Building a better Society Our Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2018 Maintained employee engagement at of69% colleagues Contents 88% are Dementia Friends

One of The Ranked as the best 04/05 06/07 Sunday Times for Robert East – Chairman Introduction and CSR Strategy Overview 100 Best customer experience and TOP Building Companies to Society Work For - for the out of 295 UK 7thbrands in the Nunwood 08/11 12/15 Customer Experience Our People Our Proposition & Brand 4thyear in a row Excellence survey

Over 16/25 26/27

Supported Our Communities Our Environment community164 groups donated£418,000 to UK charities and through our award community groups in the last winning Grassroots 12 months Giving programme We’re proud of our achievements in 2017. Here are just some of the highlights. Over Highest ever customer numbers with over

members500,000 have participated in member research members900,000

Reduced carbon of our emissions by 95%waste is diverted from landfill and recycled 9.26%

Over raised for Alzheimer’s£88,000 Society and Alzheimer Scotland

02 03 Foreword Robert East – Chairman

Skipton Building Society This report outlines the four key ways we’re helping to build a better Society today, through our people, our proposition & was founded in 1853 by brand, our communities and our environment. people who had a clear We’ll cover the four areas in more detail in this report. In the social purpose. They wanted meantime, I’ve picked out a few highlights that make me really to help people buy homes proud to be part of Skipton. and provide a safe place In 2016 we entered into a three-year charity partnership with for their savings. In short, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland. Since then our colleagues and customers have shown an unprecedented Skipton was set up to help amount of support, raising more than £88,000, but it’s the build a better Society for things we’re doing beyond fundraising that are truly remarkable. its members. The Society-wide drive to support our charity partners has resulted in 69% of our colleagues becoming Dementia Friends. That means over 1,500 have attended sessions to improve their understanding of dementia and, as a result, they’re better equipped to support people who are affected.

And our award-winning Grassroots Giving programme continues to go from strength-to-strength. A lot of its success is down to the passion and commitment shown by our branch colleagues, who support the initiative every year.

Engagement of our people remains high at 88% and we have “…Skipton was once again been named as one of the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For. In 2017 we were proud to be one of set up to help just two financial institutions in the UK to achieve Investors in People (IIP) Platinum.

build a better During 2017, we reflected on our purpose and, whilst the world continues to change, our purpose remains the same – Society for to help more people have a home, save for their life ahead and support their long term financial wellbeing. In 2018 we its members.” will continue to focus on building a better Society, taking into account global social, economic and environmental changes.

I hope you enjoy reading the report and if you have any thoughts on the things we’re working on, please contact us by emailing [email protected].

Robert East Skipton Building Society Chairman

04 05 Introduction and CSR Our strategy is broken down into the Strategy Overview following areas

As a mutual organisation we’re We work hard to help our savers put money away Our People for their future and use the money they save to 01 • Developing a customer centric culture by maintaining colleague engagement owned by our members, not help our other members own their own homes. and focusing on colleague wellbeing shareholders. When you save It’s our mutual purpose and underpins everything or borrow money from us, you we do. • Developing our people so they have new skills and grow as individuals become a member of Skipton But equally, we pride ourselves on building a • Encouraging diversity and inclusion that matches the communities we operate in. better Society and putting our members at the Building Society, which means heart of all the decisions we make. With this in you have a say in how we are run. mind, in 2017 we created a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy to make sure we Our Proposition & Brand carry on having a positive impact on our members, 02 • Demonstrating that our founding social purpose, ‘to help more people into our people, our communities and the environment. homes, help people save for life ahead and support long term financial wellbeing,’ is a force for good in society • Continuing our focus on being an empathic organisation which really listens to our members • Ensuring we can serve members across all our channels.

Our Communities 03 • Working to become a dementia friendly organisation • Raising awareness and aligning our community activity to our social purpose • Taking the Society into the community • Helping people to help themselves.

Our Environment 04 • Minimising the environmental impact of our activities • Working towards a more cost effective, carbon neutral environment for our colleagues and members.

