OUR SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2019 Skipton Building Society proud to support the 313034_07/02/19 2018 IN NUMBERS Industry leading Over 100% of our 89% branches have dementia friends £394,000 CONTENTS colleague donated to UK charities and engagement community groups 4/5 16/18 Lisa Davis, Chief Human Our People Over of all waste is Resources officer £94,000 95% raised for Alzheimer’s Society and diverted from landfill Alzheimer Scotland 19 26/28 6/7 Decent Work and Our Environment Introduction to Economic Growth the Sustainable Development Goals Carbon emissions reduced Skipton Building Society is one of The Sunday Times 100 Best 29 Supported 81 charities 20/24 Sustainable Consumption by 14% Companies to Work For through the Skipton Building Our Brand and Production Society Charitable Foundation 8/14 and Proposition TH Our Communities For the 5 year in a row 30/31 15 25 Delivering the Sustainable Cities Peace, Justice and Sustainable Over and Communities Strong Institutions Development Goals Accessibility Guides Net customer satisfaction now available for all 1,000,000 94% for savings and members – you’re one in 88 of our branches mortgage customers a million 02 03 FOREWORD LISA Last year we reported on our I know customers and colleagues Colleague engagement remains DAVIS contribution to a sustainable Society are passionate about the industry leading at 89% and our through our people, our proposition environment and as a responsible focus on diversity and inclusion business we know we can do more. Creating a sustainable Society for and brand, our communities, and has been a real highlight too. We the environment. We have some exciting plans for have worked with AccessAble to our customers, our colleagues and the future including eliminating develop online guides that contain Over the past 12 months we’ve been our communities. single use plastic and halving our information about the accessibility building on that work by developing carbon footprint. of all our branches. a sustainability strategy that will help advance the United Nations I’m really proud that Skipton has I hope you enjoy reading our Sustainable Development Goals - joined a growing number of global report. If you have any questions organisations, the first UK building a globally recognised plan to end or would like to comment on the society committed to supporting poverty, fight inequality and stop commitments we’re making towards the Global Goals. There will be more climate change by 2030. achieving the UN Sustainable about the goals we have chosen to Development Goals, please email While we’re not fundamentally focus on later in the report, including [email protected]. changing our approach to the challenging commitments we sustainability, the goals give us have set ourselves to contribute Lisa Davis the opportunity to join a global to achieving them. Chief Human Resources Officer movement where governments, businesses and individuals REFLECTING ON 2018 IN A contribute to the ambition of 2018 was a busy year for Skipton. achieving prosperity for everybody, We’ve continued to support our We’re proud that our founding while protecting our planet for charity partners, Alzheimer’s Society purpose to GOOD future generations. At Skipton, and Alzheimer Scotland, raising over help more people this means doing the right thing £94,000. We also donated a total into homes and help people for our colleagues and customers, of £235,300 through our award save for the future has in the communities we serve and winning Grassroots Giving scheme remained the same since 1853. PLACE contributing more to the planet and the Skipton Building Society SINCE than we take. Charitable Foundation. 1853 04 05 OUR PRIORITY GOALS In 2018, we undertook a series of consultations to identify which of the 17 Global Goals are most relevant to Skipton. We examined each one, considered its importance to our customers, colleagues and everyone else we come into contact with, its relevance to our business and our ability to contribute to it. Then we identified four goals we can most positively contribute towards. These four goals are: In September 2015, the leaders of all 193 member states of the United Nations introduced 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development that aim to transform our world by 2030. Governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals are mobilising their efforts on an international scale to support the goals, which include ending all forms of poverty, fighting inequality and tackling climate change. As well as looking back on some of our highlights for 2018, this report explains how Skipton will contribute to this important agenda. OUR COMMITMENT: OUR COMMITMENT: OUR COMMITMENT: OUR COMMITMENT: We will help more We will be one of the We will always be owned We will give more people into homes best places to work. by, and responsible to, back to the planet than and support our local