Our corporate social responsibility at Distinct
As Distinct grows and we extend our offering across new locations, we are determined to remain self-reflective and to give back – both in our local communities and reaching further afield. As explained by Investopedia:
“Corporate social responsibility (CSR) helps a company to be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders and the public.” The overarching aim of CSR is to “enhance society and the environment, instead of contributing negatively to them.”
– Investopedia
Our corporate social responsibility consists of several projects, with some of the most notable being;
- Environmental: Our CSR policy inspired the formation of our internal Sustainability Team and journey to becoming carbon neutral-certified
- Economic: In 2021, we launched our Desk Ready training programme, through which we aim to upskill the labour market and create jobs in the local Nottingham and Milton Keynes communities. These opportunities are for those entering the world of work, leaving university or seeking a change of career path
- Social: All of our employees have the option to take three fully-paid days each year to carry out volunteer or charity work of their choice. Over the years, we’ve taken part in many community projects for organisations such as Maggie’s Centres, Tracy’s Street Kitchen and Hound Lodge.
Children’s hospitals
During the festive season, we were proud to donate a total of £5,000 to the Nottingham Hospitals Charity and Milton Keynes Hospital Charity, to provide presents for young children in their care during the holidays.
This gesture was also made on behalf of our clients, as a thank-you for working with us throughout the year.
Our yearly charity partnerships
During our annual company day in December 2022, our CEO James Calder announced that we will partner with a chosen charity each year; making a donation and taking part in volunteer opportunities.
For 2023, we are proud to partner with Operation Orphan and their Forget-me-Notts project, which both work to significantly improve the living conditions of vulnerable children and families.
In support of their work, we donated £10,000 and pledged to match any further contributions made by staff up to this amount throughout 2023 – for a potential total of up to £30,000.
Operation Orphan
“Operation Orphan exists to keep orphans and vulnerable children around the world safe, warm, healthy and learning.”
– Operation Orphan
The work Operation Orphan does is monumental; supporting orphans of disasters such as in Nepal, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zimbabwe, as well as rescuing children from unsafe circumstances and preventing human trafficking.
The charity forms voluntary crisis task teams which include “firemen, police, engineers, teachers, medics and youth workers” who join the frontline to give aid “in disasters where there is mass loss of life.”
The service Operation Orphan provides is vital. A unique factor which sets the charity apart is that 100% of every donation goes directly to those who need it most. Most recently, they received a formal invitation from the Turkish government and flew to aid those in crisis following earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye.
Their response team (including Managing Director, Brad Moore and Dr. Bence Fazekas) handed out clean water filters and 260 handwoven blankets to victims in Hatay, alongside constructing tents which provided shelter for families. This included children who tragically lost both their homes and their parents in the disaster. By giving out toys and playing football, their volunteers helped to provide a welcome distraction from the surrounding devastation.
Image source: Operation Orphan
Forget-me-Notts
Forget-me-Notts is a project that brings Operation Orphan’s mission and aid to local communities here in Nottingham and the East Midlands.
For those who lose their homes or escape environments of domestic abuse, often their only possessions are the clothes on their backs.
By opening channels of communication between local families and dedicated social workers, Operation Orphan and Forget-me-Notts provide resources to meet the specific needs of each situation, including wardrobes, cots, beds, highchairs and safety equipment such as stair gates.
Their volunteers visit during the hours when children are at school, to limit stress or disruption of their personal space. A child might spend several nights sleeping on the floor or in makeshift arrangements, returning one day to find their home has been exponentially improved and they have been gifted a bed to sleep in, with a stuffed toy as an extra gesture of care.
Volunteer opportunities
Throughout the year, we will be taking part in volunteer opportunities with Operation Orphan and Forget-me-Notts.
Our first chance came in February when our specialists helped to prepare aid packages for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
Opening parcels to inspect clothes and other items, we helped to sort, fold and prepare them for packing and transit, ready to be shipped overseas to those in need.
We’re looking forward to supporting more of the incredible work done by this organisation.
Work with Distinct
People are at the heart of everything we do at Distinct; we’re proud to have an ethos of “Do the right thing” which is key to every decision we make. If you’d like to discuss more about our corporate social responsibility and charity partnerships, contact us today.
