Co-op group gains four big ticks

Peter Marks, Chief Executive of The Co-operative Group

The highly prestigious Business in the Community (BiTC) Excellence Awards 2010 has awarded The Co-operative Group four Big Ticks in recognition of the positive impact of its corporate social responsibility activities.

The national awards - presented at a North West regional ceremony on Thursday (24 June) at Blackburn Rovers Football Club - saw representatives from the business accept Big Ticks in the following categories:

• Rural Action Award for The Co-operative Enterprise Hub - A first time winner, pledging its support for co-operatives, The Hub represents a £5 million investment in the sector by The Co-operative Group to provide advice, training and finance to help new and existing co-operatives.

• Education Award for The Co-operative Group’s Financial Services business’ Enterprise4Education programme - Drawing on the experience and expertise of Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) colleagues, almost 4,500 young people in the North West have benefited from tailored workshops to learn about the world of work, gain skills and qualifications and improve links with industry.

• International Development - The Co-operative Group has been trading ethically and fairly for more than 160 years and, pioneered Fairtrade in the UK. The Group supports overseas co-operatives to help people lift themselves out of poverty. It assists communities where The Co-operative has an existing relationship, with projects focusing on providing clean water, sanitation and low cost renewable energy solutions. And donations from sales of its own-brand ethical water have funded water systems in Africa for more than 600,000 people. In addition, The Co-operative Bank has created a $50m micro-finance fund to help support the development of small businesses and alleviate poverty in some of the world’s poorest communities.

• Sustainable Marketing & Innovation Award for Co-operative Financial Services’ Banking on a Fresh Start programme - Introduced as a pilot project in 2006 with Forest Bank prison, Salford, this innovate partnership approach has now opened more than 4,000 basic bank accounts for ex-offenders from 30 UK prisons - tackling financial and social exclusion, assisting rehabilitation and resettlement and, shown in a recent study to have helped reduce re-offending rates by around a third.

Peter Marks, Chief Executive of The Co-operative Group, said: “We are tremendously proud of our social responsibility activities. They form a hugely significant part of our Group policies and that is exactly where our members want them to be.

“The awards also demonstrate that colleagues in the business community recognise the positive impact of our business practices on social, ethical and environmental concerns in the communities in which we operate.“

The Big Tick awards follow The Co-operative Group’s success in achieving the highest ‘Platinum Plus’ ranking in the Business in The Community Corporate Responsibility Index, announced earlier this month (June). The ‘Platinum Plus’ award demonstrates the way business strategy is successfully underpinned by a sustainable approach to social and environmental issues.

Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community, added: “I congratulate The Co-operative Group on achieving their awards. We believe the recession has provided a turning point in how companies approach responsible business issues. Responsible leadership is ensuring social and environmental issues are factored into the core business model, taking action on key issues be they people or planet, empowering future leaders, and talking publicly about responsible business issues. Now is the time for businesses to be proactive, visible and engaged, as The Co-operative Group and its family of businesses have demonstrated.

He added: “Responsible leadership needs to be felt by employees, customers, suppliers and the local community. Customers want more reassurance that the products and services they are buying are responsibly produced, sourced and sold. Employees want to know their employer cares and walks the talk – The Co-operative Group has proved they have it what it takes.”