06 07 One Team Our People Ownership Trust

Key areas of focus Our people Reward and recognition • Fostering a customer-centric Skipton colleagues are the people who make it The STAR Awards is our colleague recognition programme. It stands Leader of the possible for us to consistently deliver fantastic for Special Thanks And Recognition. There are ten awards structured Year STAR culture by maintaining colleague experiences for our members. Their relentless around our values and behaviours and colleagues nominate teams award 2018 engagement and focusing on focus on our values of One Team, Ownership and individuals who they think have gone the extra mile. Marc Stewart Financial Advice colleague wellbeing and Trust is what creates an inclusive culture at Skipton. Jackie Didcock won Leader of the Year STAR award 2017 Colleagues Support “I was overwhelmed and proud to have won this fantastic Manager • Developing our people so Our people help to create a customer-centric award. I can’t describe how humbled I felt to have been made they have new skills and grow culture and we’re proud to have achieved high shortlisted, let alone win. As a leader I have always put the levels of employee engagement for the seventh 511 as individuals development and welfare of my team at the heart of what STAR award year running. This is measured by our independent I do, so for them to nominate me shows that the effort I put nominations annual employee survey. The surveys focus on • Encouraging diversity and in is appreciated.” in 2017 culture and engagement and tell us what we’re inclusion that matches the doing well and where we need to improve. As Jackie Didcock, Regional Manager, Intermediary Relationships. communities we operate in. a result of the feedback colleagues give us, we’ve been able to improve things like colleague wellbeing, reward and recognition and how we For the fourth year in a row invest in colleagues. We’ve we’ve been named as one of maintained The Sunday Times 100 Best employee Companies to Work For. engagement at 88% Wellbeing Arron’s story Actively taking steps to promote health and wellbeing is an integral “Support is something that’s very valuable to a person who suffers with their mental health. part of our culture and we recognise colleagues have a broad I can honestly say that Skipton has been very supportive of me when I’ve needed it. From spectrum of needs inside and outside of work. Over the past year senior leaders visiting me while I’ve been off work, to the way I’m supported in my current we’ve reviewed and improved our wellbeing programme to make role by all members of my team and our HR department. sure it supports the physical and mental welfare of our colleagues. “My team are very understanding and I never feel ashamed to say when I’m not feeling This includes improved access to our confidential employee great and I have a flexible working pattern, which has helped massively. assistance programme – Lifeworks – as well as a wide range of Arron Melvin education and awareness sessions for colleagues. “I’ve also been made aware of the counselling services available through Skipton – it’s been good to have someone to talk to who’s not directly involved in my situation. Our ‘Tea and Talk’ sessions give colleagues the opportunity to share experiences and talk about their mental wellbeing in a safe, supportive environment. Digital Analyst, Arron Melvin, has experienced “More recently Skipton supported my ambition to raise awareness of mental health through first-hand how we help colleagues who might need extra support. bite size learning sessions, which I have delivered to teams across the business.”

08 09 Investing in our colleagues FINANCIAL We invest in colleagues in a number of ADVICE different ways. The Connecting our Future Financial advisers of the future Pension schemes apprenticeship scheme is in its third year. Twenty-seven colleagues have This year, we added more spaces to our ‘Aspiring We’ve introduced a higher default progressed through the scheme with a Financial Advisers’ training programme, so even more contribution rate when colleagues reach further eight due to start later this year. people were able to make the most of this unique the age of 35, and by increasing the development opportunity. Emily Moses is in the second year of maximum employer contributions available her two-year apprenticeship. Louise Allott started working at Skipton in 2009 as a to colleagues, we’ve seen more colleagues customer service coordinator and now she’s a fully investing more of their salary into their “I have been really fortunate qualified financial adviser after starting the training in 2015. pension. In 2017, 92% of colleagues were to have been involved in the saving for their future as part of the “The programme was challenging but pensions scheme and 59% of those 2016 ‘Connecting Our Future’ informative and I’ve gained a wider perspective were contributing 6% or more. apprenticeship programme. of financial services. Now I’ve got a much better Having worked for the Society understanding of how financial advice can for three years before joining the Salary enhance our customers’ lives.” programme, I was able to bring We invest year-on-year to ensure salaries a different perspective to the are aligned with the living wage. teams I worked with. We’re the only UK building society Retirement “I have built a strong understanding with Investors in of how the Society works and People (IiP) Platinum Colleagues have access to retirement grown as an individual. Joining accreditation – making workshops and visits from the retirement the programme has made me In 2017 us one of only 0.5% of support services on wheels, to help them realise how important it is to build leaders started69 IiP-accredited think about their own retirement plans. and maintain effective working our Modern organisations in relationships across the Society Leadership the UK regardless of what role you play.” People programme Supporting colleagues to develop their careers is really important and we’ve got Louise Allott lots of initiatives for those who want to take advantage. Reverse mentoring, Learning at Work Week, The Modern Leadership programme and the ‘Connecting We demonstrated this in August our Future’ apprenticeship scheme are People – encouraging 2017 when, for the first time in just a few of the initiatives we offer. diversity and inclusion that Skipton’s history, 45 colleagues matches the communities took to the streets to participate we operate in in Pride with our Proud to Support Pride campaign. Part of our vision to build a better Society is having a diverse and Over 600 colleagues inclusive workforce. Our colleagues participated in Learning at tell us they can see that Skipton “Participating in Leeds Pride was brilliant and a great opportunity to values these things, with 82% in show our support for diversity. From decorating the truck in the morning Work Week in 2017 agreement that our leaders support through to handing out rainbow drops to a massive, supportive crowd, diversity in the workplace. the whole day was even more exciting and rewarding than I expected.” Ian Walker, Head of Financial Crime

