Co-operative Social
Responsibility
Maxine Sharman
Head of Community Engagement
About Midcounties
Who we are
• We are a consumer co-operative owned by our members, and
part of the global co-operative movement
What we do
• We operate a range of businesses in Food, Travel, Pharmacy,
Funeral, Childcare, Energy, Employee Benefits and Post Offices
Where we trade
• Our heartlands are in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire,
Buckinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, the West
Midlands, Wiltshire and Worcestershire. However, our Energy,
Childcare and Flexible Benefits businesses trade across the UK
Our Aim
• Our aim is to be a successful consumer
co-operative working towards creating a
better, fairer world, and to enhance the
lives of our colleagues, members,
customers and the communities we serve
Our Values
Democracy
Openness
Equality
Social Responsibility
Our Social Goals
•
•
•
•
Developing young people
Supporting our communities
Defending the environment
Developing co-ops across the world
Social
Economic
Environmental
Social
Economic
Environmental
Our key difference
• We only ever do three things with our
profit:
– Re-invested into the business
– Returned to our members
– Used for community and co-operative
investment
Projects
Charity Partner
Grant Giving
Volunteering
School
Engagement
Volunteering
• All colleagues have three days each year
to participate in volunteering
• 56% active participation
• 40,000 hours delivered last year
• Fantastic way for colleagues to live our
values
• Drives colleague engagement
Projects
• Stand alone pieces of work linked to
specific areas affecting communities
– Alcohol Misuse
– Teenage Relationships
– Dental Health
Charity Partner
• Teenage Cancer Trust
– Elected by our colleagues
– Target of £200,000 for year one
– Record ‘Give at the Till’ event raised £87,000
in one weekend
Schools Engagement
• Developing Young People
– Strategic partnerships with five schools
– Academic achievement
– Employability
– Co-operative Trust Schools and academies
– Outward Bound Bursary
Our partnership with
Sutherland Business and
Enterprise School
Why?
•
Partnership began 2008
– Supporting Co-operative Trust Schools
• Lessons learnt
– Find sustaining ‘reasons why’ for the
engagement
– Always have a named ‘account manager’
from both organisations
– Meet regularly, even if you don’t think there
is anything new to say
– Ensure commitment from the leaders on
both sides
Why?
• Business Aims
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–
–
–
–
Increase sales & membership locally
More volunteering opportunities
Attract and retain colleagues
Develop ‘best practice’ model for use elsewhere
Generate positive PR
– Lessons learnt
• Have clear measures, and report on them
• Determination – relationships and mutual trust
take time to build
Why?
• Educational Aims
–
–
–
–
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Improve attendance levels
Raise attainment
Improve behaviour
Create a membership model to engage parents
To have a business sponsor to support governors
and trustees
– Lessons learnt
• The school needs to have a ‘hands on’ approach to the
business engagement
• Agree what you are planning to do with the head/link person
How?
• Financial Assistance
– Lessons learnt: Allocate a specific budget, whatever
the amount. Be clear in advance of the terms of
reference to avoid being seen as a cash cow
• Colleagues into school
– Reading, mentoring, painting, gardening, supporting
lessons
– Governor and trustee roles
• Pupils into business
– Work experience, presentations, interview practice,
AGM visits
How?
• Workplace to school
– Business meetings with students attending
• Gaining mutual understanding
– work experience, teacher/colleague mentoring
• Having fun
– Outward bound, prize giving, involvement in
community programmes
Lessons Learnt
•
•
•
•
Engage with all parts of the business
Don’t expect to get everything right first time
Do possibility thinking, there will be more than you thought
Fix as a permanent item on key meeting agendas
Telford Multi Academy Trust
• Don’t expect things to run smoothly with
schools! Results go up and down, pupil
numbers change and so do Government
Ministers…
• Continuing our work as a partner to the
new MAT
• New BITC Business Class cluster being
established in Telford
Grant Giving
• The Midcounties Co-operative Community
Fund was set up in 2011 using dormant
member share capital
• General grants of up to £2,000 and one
grant per county, per year of £10,000
• In Telford this was used to support ‘Silver
Threads’ a Donnington Community Centre
Differentiates us, giving
us a competitive
edge
Delivers our social goals
Social Responsibility
Engagement Cycle
Make a difference
to our communities and to
our business
Put our DOES values
Into action
Make our
colleagues
and members
proud
And finally…
• We are in the Times 100 Best Big Companies to
work for three years running
• We are Platinum members of BITC’s Corporate
Responsibility Index
• IIP Gold accreditation across the whole of our
business
• Just hit £1Billon turnover
If you like what we do, why not join us?
www.midcounties.coop