At The Jockey Club Rooms, we care passionately about our environment and advocate the use of environmentally responsible practices in our everyday.
Sustainability is a priority across Jockey Club Estates of which the Jockey Club Rooms is a part of. The wider Jockey Club Estates Limited includes the Estate management of 4500 acres at Newmarket and 550 acres at Lambourn, in addition it is responsible for the management of the training grounds at Epsom. The portfolio also includes over 90 properties in the town of Newmarket.
This policy outlines our commitment in protecting our environment for future generations and enhancing the environment wherever possible, specifically at The Jockey Club Rooms.
The Jockey Club Rooms founded in 1750 has stood on the 101 High Street, Newmarket and is a listed historic building, seen by many as the spiritual home of British Horse racing.
We especially recognise the need to preserve our environment of the Club as current custodians and the impact we have on our local ecosystem as well as the local community.
Beyond this we recognise that our activities have an environmental impact and form part of the global tourism industry and acknowledge the need to implement long term sustainable management practices throughout our business to actively reduce the impact of the hospitality industry on a local, national, and global level.
Our Environmental Policy has the full support of all our team and stakeholders, and we are committed to:
- Environmental legislation, with a commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.
- Using Green energy providers where possible for our electricity and gas whilst still monitoring our usage of these resources with the view to reduce our year-on-year usage.
- Powering the heating and hot water at the Club since 2013 by the use of our Biomass heater with wood collected through sustainable management of woodland on the Estate as well as surrounding properties by our forestry team.
- Removing the use of harmful chemicals within daily operations included but not limited to chemical cleaning products and pesticides used on our grounds.
- Measuring and manage the consumption, waste and resources used by the Club with a view to reduce environmentally damaging practices including the removal of single use plastics, the promotions of recycling in the building and sending zero waste to landfill.
- Working with companies which share our commitment to green and ethical procurement policies.
- Committing to preserving biodiversity in and around the private grounds of the Club as well as the local community.
- Using seasonal and local produce where possible in all our menu to limit food miles and working with independent suppliers and companies.
- Encouraging our guests staying to also be part of our green practices whilst staying with us, with the use of refillable bathroom products opposed to single use toiletries, in our bedrooms and reuse towel policy.
And offering our event business to offset their events with Tree-V.
Social Commitments ~ Our Team
As a company we know none of what we achieve would be possible without our passionate team and they form our greatest asset. Our commitment to them is to not only uphold the Equality Act 2010, Modern Slavery Act 2015 but to also ensure they have a safe and secure working environment.
Supporting all of our team’s needs, and offering them that all important work life balance. As a company we support flexible working initiatives an also provide the following benefits to our team as standard as a thank-you for being part of our team, Health Shield, an online platform with money back on everyday health expenses as well as money off offers for Highstreet chains, complimentary tickets to racing at any of the Jockey Club Race days, Celebration of service awards and access to all services offered by Racing Welfare.
As a company we also offer initiatives to help our team travel to work in a greener way including a bike to work scheme and assistance with finance to purchase an electric car.
Social Commitments ~ The Newmarket Community
Being a part of an Estate with such a large stake hold in the town of Newmarket, we understand our responsibility to the Town and the engagement with the local community.
As part of this positive relationship the Rooms throughout the year takes part in a number of local community events and schemes including
- Cooking as part of community outreach programs
- Hosting the Community Awards, the town’s Food Festival, and taking part in the Henry Cecil open weekend
- Donating furniture following refurbishment to the local open doors program
- Having a charity committee who’s role is to bring the wider team together to participate on charity events and drives e.g. shoe box appeal, sleeping bags for the homeless and Christmas gifts for children in hospital over Christmas as well as donating prizes for local charity events
As part of our account ability, we have partnered with Greenage to ensure that we meet and exceed industry standards partaking in their accreditation programme and following their expert advice to continue our sustainability journey.
