Register to attend

You can register to attend our AGM and Members’ Meet-up 2019 via our dedicated Eventbrite registration page.

Click here to register now.

Registration is open to all members and non-members who are interested in finding out more about Ecology Building Society.

Please register by 5.00 pm on Thursday 18 April 2019 (for catering purposes). We will contact you to confirm your place – if you have not heard from us by Thursday 25 April 2019 or are unable to register online please contact us on 01535 650 770.

Please note: we will be taking photographs and filming the day for use on our website and in materials such as our newsletter. By attending this event you are giving your consent for us to film and take your photograph unless you tell us that you object to this.

How to get here

You’ll find details of our office address and location here.

By bike

We have some space available for  bicycle parking. You can take your bike free-of-charge on trains in West Yorkshire (restrictions may apply).

By rail

We will be offering a complimentary taxi shuttle service to and from Steeton & Silsden railway station. Please let us know if you require this when you register to attend the AGM.

By bus

The Ecology office is approximately a three-minute walk from the Belton Road stop on Keighley Road (serves bus services 62 and 903).

By car

There are a limited number of car parking spaces available. Drivers may also be able to park for free on the road adjacent to our office (Belton road). If doing so, please park with consideration for our neighbours. If you’re using a satnav, the destination postcode is BD20 0EE.

About our eco-build office

This year’s AGM and members’ Meet-up will take place at our eco-build office in Silsden, West Yorkshire.

The building has a living roof, high levels of insulation and low energy requirements. Photovoltaic panels generate electricity from the sun, windows are double-glazed and filled with argon to improve heat retention, and a heat exchanger and high-efficiency condensing boiler maintain a comfortable temperature.

Wherever possible, materials used in the building are from renewable sources, recycled or low toxicity. Our sedum nature roof provides a habitat for insects and birds, and a rainwater harvesting system supplies the water for our toilets and for the plants on the roof.

The gardens around the building have been designed to minimise environmental impact, increase biological diversity and remain low maintenance.

We’re close to many of the region’s attractions in Bradford, Leeds, Skipton and Harrogate, as well as the Yorkshire Dales National Park. You can find out more about the area on the official Welcome to Yorkshire site.

Wifi is available for visitors.

Voting

It’s very important to us that as many members as possible take up their opportunity to vote – it’s what makes us a democratic Society. All eligible members will have received an AGM voting pack including information about our AGM resolutions, via post or email, by early April, along with our Annual Review and Directors’ election statements.

This year’s voting will be administered by Electoral Reform Services (ERS), the UK’s leading provider of independent election services.

Voting online is the greenest and easiest way to have your say. Simply visit ersvotes.com/ecology19 and enter your two-part login code as shown on your voting form or email.

We’ll donate 50p to international development charity Trees for Cities for every member who votes online (20p for those voting by post). We’ll also donate £1 to Trees for Cities for every member who signs up to receive future voting packs by email.

Please ensure we receive your vote by 5.00 pm on Wednesday 24 April 2019.

 

Schedule

09.15Registration and refreshments
Meet your fellow members
09.30Building societies for beginners
Optional session giving an introduction to the building society model and the workings of an AGM
10.15Annual General Meeting including Ask the Directors
11.30Putting people, planet and prosperity at the heart of the business
Introduction to the triple bottom line approach and Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV)
Dr. Adriana Kocornik-Mina, Senior Manager, GABV
12.00Putting the planet first
Gareth Redmond-King, Head of Climate Change, WWF
Marianne Heaslip, Architect and Associate Principal, Urbed
John Alker, Director of Policy and Places, UKGBC
13.00Lunch (vegetarian, complimentary)
Our catering provider is Shine Collective, a Leeds-based social enterprise which supports
people with convictions and invests its profits into projects that make a positive impact in
the local community
14.00Putting people first
Summuya Khader, Ecology borrower and Board member of Granby 4 Streets CLT, Liverpool
Rose Seagrief, Programmes Manager, Power to Change
Emily Auckland, Network Director and Co-chair, UKSSD
15.00Break
15.15Let's talk about carbon
Interactive group session using the Carbon Conversations approach to help members understand how they can reduce their carbon footprint
Jan Maskell, Facilitator, Carbon Conversations
16.15Closing comments
Paul Ellis, Chief Executive
16.30Close

Does Ecology receive money when someone signs up to the Carbon Club?

No, Ecology receives no financial payment through the Carbon Club. Our ambition for the Carbon Club is to enable all of our members to understand more about their carbon footprint, to offset their emissions and to support the creation of biodiverse woodland across the UK.