Seaham Hall's Green Policy and CSE

Our community

Take a look at our community-focused policies to find out more about how we support our local area and the people who live and work here.

Sustainability Policy

Here at Seaham Hall, we are continuously striving towards a sustainable future. Our efforts encompass reducing our carbon footprint, embracing eco-friendly practices, and supporting local communities. We are committed to seeking innovative solutions to minimize waste, conserve energy, and protect our natural surroundings and wildlife in our day-to-day operations. By fostering and implementing a culture of environmental responsibility, we aim to create a positive impact for ourselves and our guests.

Sustainability Policy - 2024

Around the Hotel

Here is what you can see in action:

  • We offer our guests the option to re-use rather than replace towels
  • Marlish canned water is supplied from a local business
  • All of our coffee pods are compostable
  • All of our brochures and promotional material are available online to save on print and paper, this includes our digital newspaper and magazine library
  • We support the Northumbrian Living Water Campaign
  • All our guest bedrooms are fitted with LED light bulbs to reduce our carbon footprint
  • Where possible correspondence with colleagues, guests and suppliers is done electronically
  • Guests and spa members can charge their electric vehicles at one of our four EV charging ports in our guest car park
  • The packaging of our Temple Spa toiletries are made from recycled plastic
  • As a business we have success with renewable energy, using a CHP unit and Voltage optimization to reduce our Carbon Footprint by producing our own electricity
  • We are working with a local business to ensure all of our used paper is shredded and recycled. We also operate an onsite cardboard bailer, helping to reduce our waste

Business Responsibility Awareness

What we’d like to share with you:

  • We run an active and energised CSR committee, both to drive our existing policies and to seek new initiatives
  • We encourage our guests to enjoy our 37 acres of fresh air and have bicycles and maps for them to use
  • We encourage guests to travel by train by promoting the fact we are located only 20 minutes from the City of Durham and just under 3 hours from London
  • We support ‘Global Wellness Day’ which is an annual awareness event that promotes the importance of healthy living to our colleagues, members and guests
  • Food Miles is a vital concept in the planning and purchasing of the hotel supplies: we ensure that what we buy comes from local and sustainable sources wherever possible
  • Our restaurants feature seasonal produce which reaches the hotel very fresh, having travelled a short distance
  • We forage seasonal ingredients from our grounds including; wild garlic, sorrel, pine, seabuck and gorse flowers
  • Our waste management initiatives are working towards completely off-setting our carbon emission by segregation of waste

Social Responsibilities

What we contribute to our community:

  • We are committed to employing candidates from the local area
  • We have a good working relationship with Sunderland College and New College Durham (Hartlepool College)
  • We are involved with several organisations to ensure our local community links are forged, including: Destination Seaham in partnership with Durham County Council, Sunderland Business Group, Durham Business Group, North East Chamber of Commerce, Visit County Durham, George Elmy Life Boat Museum, St Mary the Virgin Church, Seaham
  • We actively promote and support local companies including: Seaham Waves, Lickety Split, North East Karting, Beamish Museum, Durham Cathedral, Crook Hall and Gardens
  • We regularly distribute our ‘Calendar of Events’ in and around the Seaham area with offers for local residents, otherwise known as our ‘Friends of Seaham Hall’
  • We are committed to supporting local and national charities. Over the course of 2023 our team chose a number of charities that they wanted to donate to and support. We have had the pleasure of donating to the Great North Air Ambulance, Daft as a brush and Macmillan coffee morning for which we raised over £6,000.

Commited to improving our Social & Environmental impact

Wildflower Cultivation

At Seaham Hall, we are deeply committed to enhancing the natural beauty that surrounds our historic estate. One of our key initiatives is the cultivation of wildflower patches across our grounds, which offer numerous ecological, aesthetic, and community benefits.

These areas support local biodiversity by providing habitats for pollinators including honey bees and butterflies, as well as small mammals such as seed-eating birds. They are also environmentally sustainable, requiring less water and maintenance, encompassing and aiding our overall goal to reduce our carbon footprint. 

Beyond their ecological value, our wildflower patches create a vibrant and tranquil setting for our guests, promoting relaxation within our grounds. They also serve as a valuable educational resource, inspiring deeper connections with nature.

We believe that nurturing our natural environment is not an obligation, but a privilege. We invite you to explore and enjoy the wildflower patches during your spring/summer stays and experience firsthand the benefits they bring to our cherished landscape.