Preserving and planting trees, Environmental issues Sustainable and alternative energy, Training disadvantaged people, Keeping staff aware of water shortages and electricity.
 
We would very much like to implement an alternative energy source over the coming year by means of solar power. We have a water tank which is used to water the garden and fill our kettles, etc. We have a compost heap for all our wasted leftover food and give bread to some of the homeless shelters and people in our area. We are fanatical about trees and are trying to plant indiginous trees in and around our surrounding area and in our property grounds. We are intensely aware of the poverty in our region and have a strong calling to help abused children. Our guesthouse is a heritage site as it is more than 100 years old and is also a lovely old building which has been restored and maintained to its former glory.
 
The guesthouse carries a part of history in Port Elizabeth, the mayor in 1940 bought the building for his daughter Dr Ray Schauder, who altruistically opened it as a home for unmarried mothers in the 60's. After she died, it was declared a memorial home to her. Adolf Schauder had a location in PE named after him for all his good work called Schauderville and it has been keeping that name up to now. We could do more and are busy researching the costs of installing further water tanks, pumps and solar energy sources. Buckingham Place has installed a rain water tank and run a successful compost heap and has planted and preserved several very old trees in our area and garden. We have restored and maintained our 100 year old main building (built in 1908) which is a heritage site today.
 
We regularly attend teas for charity and donate money to children causes or people we have heard are in dire straits via the media. We could and would like to do more in 2010 as we do have a social conscience and are extremely environmentally aware and concerned about the energy crises worldwide and especially in South Africa. We have demonstrated against the ghastly aluminum smelter that was proposed for Port Elizabeth last year. We would like to do more in 2010 by educating people in and around Port Elizabeth about the importance of looking after our natural environment.