10 11 Our Proposition We’re the first The Online Cash Lifetime ISA is a type of Individual Savings Account (ISA), designed & Brand organisation to to help people buy their first home or save towards retirement. It was introduced in June 2017 and we were the first high street building society to offer it. provide a Cash Lifetime ISA 50,590 Key areas of focus See how our Cash Lifetime ISA works customers • Demonstrating that our founding social had opened a Cash purpose of helping people save for their Lifetime ISA with us future and own their own homes is a force by the end of 2017 for good in society Our Lifetime ISA customers are a step closer to • Continuing our focus on being an achieving their plans for the future. Here’s what some empathic organisation which really of them had to say: listens to its members “Thank you Skipton • Ensuring we can serve members across for making sure that all our channels. this ISA is available – it gives people the The world has changed a lot since we were founded in 1853 drive to ensure that and we’ve adapted and evolved. But our core founding they consider their purpose of helping people to save and own their own homes future and how remains the same. important savings are.”

Can use Can’t use Our proposition measures and monitors outside influences like Lifetime Lifetime changes in the market and shifts in customer expectations, so ISA ISA “Really good. Simple we can continually adapt our products, services and the ways to set up and the we interact with our members so they’re relevant to the here account is really and now and for the future. easy to use online.”

“Absolutely first rate. Excellent customer In 2015 we set ourselves an aim to grow our service and a hassle membership to one million. We’re doing really free start to my life well against this major milestone and in September with Skipton.” 2017 we reached 900,000 members

In 2017 we welcomed 59,208 new members to the Society increasing saving members by 7% and borrowing members by 7%

12 13 Customer experience Ensuring we can serve members across all excellence We’re the no.1 building our channels society for customer service We’re proud to have been 2017 scores below: Our membership continues to grow, particularly through online channels, so we’ve introduced placed 7th by our customers web chat and social media services, to give members more ways to contact us. in the Nunwood Customer In 2018 we are committed to: Experience Excellence Branch Phone Online ratings, making us the TOP • improving our online services, making it easier for online savers to find information and for highest rated branch-based Building mortgage customers to manage their accounts online Society financial institution. 97% 90% 76% • focusing on vulnerable customers to ensure we are inclusive of our membership What our customers say: • listening to customers through online surveys, telephone and face-to-face interactions and continuing to adapt our products and services to meet the needs of all our customers “I was treated like an “Just the little touches, they • developing our digital platforms including a mobile app, giving our customers more old friend.” just make that personal contact options on how they interact with us. We will improve online accessibility and make sure with you.” we reflect the diversity of our members. “They listened to There are around 850,000 people living with dementia and 1 in 5 people have either physical or what I wanted to do “They are one hundred per cent mental impairment across the UK population. Focusing on being inclusive is vital if we’re truly and showed empathy.” caring, considerate and polite.” going to build a better Society.

