Meet Nichola - the new Customer Sustainability Group Lead.

I’m delighted to be part of the new Sustainability Group here at SNG. A space where residents and SNG can come together to take meaningful action for people, places, and the planet. As a proud member of the Customer Influence Panel, I see this group as a vital step forward, a chance for our communities to shape what sustainability really looks like, from the ground up.

My passion for the natural world has been a constant thread throughout my life. I grew up in an eco-conscious family, with a deep respect for nature woven into everything we did. My mum was a florist who filled our lives with plants, and I was lucky enough to be surrounded by the beauty and complexity of the natural world from an early age. As children, we joined Greenpeace action days, standing up for the environment, and learning that we all have a role to play in protecting it.

That early connection has grown into a lifelong commitment. I now grow organic food in my allotment, cycle my bike wherever I can, upcycle clothes and furniture, and have proudly been plant based for nearly two decades. I help to create London’s first Miyawaki mini urban forest, bringing a patch of rich biodiversity into an urban setting and showing what's possible even in the heart of a city. I also volunteer weekly for a food waste organisation, helping divert surplus food from landfill to people who need it, because sustainability must be about social justice as well as environmental action.

Over the years, I’ve led bee-saving projects, supported local biodiversity schemes, and raised funds for schools to create forest learning spaces. Encouraging children to engage with nature, not just through play but through curiosity, wonder, and responsibility. I’ve also helped raise money for both people and wildlife in Tanzania, because I believe our care for the planet must extend beyond our borders and into global solidarity.

Sustainability, to me, is about more than green choices. It’s about fairness, future generations, and creating communities where people feel empowered to live well without costing the Earth. I spend much of my free time reading, researching, and learning about innovative approaches to sustainable living, and I’m particularly passionate about rewilding, biodiversity, and making sustainability accessible to all.

The Sustainability Group isn’t just about ideas, it’s about action. It's about residents leading the way, supported by SNG, to build greener homes, stronger communities, and a shared future we can be proud of. I believe that small steps, when taken together, lead to real change. And I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve, side by side.

Find out more about the Sustainability Group and how you can get involved here.