 70,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical grade salt a year. From 2024 we will be able to supply EP/USP salt for use as an API or excipient. Medi-Salt is a more free flowing pharmaceutical salt which is easier to handle and process and will be available in a range of different size bags and FIBCs.

Our award-winning carbon capture and utilisation plant

During CPhI we were also pleased to receive an award from Accord Healthcare, the Supplier: Think Green, Act Green award, for our carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) plant. The plant, which opened back in 2021, was the first of its kind in the UK, and in the past two years has already achieved so much.

It was an honour to receive this award from Accord Healthcare who we have worked with now for a number of years and were one of our first pharmaceutical customers. Sales and Marketing Director Angus Vause accepted the award from director of procurement Tony Watson on the day:

“It was an honour to accept this award from Accord Healthcare and be recognised for our work on our own net zero journey. We greatly admire Accord’s work in promoting sustainable, UK-based suppliers and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”

Above: Sales & Marketing Director Angus Vause and Procurement Director at Accord Tony Watson

Charlotte King is a Weaverham schoolgirl on a mission. She’s fundraising for an expedition to Kenya in July of next year. During the four weeks she’ll be spending in Africa, she’ll be volunteering for projects that help local people. She has been doing all sorts to raise funds for the projects including making bath bombs using sodium bicarbonate donated by Tata Chemicals Europe (TCE).

We caught up with Charlotte to get the lowdown on her trip to Kenya.

Hi Charlotte! Tell us about your trip and what you’ll be doing while you’re out there.

Next year I’ll be heading out to Kenya with Camps International for four weeks. During that time, I’ll be helping to build schools, installing water tanks and fitting ethical elephant deterrents to protect local crops and reduce poaching.

Why did you want to do this trip?

I want to help local communities out in Kenya who don’t have access to basic amenities and immerse myself in a totally different culture and way of life. From my point of view, I see this trip as an opportunity to gain some confidence in my own abilities, develop my communication skills and gain some experience in leadership and problem-solving. I hope throwing myself into this once in a lifetime experience will help me to grow both personally and professionally.

What are you most excited to experience?

As well as my volunteering projects I’ll be visiting the Maasai tribe and the biggest game sanctuary in the world, Tsavo National Park, which is well known for large herds of elephants. I’m really excited to see all the different animals, landscapes and communities!

Tell us how you’ve been fundraising.

After learning that young girls in Kenya walk on average 6km a day just to get water as part of my fundraising for the trip I decided to run 6km every day in September. It was really tough to get up and do it every day but the thought that girls younger than me are doing this every day really inspired me and got me through such a tough mental challenge!

And you’re making bath bombs right?

I am! TCE have donated everything I need, including some bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate) and I have some lavender leftover from making lavender bags. Everyone loves a bath bomb, and they make the perfect Christmas presents! I’m really grateful to TCE for donating all the products I need to make bath bombs.

How much are you looking to raise in total?

I’ve got £4000 to raise and all the money raised goes towards the projects I’ll be helping on. The funds will support local communities, wildlife and the environment in Kenya.

We spotted you in the local paper – what was that like?

It was a bit strange seeing myself in the Northwich Guardian! But I’m grateful for the support and I think lots of people saw it which will hopefully mean more donations and more support for the projects in Kenya.

We asked John Foster, Sodium Bicarbonate Production Manager for TCE, why he felt it was important to support Charlotte’s expedition:

“When Charlotte contacted us to ask whether we could help with her fundraising we were more than happy to help. We have a personal connection with Kenya, as Tata acquired the former Magadi Soda Company in 2005, so it felt a natural fit. She explained that to raise funds for Kenya she had the idea of producing bath bombs and so we donated our product bicarbonate of soda. Charlotte has made an incredible start to her fundraising, and we look forward to following her amazing journey.”

If you’d like to make a donation to Charlotte’s expedition head to her Go Fund Me page here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/charlotte-king-kenya-expedition-2024