Our Proposition & Brand Continuing our focus on being an empathic organisation Improving our digital offering In 2016 we started our journey to become pioneers in empathy, and over the last two years we’ve seen our This year we launched a video appointment service called Skipton Link. It’s net empathy score go from 49% to 52%, based on research carried out on our behalf by KPMG Nunwood. exactly like a face-to-face meeting with an adviser, except everything’s done by video link, so you can talk to us from the comfort of your own home. We are one of the few providers on the UK high street to offer mortgage and financial advice video appointments. Our empathy journey has been brought to life this year through things like the Dementia Friends project, the work we’ve done for vulnerable customers and our first dedicated Wellbeing Week. Here are some of the other practical things we’ve done:

• changed the Buy to Let process to consider the needs of customers in payment difficulty Our branch • introduced over 30 guides for network helped customer-facing colleagues to Our Skipton 45,000 members What our customers say: make sure all members get based customer with financial “It’s a great process that a consistent service service centre dealt reviews and There are more “It’s the ideal scenario. means I can stay at home financial advice than • reviewed feedback from 2,250 with over 5,000 I can have face-to-face and still get good advice.” 680,000 customers on our customers and improved our interactions in 2017, appointments without customer panel service as a result. a new record having to leave the house.” “Skipton Link is simple and straightforward.”

14 15 Awareness and education Since starting the partnership in January 2017 we’re proud to say: All colleagues have the opportunity to become a Our Dementia Friend through face-to-face sessions of colleagues of branches with our dedicated Dementia Friends champions, 69% 100% or through a bespoke presentation we designed are Dementia Friends have Dementia Friends Communities in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society. colleagues

Key areas of focus • Working to become a Processes dementia friendly organisation and products • Taking Skipton into the We’ve been equally challenging in community considering the needs of customers affected by dementia, by changing • Helping people to help themselves the way we develop new products • Raising awareness and aligning and services to ensure their needs are taken into account. Merry Christmas Merry Christmas our community activity to our social purpose We refer to guidance from the Dementia Friends Business Guide and Financial Services Charter when designing or refurbishing our Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Working to become premises and physical environments, Charity Christmas cards and our 2017 Christmas campaign a dementia friendly was created with a dementia organisation friendly design. Having a charity partner is about much more than In December 2017 we developed raising money. It’s about partnering with a cause a range of dementia friendly charity that our people, our members and our wider Christmas cards and invited communities believe in. It’s about understanding customers to share a memory on our Our voice and partnerships how we can add value and how we can work dementia friendly Christmas trees. Through our relationships with together to achieve more than we could alone. Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer In December 2016, Skipton colleagues voted Scotland we’ve been able to work overwhelmingly to support the Alzheimer’s Creating a together to run awareness events for Society and Alzheimer Scotland and now they’re our colleagues. This has included our charity partners until the end of 2019. Society where opportunities for colleagues to hear from someone living with dementia, as We used the framework and commitments of the no one’s well as the use of virtual reality to really Dementia Friends Financial Services Charter to left out demonstrate the impact it can have. help develop our focus in the following areas: We’ve also invited members into our • Our Voice and Partnerships branches to find out more by taking • Awareness and Education part in Dementia Friends information • Processes and Products sessions, which has been incredibly well received. • Fundraising and Volunteering.

16 17 Fundraising and volunteering Bury branch We‘ve raised over £88,000 through a variety of fundraising ‘Customers at the Heart’ award activities that include supporting the Tour De , walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks, braving the Great North Colleagues at our Bury branch truly went the extra mile in their Swim and a 250 mile branch-to-branch cycle challenge. aim to become dementia friendly. They began their journey in Colleagues have even run the New York Marathon to 2016 before we partnered with the Alzheimer’s Society and raise vital funds. their efforts were recognised at the 2017 Customer Experience Excellence Awards when they won the ‘Customers at the Heart’ We’ve been out in our local communities, too, volunteering at award with their submission – ‘leading the way by putting the local dementia cafes, delivering Dementia Friends information needs of those with dementia first’. sessions in the community, as well as supporting older and Forget-Me vulnerable people through befriending and volunteering. “I’m extremely proud of the team at Bury. It’s a huge -Not Ball achievement to win such a prestigious award and provides us with a great opportunity to shout about Thanks for helping us Skipton’s Forget-Me-Not Colleagues stepping the fantastic work we have been doing to support raise £4,864.44 by ball raised £47,000 out for Alzheimer’s people living with dementia.” Bury Regional Manager, Di Falconer donating to our dementia for Alzheimer’s Society friendly Christmas campaign and Alzheimer Scotland

