We know that the talent, commitment and skill of our global teams make our business what it is. This pillar of the Group’s ESG framework is focused on nurturing an inclusive workplace that offers great opportunities for people to grow and develop.
This pillar also incorporates the Group’s programme to enhance diversity, provide opportunity and invest in our communities.
Key principles:
Promoting a fair, supportive and positive working environment that enables our people – and our business – to flourish
Developing an inclusive culture rooted in respect, care and commitment as well as seeking diversity, supporting social mobility, and welcoming and developing talent wherever we find it
Engaging and supporting our local communities
We are committed to fostering a culture that empowers our colleagues to unleash their full potential and contribute to our collective success."
Our values
Our values have been created by our people for our people. They’re not just words on a page; our values are the essence of who we are and what we stand for. It's what we value at work - it's how we behave and it's how we treat others. Our values are how we play and how we'll win.
Community engagement
Our approach to community engagement evolved this year and we continued to invest in supporting charities in locations where the Group operates, both in the form of financial support as well as through our volunteering scheme, with all non-retail colleagues receiving at one volunteering day to use annually to support a charitable organisation of their choice.
In the UK, we donated over £200,000 to the charity Support Ukraine funded by profits from our Eurovision Song Contest betting markets following the event in Liverpool in May 2023, with the UK taking on hosting duties on behalf of Ukraine. In addition, in partnership with the Betting and Gaming Council (UK), we joined forces with other operators in the UK to donate the profits from the Britannia Stakes race at Royal Ascot. This saw more than £250,000 donated to several charities in the UK including SportsAid, the Holocaust Education Fund, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, SAS Regimental Association, Ascot Racecourse Supports and Together for Looked After Children.
Volunteering remains a key focus of our approach to our communities around the world, and colleagues are allocated one day of paid volunteering leave per annum to support a charity of their choice. In the UK, colleagues can also be connected to opportunities within their local communities through our Neighbourly platform. This year, the three themes colleagues chose to focus their volunteering efforts on through the platform were:
- Looking after the local environment
- Using sport to make a positive difference
- Supporting wellbeing
We celebrated these efforts with our first company-wide ‘Community Month’, hosted across all 13 locations in September 2023. More than 500 colleagues got involved in the event.
We are part of communities all over the world and we want to play a key role in giving back in those areas. We aim to support organisations all over the world where we operate and drive colleague adoption of volunteering opportunities and as part of that colleagues from all our brands have volunteered across numerous projects worldwide.
During 2023...
Colleagues in Krakow helped renovate an old pasta factory, transforming it into a community space that serves refugees and facilitates their smooth transition into the local community.
Our teams in Malta organised a full week of activities including blood donations, a beach clean-up, and volunteering at a dog sanctuary.
Our people in Leeds continued our ongoing support for local community team St Chad’s Cricket Club, with two events helping contribute to the club renovating their pavilion ahead of the new season.
In the UK, we partnered with the Retired Greyhound Trust and Retail colleagues participated in a number of fundraising events to support the charity. Teams also regularly volunteered on dog walking sessions hosted at the charity’s centres across the country.
