Wyboston Lakes Resort has launched Room2Give, its latest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiative that will not only reduce consumption but also enable the Resort and its guests to support local community organisations.
Guests staying at the venue’s Woodlands Event Centre or Willows Training Centre for more than one night will be able to choose which of three local charities to support by opting out of room cleaning. Every time a guest opts out, a donation is made to the Room2Give fund. Guests actively choose which charity their contribution supports by hanging the corresponding door hanger.
Each room will have four door hangers:
- One for The Pavement Project, Bedford, advocating for the homeless and those in need. Providing essential food, clothing and toiletries, positive interaction and platforms for personal growth and educational development.
- One for Samuel Pepys School, St Neots, a special educational needs (SEN) school that offers vital support and resources to children with learning disabilities.
- One for Woodgreen Pets Charity, Godmanchester, which rehabilitates and rehomes dogs, cats and small pets, and provides hands-on support for pets in homes.
- One for a “Spruce Up” (cleaning service).
If no hanger is displayed, the “charity of the month” will automatically receive the donation. Each week, the featured charity rotates to ensure balanced exposure.
Louisa Watson, Marketing Director & Sustainability Lead at Wyboston Lakes Resort, explains, “In developing Room2Give, we wanted to deepen our commitment to ESG responsibility while making a meaningful difference in our local communities. The scheme reflects our core values of community engagement and social responsibility, strengthening ties with the areas in which we operate.
“In choosing projects for Room2Give funding, we looked for those that directly benefit the communities surrounding our operations, and focus on youth and education, homelessness, or animal welfare.
“Room2Give empowers our guests to support local communities actively. By choosing a cause that resonates with them, they become part of a meaningful initiative that supports positive change.”
Zarita Westmore, Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships at Woodgreen Pets Charity, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Wyboston Lakes Resort on this initiative. Their support will enable us to rehabilitate and rehome the many dogs, cats and small animals that come through our doors, and help keep more pets in their loving homes through our hands-on advice and guidance.”
Room2Grow success
The new scheme is set to build on the phenomenal success of the venue’s Room2Grow initiative. Whenever a guest staying more than one night opted not to have their room cleaned, the Resort committed to planting a tree in its 380 acres of grounds. After just 30 months, the Resort team is in the process of planting more than 60,000 trees.
Simon McMahon, Operations Director at Wyboston Lakes Resort, adds, “The success of Room2Grow has been an inspiring journey for our team and our guests. It demonstrated how operational changes can lead to a significant environmental impact, planting tens of thousands of trees that will benefit the ecosystem for years to come. As we now transition to Room2Give, I’m excited to see how this new initiative will foster even deeper connections between our operations, our guests, and the local community. It’s a wonderful way to build on what we’ve achieved, and I’m proud of the team for continually driving sustainability forward.”
Wyboston Lakes Resort is totally committed to its philosophy of being ‘More Sustainable, No Apology.’ Reflecting this, it has been independently accredited and earned gold status from the Green Tourism Awards, EcoSmart Platinum Venue Award from Greengage Solutions and IACC, the highest level of accreditation.
As its most recent initiative, more than 3,200 solar panels were installed across the site in 2024 as part of its Green Energy Roadmap to make the site increasingly self-sufficient with green energy.
Simon McMahon concludes, “We’re always looking for new ways to reduce the impact on our planet and together with our guests, through Room2Give we will be making a difference—one room at a time.”
