Mason Hardy's Kevin Schofield was presented with a prestigious CSR and Sustainability Award on Friday 4th March 2011 for his work with the Solutions for the Planet (S4TP) programme in Yorkshire.

Accepting the award from the Rt Honourable Hilary Benn MP Kevin commented, ‘I've been working with the S4TP team for around a year now and I'm very proud to be associated with this ground breaking programme and group of people. S4TP works to create strong partnerships between young people, businesses and communities and these partnerships aim to create sustainable BIG IDEAS that will benefit our society, economy and environment'

Around 400 young people gathered for the Big Ideas event on 4th March at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Supported by a dedicated group of experts in energy, community, transport, finance and business; teams of young people developed their unique ideas building networks of support, focused presentations and sustainable business plans. ‘The really compelling part of this programme is its belief in the power of young people's ability and their innovation' says Kevin, ‘they don't know that it can't be done and their creative minds are incredibly inspiring as well as a source of great optimism for the future. The programme also brings great rewards for business, as the employees who get the chance to work with the programme are exposed to creative thinking and problem solving from a unique angle, making them positively question the ‘business as usual' approach in their workplace.'

Mason Hardy supports the S4TP programme on a pro bono basis in line with its fundamental commitment to create sustainable outcomes, and has helped S4TP to align its objectives with the sustainability strategies of local businesses, as well as helping it to access wider business networks in Yorkshire including the IoD. ‘I'm particularly proud of this award' says Kevin, ‘to be recognised in such a way by a team of people for whom I have such enormous respect is a great honour'

More information on the S4TP programme can be seen at http://solutionsfortheplanet.co.uk

Mason Hardy is an innovative management consultancy that delivers sustainable outcomes and joins up the space between strategy, implementation, engagement and technical knowledge. Our mix of skills mean we are at our best when dealing with the complex issues that link sustainability, corporate responsibility, carbon and climate change to business performance. By focusing on material issues and delivering effective change, we save our clients both time and money and help better position them for the future.