Managers' Conference - Team Talk

Social ResponsibilityNews from our Community and Environmental teamsSocial Responsibility Report 2011/12A true co-operative organisation is socially responsible. While many businesses are keen to be seen as being socially responsible,co-operatives have been operating for the good of their members, colleagues, communities and the environmentsince the co-operative movement was born. It’s just the way we do things.Social GoalsWe have identified a number of Social Goals for our business to aspire to achieve. The goals are broken down into four keyareas; defending the environment, supporting our communities, developing links with co-operatives across the world anddeveloping young people. Here are just some highlights from what we’ve been doing to address these goals.Defending the environment• We now have over 800 solar panels providing electricity to our Warwick HeadOffice and Food stores in Lydney, Cinderford and Cainscross• We increased our recycling rate to 50% by 2011 year end by 2011 year endthrough initiatives such as dry mix recycling and sending our food waste toanaerobic digestionSupporting our communities• During our first year of partnership with Women’s Aid, we managed toexceed our target of £100,000 by raising £170,000. We also collectedaround 28,000 signatures for the Real Man pledge.• We increased the amount of colleagues participating in volunteer activity to 51% and in total;colleagues volunteered a total of 32,595 hours last yearDeveloping links with co-operatives across the world• Our Society pledged £155,000 to the newly created Global DevelopmentCo-operative to support co-operatives that find it difficult to access loansfrom traditional banks.• Every year, members of Midcounties vote to give some of their profits toCo-operative Futures. We use this money to provide advice to new andemerging co-operatives that would not otherwise be able to accessspecialist support.28Team Talk