United in becoming Dementia Friends Colleagues and customers tell us what dementia We’ll aim to keep the number of Future focus friendly means to them Dementia Friends in The needs of all our colleagues, customers and our branches over communities are at the heart of everything we do “My grandfather had dementia and we had no idea how to and we are committed to creating a lasting legacy support him. I wish me and my family had done this session through our partnerships with Alzheimer’s Society two years ago because I learnt so much in just one hour.” 95% and Alzheimer’s Scotland. Matthew Cox, Community Relationship Manager and Dementia We’ll work towards Friends Champion In 2018 Dementia Friends information sessions will be available as an e-learning package for all new colleagues when they start working at Skipton. We “Becoming a Dementia Friend has highlighted the challenges of80% head office are also creating advanced training for customer customers face with seemingly simple tasks such as entering a colleagues becoming facing colleagues who have regular contact with branch. It allows us to offer support and empathy and make Dementia Friends people who may be living with dementia. sure they feel safe. “Holding the Dementia Friends café in our branch highlighted how many people need our help. Being there to give them or their “Like so many others, I have personally seen the impact carers the space to open up gives me a massive sense of pride.” We are proud dementia can have on a family. It is crucial that our Cindy Saunders, Branch Manager, Plymouth communities and the organisations among them are to say we’re welcoming for those living with dementia so that they creating a feel safe, accepted and supported. I couldn’t be prouder “Becoming a Dementia Friend really changed things for my Society where of everything Skipton has achieved and I look forward to relationship with my uncle who is living with dementia – it seeing what the future holds as we continue on our mission doesn’t make it easier to see a great man confined to a bed most no one’s left out to set the standard for dementia friendly organisations.” days, but it does make it easier for me to go and visit him and Jenny Hayes, Portfolio Office Analyst accept the difference I can make to how he feels, even if he doesn’t remember me being there. It also helps me understand the struggles my auntie is facing, too.” Laura Allen, Leadership Coach

18 19 Active in the community Taking Skipton into the community

We’ve given over Colleagues raised over We’ve supported Dress down and emergency appeals In 2017 our dress Once a month Skipton’s head office colleagues hold a dress down day, down days raised community donating £1 in return for wearing non-business clothes for charities of to£418,000 charity and local for£193,000 local, national and groups164 through our their choice. over £27,000 for community groups international charities Grassroots Giving programme In 2017, we held additional dress down days and launched national 20 charities charity accounts for the public to donate to in support of the East Africa Disaster Appeal, the and Manchester terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire. Raising awareness Charitable Foundation and aligning our The Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation started “These appeals raised nearly £30,000 and I’m really proud of the community activity in 2000 and provides opportunities for registered charities to way we were able to react quickly to these devastating events.” apply for funding for specific projects or equipment. with our social purpose Alison Davies, Head of Digital/Community Steering Group Chair The Charitable Foundation is run by six trustees, including Supporting local communities four who are independent of the Society. They meet quarterly across the UK has always been to agree which causes will benefit from our financial support something we believe in. We pay in line with criteria that’s aligned to our business strategy. a lot of attention to working with Bike ride challenge colleagues and our members to Other fundraising bring our communities together. From bake sales to sponsored walks, from swims to cycle rides and quiz nights to car boot sales – our fundraising knows no bounds – and over the past 12 months we’ve raised over Volunteering £50,000 for local, national and international charities. We even donate our head office car park at weekends to the At Skipton all colleagues can take Skipton Rotary Club who, for a small donation, collect money up to two days’ additional paid from visitors to support the work of the Rotary movement. leave to take part in volunteering This alone raised an impressive £25,000 in 2017. activities. This includes individual volunteering as well as long-term team projects. Many of our colleagues have used their time to support vulnerable and lonely people, taking part in To date the foundation In 2017 we donated telephone and face-to-face has pledged £1.75 £143,000 to 74 befriending schemes. million to 805 charities through our charities across the UK Charitable Foundation

