As a not-for-profit registered charity that has 12 leisure centres across West Suffolk and Babergh, Abbeycroft continues to advance its sustainability journey through a combination of energy efficiency projects, staff engagement initiatives and behaviour change programmes.
A year ago, we spoke with Abbeycroft’s Environmental Manager about how sustainability had become an integral part of the organisation’s customer-focused operations.
Now, we’re catching up with Tyler Coulson, Environmental Manager, to discuss Abbeycroft’s latest carbon reduction projects, the role of staff engagement in driving change, and how collaboration is helping the organisation make lasting environmental progress.
TEAM: What has changed at Abbeycroft over the last year?
Tyler Coulson: The last year has been incredibly busy for us. A lot of our focus has been on reducing consumption across our sites, particularly within our swimming pools, which are our most energy-intensive facilities.
One of the projects we’re currently progressing is the installation of destratification fans at our Newmarket centre. These help maintain comfortable temperatures in pool halls while reducing the energy needed for heating. We’re also continuing to explore technologies that help us optimise pool operations and improve efficiency across our wet sites.
A major milestone has been our decarbonisation project at Bury St Edmunds, where air source heat pumps have now been installed. Once that project is completed, we’ll begin rolling out a similar installation at Haverhill. By next year, both centres should be operating without gas, representing a significant step forward in reducing emissions.
Alongside energy initiatives, we’re also looking closely at waste reduction. We’ve introduced refillable water stations to reduce single-use plastics, are working with catering partners to remove disposable items where possible, and have launched a partnership with Leisure Loop, which recycles end-of-life swimming equipment into construction materials and leisure facility products.
TEAM: Have any unexpected benefits come from these initiatives?
Tyler: One of the biggest surprises has been the impact on staff engagement and behaviour.
The air source heat pump project, for example, is about much more than reducing emissions. It will automate many of the day-to-day monitoring tasks that previously took up staff time, helping to reduce operational pressures while maintaining efficiency across the building.
It’s also provided a fantastic opportunity for education. We run carbon literacy training across the organisation, and having visible projects that people can see and relate to makes the sustainability conversation much more tangible. Staff can see the investment being made and understand how it contributes to carbon reduction.
What started as a programme focused on reducing energy consumption has evolved into something much broader. We’ve seen genuine behavioural change, with colleagues becoming more interested in sustainability and taking a far more active role in helping us achieve our environmental goals.
TEAM: How important is funding in delivering energy efficiency projects?
Tyler: Funding plays a huge role. As a not-for-profit organisation managing leisure centres on behalf of our local authority partners, many of these large-scale projects simply wouldn’t be possible without that close partnership and the funding and support it brings.
We’ve been fortunate to receive significant support from both West Suffolk Council and Babergh District Council, and that support goes well beyond funding. It’s built on a strong, ongoing relationship — their environmental teams work closely with us to identify opportunities, offer guidance and expertise, and help us make informed decisions about how to invest funding.
Our projects require substantial upfront investment, but the long-term benefits are significant. Reduced energy costs help us manage operational spending while enabling us to continue delivering valued services to our local communities.
TEAM: How has behaviour change encouraged colleagues to make more sustainable decisions?
Tyler: Behaviour change has probably been one of the most rewarding aspects of our sustainability journey.
We’ve established environmental champions across our centres, giving colleagues a platform to identify opportunities and influence change within their own teams. These champions play a vital role in raising awareness, challenging established ways of working and encouraging more sustainable behaviours.
The impact extends well beyond energy management. Colleagues are taking part in carbon literacy training, supporting initiatives such as Cycle to Work schemes, exploring lower-carbon travel options and helping to reduce paper usage through digital processes. We’re also seeing departments working together much more closely when it comes to understanding energy consumption and identifying opportunities for improvement.
What’s particularly encouraging is that sustainability is becoming part of everyday conversations. Rather than relying on a small group of people driving change, we’re seeing environmental thinking embedded across the organisation.
TEAM: What are Abbeycroft’s future plans for reducing carbon emissions?
Tyler: Behaviour change will continue to be a major focus, but we’re also looking at how we can strengthen collaboration and learn from others.
We’re investing more time in networking with organisations that are already leading the way in sustainability, both within and outside the leisure sector. There’s a huge amount we can learn from other organisations’ successes and challenges, and those insights can help us move forward more effectively.
We’ll continue exploring new technologies, improving the quality of the data we collect and identifying further opportunities to optimise our buildings and operations. Better information helps us make better decisions, and that’s crucial as we continue to develop our carbon reduction strategy.
We’re also keen to increase our community outreach. Sustainability isn’t something that happens behind closed doors. By sharing what we’re doing and engaging more openly with the communities we serve, we hope to inspire others while building new partnerships that can help accelerate progress.
Ultimately, our goal is to create a culture where sustainability becomes part of everything we do, supported by informed people, strong partnerships and a willingness to keep learning.
Did you find this interesting? Read our first Customer Spotlight interview with Abbeycroft.