How the Supply Chain Sustainability School is helping us strengthen our sustainability approach

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important part of the construction industry, with businesses under growing pressure to reduce environmental impacts, deliver social value and demonstrate responsible business practices.

While we already have a strong set of policies and procedures in place at Sheriff Construction, there is always more to learn and opportunities to improve. That is why we became a member of the Supply Chain Sustainability School. We have already achieved Bronze level membership and are currently working towards Silver. Read on to find out more about the School and how it is helping us strengthen our approach to sustainability across the business.

What is the Supply Chain Sustainability School?

The Supply Chain Sustainability School is an industry-wide learning platform designed to help businesses improve their sustainability knowledge and performance.

Supported by many of the UK’s leading contractors, clients and industry bodies, the School provides training, resources and practical guidance across a wide range of topics relevant to construction and the built environment. These include environmental management, carbon reduction, sustainable procurement, ethics, social value, modern slavery and responsible business practices.

The School’s membership framework encourages organisations to continually develop their understanding and demonstrate progress through Bronze, Silver and Gold membership levels.

Why we joined

At Sheriff Construction, we see sustainability as an ongoing journey rather than a destination. Joining the Supply Chain Sustainability School gives our team access to high-quality training and resources that help us build on the foundations already in place across our organisation.

We currently have colleagues undertaking training through the School, alongside an in-house sustainability champion who is working through a range of specialist sustainability modules.

Importantly, the learning does not stop with the individual. Following each training course, we share key insights across the business and identify practical actions that could help us strengthen our approach – allowing us to turn knowledge into meaningful improvements.

Turning learning into action

One of the most valuable aspects of the School has been the opportunity to translate learning into real-world actions.

For example, following water sustainability training, we developed a number of initiatives to help raise awareness across our company. This included publishing a blog on our website, sharing a short video for social media, producing posters for our office and site teams and delivering a toolbox talk for our sites teams.

We have also been applying learning from sustainability strategy training. This has involved benchmarking our current approach, identifying the key drivers behind our sustainability objectives and prioritising the areas where we believe we can make the greatest positive impact. We are currently using these findings to help shape a revision of our sustainability strategy and are also exploring opportunities to improve carbon literacy across the business.

In addition, the training has helped us identify further opportunities around sustainable procurement, ethical business practices and carbon reduction. These areas now form part of our ongoing action plan as we continue to review and enhance our approach.

Building for the future

Achieving Bronze membership is an important milestone, but for us the real value lies in what we do with the learning.

The Supply Chain Sustainability School is helping us upskill our team, strengthen existing policies and identify practical improvements that can be embedded throughout the business.

As we continue working towards Silver membership, our focus remains on turning knowledge into action and ensuring sustainability remains an active part of how we operate rather than simply a box-ticking exercise.

What are your thoughts?

Have you used the Supply Chain Sustainability School or introduced sustainability initiatives within your organisation? We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences – join the conversation with us on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

30.06.2026

Feature image: Magnific

Sheriff becomes a Bronze sponsor of Love Luton

At Sheriff Construction, we have always been proud of our roots in Luton. From starting out as a small family business in 2005 to becoming part of the wider Sheriff group of companies we know today, our journey has been closely connected to the town we call home.

That is why we are delighted to announce that, from June 2026, Sheriff Construction has become a Bronze sponsor of the Love Luton initiative. Keep reading to find out more about the campaign, why we have chosen to get involved and what it means for our business and the local community.

Construction worker sitting on public transport with his hard hat pulled over his face and shoulders slumped, indicating tiredness and possible stress

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16 June 2026

Could a new industry code improve mental health in construction?

Construction can be a highly rewarding industry to work in, but it can also be demanding. Tight deadlines, long hours, financial pressures and the responsibility of delivering projects safely and efficiently can all take their toll on people’s wellbeing.

While there has been growing awareness of mental health in recent years, many within the industry believe more needs to be done to address the factors that contribute to poor mental health in the first place. That is the thinking behind a newly published Mental Health Joint Code of Practice so read on to find out more about this initiative and what it could mean for the future of mental health in construction.

Row of houses at an almost complete stage but still with some building works taking place.

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9 June 2026

The hidden cost affecting SME housebuilders

When discussing the challenges facing the housebuilding sector, conversations often focus on planning delays, rising material costs, labour shortages and access to land. However, a recent report has highlighted another issue that many people may be less familiar with – council tax charges on newly built homes that remain unoccupied and unsold.

The issue is attracting growing attention across the industry, with concerns that it is creating additional financial pressure for SME housebuilders at a time when housing delivery is already facing a range of social and economic constraints. Find out more about the issue and what changes are being proposed in our latest blog.

Eight members of Sheriff Construction staff standing outside the office in high vis jackets with bags of litter in front of them

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5 June 2026

Sheriff team marks World Environment Day and Volunteers’ Week with a litter pick

On Friday 5th June, colleagues from Sheriff Construction came together to take part in a volunteer litter picking initiative around our office, nearby streets and local green spaces as part of the ‘Keep Britain Tidy Litter Heroes’ campaign.

The activity took place on World Environment Day and during Volunteers’ Week 2026, providing a fantastic opportunity for our team to make a positive difference within the local community while supporting wider environmental initiatives. Keep reading to find out more about the team’s work.

Construction worker on site wearing full PPE and using water for a dust suppression task

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2 June 2026

Why water sustainability matters in construction

Although water availability is often taken for granted in the UK, it is in fact a finite resource and global pressures linked to climate change, population growth, pollution and increasing demand on infrastructure are placing greater strain on water resources worldwide.

Construction activity can also contribute to unnecessary water consumption and environmental harm if not managed responsibly. In the approach to World Environment Day on 5th June, why not read our blog to learn more about why this issue matters to our industry and some practical measures you can take to better manage your water use.

Development site featuring several blocks of apartments with the London skyline in the background

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27 May 2026

Did you know? Sheriff’s story is bigger than you may think

Many people know the Sheriff name for our expertise in delivering roofing, waterproofing and brickwork contracts across London and the South East of England but did you know our business has grown into a wider group of specialist companies over the last 20 years?

From our early beginnings as a family-run brickwork company back in 2005, we’ve evolved into Sheriff Construction (roofing), Sheriff Brickworks (masonry), Crestview Homes (property development) and McLains (estate agency/ property services). Keep reading to learn more about each of these businesses and how our journey continues to evolve.

Construction manager in a high vis vest, sitting at an office desk looking over some paperwork and using a calculator

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19 May 2026

The Small Business Protections Bill – what the proposed changes could mean for construction

Late payment has long been a major issue across the construction industry – particularly for small and medium-sized businesses and subcontractors – often creating significant pressure on cash flow and overall financial stability.

That is why the government’s proposed Small Business Protections Bill is attracting significant attention across the sector. The Bill, which entered Parliament today (19th May), is being described as the biggest crackdown on late payments in more than 25 years. Keep reading this week’s blog to find out more about what the proposed changes involve and what this means for construction and the wider economy.

Two construction workers on a site, facing away from the camera with arms around each other - representing a supportive, caring moment

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12 May 2026

Taking action for Mental Health Awareness Week

With 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem every year and 1 in 6 working-age adults experiencing symptoms associated with mental ill health, increasing awareness of this issue and taking action to address it couldn’t be more important.

That’s why this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is themed ‘Take Action – for yourself, for others and for all of us’. Keep reading this week’s blog to find out more about the campaign and what we’re doing at Sheriff this week and beyond.