The Venues Collection has launched its Future First Charter, a framework that aims to shape and deliver the Group’s social purpose initiatives and targets.
The Charter is built around three key pillars: ‘People Pledge’, ‘Food Focus’ and ‘Enriching Environments’ and is being adopted by all head office staff and venue teams. Each of the key pillars will be headed by one of the leadership team.
People Pledge is being led by managing director Joanne Barratt and regional general manager, Chris Steadman and covers diversity and inclusion, with targets such as having ten apprentices or kickstart employees across the business at least one mental health first aider at each venue, and a focus on increasing the diversity of the workforce by the end of 2021.
Food Focus is being led by group head chef Sam Morgan and will focus on the supply chain with targets including manging and reducing food waste, a total elimination of plastic straws, bottles and stirrers, and complete transparency of ingredients and food allergens. Enriching Environments is being led by regional general manager
Lorraine Lockwood and will ensure that the venues are an enriching place to work, meet, sleep and celebrate, with targets including introducing walking and cycling routes around venues, wellbeing at work initiatives and local community support. The Group will also be supporting Hospitality Action, whilst each of the venues has selected a local charity to support.
Joanne Barratt, managing director of The Venues Collection, said: “We welcome thousands of guests through our doors each year and so we have a responsibility to ensure that we have a clear social purpose to better the planet and the people we interact with. Our charter will be integrated into everything we do with our teams and our clients and will give us a clear framework to work to and detailed targets to achieve.
“Despite a troubling year for all businesses in hospitality and events, we as an industry have to look ahead and bring social purpose back on to the agenda. Creating our charter ensures that we aren’t just paying lip service; we have specific deliverables and targets which we will hold ourselves accountable to. As we all rebuild our industry it is essential that we harness our ability to make changes and encompass these ways of working into our lives.”
