Compass Group UK&I generates £2bn of Social Value in three years

Compass Group UK and Ireland has generated £2.14bn in Social and Local Economic Value since 2021, measured and validated by Social Value Portal.

In 2023 a Social and Local Economic Value of £838.1m was achieved (an increase of 42% from £591m in 2021) as a result of the company employing 44% of its workforce within 15 miles of their homes.

This is an average contribution of £16,363 in Social Value per Compass employee.

Since 2021, the company has generated £17.2m of Social Value through interventions such as investment in skills, community support and social enterprise engagement.

The group stated that its Social Value activity has “positively impacted the lives of tens of thousands of people across the country”.

Compass has seen its Social Value grow year on year, as a result of its continued focus in this area, leading to an increase in local employment and positive actions Compass has taken in relation to its people, community support and social enterprise engagement.

Further Social Value has been achieved through key priority areas such as its investment in apprenticeships and skills development, support to get people into employment and school engagement programmes.

The “strong” relationships the business has built with Voluntary Community and Social Enterprises has seen spending grow by 50% compared with 2022 – with companies such as The Uncommon winemaker and Page and Bloom joining the supply chain.

Other key Social Value impact highlights include 3,469 new weeks of apprenticeships delivered, over 17,000 weeks of apprenticeship upskilling delivered, over 600 apprenticeships underway, over 32,000 hours of Diversity and Inclusion training undertaken and more than 330 contracts paying Real Living Wage (RLW) – an additional 20,000 workers now in receipt of RLW or above.

Additionally, the group also launched a new career hub specifically for people who are from a range of backgrounds who are facing barriers to enter into the job market, spent £4.4m with social enterprises, donated over £295k and fundraised over £176k, provided 106k children with culinary and nutrition workshops and created an industry leading climate Transition Plan reporting a -9.4% absolute reduction in emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) inclusive of 20% business growth (FY19 – FY23).

Robin Mills, CEO, Compass Group UK and Ireland, said: “Our ongoing commitment to delivering Social Value for the many communities in which we operate is part of our DNA. This is seeing us drive real change as a social mindset is truly embedded into the business.”

“The progress we have made is a result of the many hardworking and dedicated people we employ across our business going above and beyond to support the communities we operate in. I’d like to thank them for the important contribution they make, which has the power to positively change people’s lives. We are committed to continuing to be a force for good.”