Grassroots Giving Grassroots Giving is our award-winning initiative, We’ve donated which launched in 2013 to mark the Society’s over 160th birthday. It supports £405,000 to 810 community Yorkshire small local community groups over the past Three Peaks groups with donations Community Contribution finalists: of £500, which aren’t five years through Macmillan bake sale Kate Oliver – Information Security Officer (left) registered charities and Grassroots Giving Charlotte Whitfield – Finance Business Partner might otherwise struggle to get funding. 20 21 Christmas dinner and afternoon The Silver Line Lynne Garner, Branch Manager in Ripon, shares how she was able to use her knowledge of The Silver Line tea for the elderly The Silver Line supports older to support a customer. people in our communities making Following the success of our Christmas meal for the elderly regular weekly friendship calls to “During a customer review the customer told me in December 2016 we invited 90 local elderly residents to lonely and isolated people. she didn’t often see people to talk to. Her husband join us for Christmas dinner in December 2017. Guests had passed away some time ago, and although the enjoyed a two-course meal and were entertained with bingo In 2017, representatives from The family do their best, it was difficult because they and carols sung by the Skipton Building Society Choir. Silver Line delivered training for all have their own lives to lead. customer facing colleagues. This Earlier in the year, we invited elderly local residents to join gave them the skills to recognise “At the end of the review, I gently asked how she us for afternoon tea at our indoor garden party. Many of customers who might be lonely or felt about being lonely – would she like someone our visitors were on their own and in some cases, lonely to talk to? She seemed to welcome the idea, so I and vulnerable. vulnerable and the confidence to tell them about the vital service explained about The Silver Line – who they are, These events are a great opportunity to give something back and The Silver Line offers. what they do and how they can help. I gave her support elderly people in our communities. some information and factsheets and she seemed really pleased to accept information on services The feedback was fantastic from colleagues and some of the that she just didn’t expect us to provide. people who joined us including Keith and Edna Schofield, who The Silver Line both worked for Skipton Building Society in 1949. They wrote: research shows that “This has led to a deeper relationship with the customer, who has now asked the team at Ripon “We’re writing to thank the Society for a most enjoyable afternoon 53% of their to call her by her first name. She often stays a at the indoor garden party. We are both past members of staff, along callers little longer on her visits just to talk to us too.” with our daughter Phillippa, and the family connection continues 10,000 with our granddaughter Hanna, who is clearly enjoying working a week, have for the Society. We were very impressed by the efficient and friendly no-one to talk to welcome we received along with the scrumptious food.”

Cycle challenge – Skipton to Edinburgh

“In July 2017, Alex Gibson and I asked around the business to see if there’d be any interest in a cycling club for Skipton colleagues. Since then we’ve built a community of nearly 60 members, many of who take part in our weekly Wednesday rides. “In September, I was delighted to join the other Skipton cyclists in a 250 mile charity ride to Edinburgh. We raised money for Wil’s Wishes (a charity set up by one of our colleagues at Skipton), the Movember Foundation and The Silver Line. Along with the two-and-a-half day ride, we ran a fundraising day complete with leg waxing and bake sale, raising around £3,500.” Nicholas Boon, Data & MI Analyst, Skipton Direct 22 23 Branch budgets Lancaster Future focus – helping people to help themselves No one knows communities better than In 2018, our focus will be on helping people to help themselves, making it easy for our colleagues to make the people in them. That’s why all our a difference in their communities. This will include the development of our Community Hub – a dedicated branches have budget set aside that internal website for our colleagues, complete with all the information they need to get involved in they can donate to their local community community activities wherever they are. causes. In 2017 some of our branch donations included:

Silsden People development Donated £100 to their local ‘Spud Club’ to buy Next year we’ll offer colleagues tools and seeds to support their volunteering volunteering packages that can be tailored to the skills of individuals and teams. This will include the option to link volunteering to individual Personal Development Plans, so they can develop skills that are beneficial to their role, as well as outside their usual working environment.

