A community centre near Ipswich is showing the way forward in going green.

The Coddenham Centre is replacing its oil-fired heating with air-source heat pumps and improved insulation.

Now it has been presented with its first award, a Bronze Charter, under the Suffolk Carbon Charter, which provides support and recognition to organisations adopting carbon reduction measures.

The centre has received help from Viridor Credits and Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils' community grants to replace its heating and save carbon.

More than 100 metres of new hedging and trees will be planted in the autumn, working with Mid Suffolk’s Biodiversity Team and Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

And the centre plans to establish vehicle recharging points as part of the ‘Plug In Suffolk’ scheme.

Coddenham Centre chairman Andrew MacPherson said; ‘Hopefully, adopting our Suffolk Carbon Charter demonstrates we are making room for environmental awareness in everything we do, whatever the challenges."

Suffolk County Council deputy leader Richard Rout said: “Suffolk County Council has set an ambitious target in response to the climate emergency of achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2030.

"We want to work with all organisations in Suffolk to ensure we achieve our goal, and I warmly congratulate the Coddenham Centre on their commitment to being more sustainable, and the achievement of gaining a Carbon Charter accreditation”.