Central England Co-op celebrates hitting five star milestone in responsible business ranking

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 05/03/2018


Central England Co-operative is celebrating being awarded the maximum five stars out of five in Business in the Community’s 2018 Corporate Responsibility Index (CR Index).

This result means that in the space of just two years the dedication and hard work of colleagues from across the Society has contributed to its rating leaping from 2.5 stars to five.

Central England Co-op’s overall score of 99 per cent has jumped from 87 per cent in 2016 and 98 per cent last year.

Martyn Cheatle, Central England Co-operative Chief Executive, said: “Everyone involved with the Society is delighted with the news that we have achieved the maximum rating of five stars out of five.

“This outcome reflects the continued focus and importance we place in this are as a co-operative business, and the commitment and hard work from colleagues. It is perfect recognition for the wide variety of initiatives and projects we are involved in across four key areas - community, environment, marketplace and workplace - as part of our corporate responsibility strategy.

“The new score is also a great indicator of our continued mission to support our partners in the community, make a difference by raising vital funds for charity, educate young people and limit our impact by reducing waste.”

Hannah Gallimore, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Central England Co-operative, led the efforts to secure the new rating.

She said: “Being a responsible business is about building strong and sustainable values and ensuring we are doing what is right for our customers, colleagues and suppliers, while making a positive contribution to society and ensuring we play a role in protecting the environment.

“Over the past two years countless colleagues have spent valuable time and energy to not only help us achieve this score, but in a way that means we are making a tangible and long lasting impact where we trade when it comes to corporate responsibility.

“The reason we have seen a major leap in our CR Index score has been down to the hard work of our colleagues and by ensuring that we have and remain properly focused on our aims and objectives.”

Business in the Community’s 2018 CR Index is the UK’s leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility and provides businesses with a framework to measure, manage and integrate responsible business practice into mainstream business strategy and operations.

It also allows businesses to benchmark against competitors and to transparently communicate progress to stakeholders. 

Amanda Mackenzie, Business in the Community Chief Executive, said: “Business in the Community exists to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

“But that’s only possible if organisations are able to measure the progress they are making as responsible businesses. I congratulate Central England Co-operative for their leadership and look forward to working with them to grow the movement.”

More details about the Society’s corporate responsibility strategy can be found online at www.centralengland.coop/society-values/social-responsibility/

Notes to editors

Picture caption: Martyn Cheatle, Central England Co-operative Chief Executive, and Matt Birch, Trading Executive, celebrate the Society achieving five stars out of five in Business in the Community’s 2018 Corporate Responsibility Index (CR Index) with CR Manager Hannah Gallimore and PR Manager Sarah Ashton.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. 

 

It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, and property investment.

 

Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2018.

 

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

 

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

 

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

 

Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

 

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop