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Bolton at Home named a finalist in Responsible Business Awards
Our work programme to get people paid jobs with our organisational partners is a finalist in the 2016 Responsible Business Awards, the UK’s longest running and most prestigious awards championing responsible business.
We’ll now compete with McKinsey and Company, PwC and the Waites Group for overall winner in the category of ‘employment for excluded groups’.
We ask our suppliers, as part of their contracts, to create jobs, work experience or training opportunities for the long-term unemployed on Bolton’s estates who need extra help to get into work. Since 2013, our programme has created 66 paid jobs that would have otherwise not existed for people with low confidence, health and wellbeing issues, lack of experience and in need of new skills. A further ten people took a positive step towards employment through training and work placements.
Run by the charity Business in the Community (BITC) the 2016 Responsible Business Awards celebrate businesses that take effective action to improve their local communities, create more inclusive working environments and tackle environmental challenges. The rigorous awards scheme has seen 297 companies enter this year with 103 shortlisted and 52 named as finalists.
We’re one of two organisations from the North West, along with Siemens, to be selected as a finalist. This is a major achievement in its own right and we received an award at an event at The Monastery in Gorton, Manchester, on Tuesday (7 June).
Tenant Michael Gregory is a Ground Maintenance Operative with Glendale, who deliver our grounds and tree maintenance services. We helped Michael into work after he was struggling with unemployment and depression. Michael helped us present our programme to a Business in the Community panel, so we invited him to accept the award with Trish Quinn, our Employment and Skills Manager, and Chief Executive Jon Lord.
Michael said: “I felt like a nobody before. I was out of work and this job has given me a new lease in life.”
“My wife, who’s my rock, took me to my local UCAN centre and I’ve never looked back from that day. The staff made me feel welcome and comfortable and gave me the confidence to do training courses and improve my reading and writing.”
“Then I got the opportunity to go for a trial with Glendale and I did a six week-course initially. I love getting up each day. I’m cutting grass, edging, pruning trees; and find it rewarding to look after estates. I’m also motivated that I can give my children more and even going to events like this are giving me new life experiences.”
Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community said: “We know that every day businesses contribute towards more resilient communities, stimulate local economies, help to create skilled and healthy workforces and tackle environmental challenges. These awards give much needed visibility to the responsible business movement by showcasing the practical ways business is creating change. I congratulate all the finalists for playing their part in building a fairer society and more sustainable future for us all.”
Overall winners will be announced at the Responsible Business Annual Gala at the O2 in London on 11 July.
For more information on the Awards including the full list of finalists and their case studies, visit www.bitc.org.uk/awardstories and follow @BITC on Twitter #BITCawards.