We donated to Donated £100 to a local community group £12,000 to buy play equipment for the children 130 local initiatives Sponsorship and community support through our branch budget in 2017 Kendal Raising awareness Carlisle In 2018, we’ll review all our communication platforms to make sure we’re successfully sharing knowledge across the business and celebrating our success. This will include a new dedicated area on skipton.co.uk and making the most of social media and other channels for sharing our stories with colleagues, members and the wider community.

We’ll review all our community funding activity to make sure Gave £200 to buy sports equipment for it still delivers the objectives the Netherfield Junior Cricket team it was originally set up to achieve.

Gave £150 from their community budget to help the Border Badminton Junior Club buy new equipment

24 25 In 2017, 133 people joined the Liftshare scheme – a scheme that matches colleagues In 2017 we reduced the tonnage of CO2 to car share their journeys to and from work. In 2017 the scheme contributed to some Our emissions across our head office and fantastic savings for our colleagues and the environment: branch network from 2,979 tonnes • 133 colleagues joined our Liftshare scheme, reducing CO2 emissions by 14 tonnes. Environment in 2016 to 2,703 tonnes

Key areas offocus Our environment Supporting Sue Ryder Future focus

• Minimising the environmental Developing our environmental policy Manorlands through • In 2018 we’ll continue to develop impact of our activities our environmental policy, by striving In 2017 we recycled 95% of our waste and we’ll metal recycling to help the environment and reducing continue to encourage colleagues to recycle by our carbon footprint • Working towards a more cost making it even easier. We recycled around 22 tonnes of scrap metal in 2017, with all £924.79 of the sale going to effective, carbon neutral • We’re carrying out feasibility studies • Our recycling goes beyond bottles, cans and Manorlands Sue Ryder Hospice. paper. We regularly donate office equipment we on the most effective vehicle charge environment. Our relationship with Manorlands began after a no longer need to schools, community groups point for our head office car park, for theft at the hospice in 2016. Following an appeal As a responsible and charities. recharging ultra-low emission cars corporate citizen, we for tools, many of which were stolen in the robbery • We’ve installed energy efficient LED lighting in our Premises team helped to install extra security set ourselves stretching • We’ll aim to maintain our recycling branches and head office and tap water sensors lights at Manorlands. goals to ensure we’re at around 95% making it easier for to conserve water. doing all we can to limit “It was great to be able to use my skills to colleagues to recycle. the impact we have • We’ve implemented an energy saving computer help Manorlands. The ongoing support we give on our environment. programme that shuts down all non-critical them through the sale of scrap metal means computers left on overnight which will reduce we continue to build relationships and provide

our energy consumption and CO2 output. financial support.” • Our new Liftshare scheme went live in 2017. Heath Brewood, Maintenance Engineer

“Last year we achieved a lot of great things, “We’ve also increased our focus on diversity Final statement which are aligned to our original purpose and inclusion to make sure Skipton is as diverse At Skipton we’re proud of our heritage and support our mutual roots. This year as the areas we operate in, and we’re taking a and we’ll continue to create a lasting we’re continuing that work and introducing closer look at how we can reduce our impact on legacy for our members. As a mutual some new initiatives I’m really excited about. the environment. As always, our colleagues are building society our vision is to build Home ownership is a key focus, but more instrumental in bringing our Corporate Social a better Society and our Corporate specifically we’re exploring ways we can help Responsibility strategy to life and creating a Andrew Bottomley, Social Responsibility strategy is well people struggling to afford a home. lasting legacy for our members.” Distribution and Financial Services Director placed to support this. The CSR Steering Group is made up of stakeholders from across the The role of the CSR Steering Group is to put the right structure and governance in place to meet Society including: Andrew Bottomley Kris Brewster the needs of our members, colleagues and the communities. Chair Deputy Chair For more information please contact – [email protected]

Tim Spackman Jacqui Bateson Paul Fenn Alison Davies Ivan Le Roux Sally Birch Stacey Stothard Claire Burke Graham Kennedy Lynne Cook Andrew Priestley Our People Our Proposition Our Communities Our Communities Our Environment Our Br anches Communication CSR Manager Finance Our Brand Financial Advice

26 27 Building a better Society Our Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2018

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