Anti Slavery Week – Take Action against Exploitation

16th October 2023

Monday the 16th October marks the beginning of Anti-Slavery Week. This year’s theme is “Balancing the S with the E in ESG” (Environmental Social Governance), this campaign marks the importance of responsible and sustainable business practices by considering workers and communities in which we operate.

Did you know… Over 49.6 million people in the world today, and an estimated 136,000 people in the UK, are trapped in conditions of modern slavery!

Here are some of our focus points for 2023 which we will be highlighting across the business For Anti-Slavery week:

• Spotting the signs – We have distributed “spot the signs” posters to all our branches so our teams know how to identify the signs of Modern Slavery. These posters not only help our team, they can help potential victims seek immediate help by calling the two helplines displayed on all posters!
• Modern Slavery Grievance Mechanism – This policy outlines what support we offer victims of slavery and the steps that we follow if a modern slavery issue was to be raised
• Supplier Modern Slavery Assessment – Recommending all our suppliers fill out our assessment so we can ensure we are partnering with organisations who take social issues as seriously as we do. Part of this commitment to eliminating the exploitation of people involves mapping our supply chain and if necessary supporting our suppliers in their Modern Slavery endeavours.
• Utilising digital resources – To educate our employees and local communities we use resources directly from business partners & charities; Stronger Together, Hope for Justice and Slave Free Alliance.
• Spreading the word – Joining the Salvations Army’s #WeAreNotForSale campaign to spread the word. Check out our social media pages to see our photos