Our communities

We want to value, and be valued by, the communities in which we work.

Our companies often play an important role in their communities, typically by supporting their employees when they engage with community groups and local charities. The benefit of these activities is twofold: for the business there is benefit in terms of company profile and employee satisfaction and development; then there is also the direct benefit to the communities concerned.

In the UK, we operate a matching scheme, whereby donations made by employees to registered charities are matched by the company. We are also organising Work in the Community days, where employees can give up some of their working time to support worthwhile projects.

Ultimately, our communities are not discrete from our workplace and people, our environment and our marketplace – they are inextricably linked. Provided we manage social risk well and we achieve our vision in terms of:

• being recognised as a responsible employer
• reducing our impact on the environment and helping our customers to do likewise
• continuing to take a leadership role within our industry

then we will have moved a considerable way towards earning a place as a valued part of the communities in which we work.