We’re the only building our members, not we take. communities. society with Investors shareholders. We’re passionate about Our founding purpose in People (IIP) We’ll maintain our protecting our planet of helping people own platinum accreditation, position as a strong for future generations. their homes contributes demonstrating our institution and put the We’ll make sure our to sustainable commitment to being needs of our members contribution to the communities. We’ll help one of the best places first. Our purpose to help environment is always make our communities to work. Ensuring all customers have a home, greater than the impact inclusive, safe, resilient our people flourish save for the future and of our operations by and sustainable through and investing in our support their long-term planting trees. our fundraising, people contributes to financial well-being volunteering and an inclusive and depends on us being community activities. diverse workplace. accountable, inclusive and effective. Skipton is the first building society to be recognised by Support the Goals, a not-for-profit initiative that celebrates organisations supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. PLEASE SEE PAGE 30/31 FOR We have been awarded the maximum four-star rating, reflecting our belief that we all have a MORE INFORMATION ON OUR responsibility to support the Sustainable Development Goals by building a better Society. GOALS AND THE STRETCHING This report highlights some of our activity from 2018 and shows how we are already contributing to TARGETS WE HAVE SET. the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as sharing our plans and targets for 2019 and beyond. 06 07 “It opened SILVER LINE the world for The Silver Line operates a confidential free helpline for older people me again” OUR across the UK, as well as a befriending service for anyone who might value regular calls and having someone to chat to. In 2017, we started building a relationship with the Silver Line. COMMUNITIES As part of that, in 2018, we offered learning opportunities to customer-facing colleagues to help them recognise older people Silver Line helpline caller Being active in the community creates the foundation who might benefit from the service. for who we are, whether it’s through fundraising, volunteering or simply building stronger relationships Our colleagues tell us that this additional support has given across diverse communities. In 2018, we supported them increased confidence to talk to customers about the charity a wide range of community activities. Here are just a and, as a result, many are now volunteering as befrienders and community engagement officers. few of the things we did to help build a better society. information • friendship • advice We raised over which will help the charity support lonely £3,500 and vulnerable people £82,500 for the Silver Line, in our communities. in Grassroots Giving donations £12,425 donated to 77 charities through PAY IT £170,865 payroll giving donated to 116 different charities FORWARD DAY For International Pay it Forward Day in April, colleagues passed on goodwill by paying CHILDREN’S £152,800 kindness forward and LITERACY TRUST asking recipients to do the donated by the Skipton Building The Children’s Literacy same in return. Some of Society Charitable Foundation Trust works with schools the ways included giving and communities to equip coffee to busy commuters disadvantaged children with at Skipton railway station, basic literacy skills, and taking care packages to we’re supporting children homeless people in Leeds, in the Bradford area with £10,121 and passing on random online mentoring. donated to local community groups and acts of kindness to some charities through our branch network of our customers. Will 08 McAlpine 09 MILES FOR MEMORIES Colleagues walked, ran, skydived, ES F IL OR In September 2018, we embarked on Miles for Memories, our most ambitious cycled on static bikes and even M fundraising event yet, to raise vital funds for our charity partners Alzheimer’s Society kayaked to raise an incredible and Alzheimer Scotland. We challenged our colleagues to travel the equivalent of 2,332 miles that separates our network of UK branches by human power alone. The distance was set by Director of Business Development Paul Fenn and Director £79,19 4 of Specialist Lending Ian Moore, who visited all our branches on motorbikes as part of the festival of fundraising. HERE IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE GOT UP TO AT OUR BRANCHES AT OUR HEAD OFFICE Three We held a Taunton branch They took ‘one colleagues ran triathlon with raised over giant leap’ at a difference, Huddersfield with teams with a skydive 35 MILES cycling, running between £2,500 and open and kayaking when three Solihull and water swim. on a route that colleagues took Worcester included a local to the skies with branches. reservoir at a tandem skydive. Embsay, North Yorkshire.