Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Statement

We know that being a responsible organisation is about understanding how what we do affects society and making sure that our impact is positive. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) statement explains how we put this into practice in terms of how we treat the environment, our employees, the community, and the companies we work with.

We value the environment

We are committed to reducing our direct environmental impact and continually improving our environmental performance. We will do this by actively managing our waste, emissions, and consumption of natural resources through our policies and operating methods. We also encourage our stakeholders to take similar actions.

We value our employees

We are a fair and equal organisation. We believe everyone should have the same chances, no matter what. We want our workplace to be welcoming and respectful to all. We care about our employees' health and education. We listen to what they have to say. We help our team members learn and grow. We want everyone to be able to build the career they want.

We have been accredited as a Living Wage employer. The Real Living Wage is an amount that exceeds the statutory National Living Wage. Achieving accreditation as a Living Wage employer is recognition that we are committed to paying employees a wage that meets the cost of living. Our support of the Real Living Wage shows our dedication to fair pay and valuing our employees.

We value community

We are dedicated to building strong relationships with the broader community, including national and local organisations. Many of our main initiatives focus on community, consumer needs, and inclusion. We also actively support local businesses and charities.

We value our suppliers

Our suppliers play a vital role in the delivery of our services. We are dedicated to making sure our suppliers act ethically and meet the high standards we set. We strive to build partnerships based on mutual trust and shared responsibility.

We think it's important to pay people a wage that's high enough to live on. We want the companies we work with to agree to pay at least this much too. We believe this is the right thing to do. It also fits with our goal of helping consumers by supporting a campaign that improves people's lives.

Our CSR Statement in practice - some examples

• The people who own the buildings where we have offices in North Yorkshire care about projects that make neighbourhoods better.
• We work to create a supportive environment through our actions and policies. We allow flexible arrangements like working from home, part-time roles, and adjusting hours as needed. Our benefits and rewards help staff grow, balance their jobs with personal life, and feel good.
• The LINK Consumer Council and the Financial Inclusion Programme started in 2006. They are part of our work to ensure that consumers are the top priority for us, as well as helping communities thrive.
• Our employees vote to support a chosen charity each year and are allowed volunteer days which can support the chosen charity (or another one meaningful to an individual employee). In addition, various events are held throughout the year supporting the chosen (and other) charities, and employees are also supported by us in their own fundraising activities.