We’re proud to share that Red Lester Recruitment Ltd has been shortlisted for not one, but two categories at the 2025 BESA Awards:
- Sustainability and Net Zero Award
- Team of the Year
These nominations reflect our values as a company – one that champions ethical recruitment, environmental responsibility and strong community partnerships in the education sector.
Recognising Our Sustainability Commitment
Being named a finalist for the Sustainability and Net Zero Award is a significant milestone for us. This category recognises organisations making measurable progress toward reducing their environmental impact and helping the education industry go green – and we’re proud to say we’re doing just that.
In 2024, we took a bold step towards carbon neutrality. As an international education recruitment agency, we know that air and sea travel are unavoidable aspects of our work. But we didn’t want that to stop us from doing our part.
We secured a grant from Portsmouth City Council and partnered with Beyond Procurement Ltd to conduct a full emissions analysis. Armed with that data, we implemented strategies to reduce our carbon footprint – and partnered with Carma Earth to offset what we can’t yet eliminate.
Our “Trees for Teachers” Initiative
In summer 2024, we launched our Trees for Teachers initiative – a sustainability programme designed to offset the carbon emissions of international teacher placements.
Here’s how it works:
- Every time a Red Lester teacher starts a new role abroad, we plant a tree in their honour – and in the school’s.
- These trees are planted globally and locally, supporting biodiversity and reforestation efforts from the UK to Madagascar.
- Many of our UK-based trees are planted by military veterans, providing meaningful employment and community reintegration opportunities.
- Each tree planted offsets 0.7 tCO₂e – enough to cover a teacher’s travel emissions.
But we didn’t stop there. We also committed to planting an additional 100 trees every month to continue offsetting the ongoing travel of our teachers – whether they’re returning home during holidays or travelling during the school year.
So far, we’ve planted 1,264 trees globally, removing over 411 tonnes of CO₂e – well beyond our original emissions baseline of 31 tonnes.
Explore our live sustainability dashboard and learn more about the initiative here: https://redlester.co.uk/about/#enviromental
Engaging Our Community
We’re not just planting trees – we’re sparking conversations and fostering collective action.
Our sustainability campaign reaches stakeholders through:
- E-marketing campaigns
- Regular newsletter updates
- A dedicated section of our website
- Event marketing materials
- Live infographics and progress dashboards
This ongoing engagement reminds our community, schools and teachers alike, that simply working with Red Lester helps reduce carbon emissions.
Celebrating Our People
This award recognises teams of all sizes that have displayed remarkable teamwork and collaboration.
Being shortlisted for Team of the Year is a special honour for us as we pride ourselves on building strong relationships and collaborative working, with both our schools and teachers. Our dedicated team form the backbone of everything we do and this nomination recognises their hard work, innovation and unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service.
The 2025 BESA Awards & Forum will take place on 10 July 2025 at The HAC in London, where winners across all categories will be revealed. We’re looking forward to attending the event, connecting with other industry leaders and celebrating the innovation and excellence that drives our sector forward.
