New Steering Wheel launched

Launch of new Steering Wheel

As a co-operative we believe there is more to being a successful business than just profits. So, as well as measuring our financial performance, we use our Steering Wheel to measure our performance in the key areas of co-operation, people, customers and delivery.

Over the last financial year, thanks to our colleagues’ support, we were able to achieve a range of positive impacts through our Steering Wheel including achieving over 31,000 compliments from customers and reducing energy usage across our operations by 3% compared to the previous year, saving 1,000 tonnes of CO2.      

We are now pleased to announce the launch of the Society’s 2020/21 Steering Wheel. 

All colleagues can make a real difference in helping us achieve our Society Steering wheel measures and make some significant positive impacts.  If we achieve our Society Steering Wheel targets this year, we will collectively be making a range of positive impacts within our business and across our communities, including providing over 26,000 community volunteering hours and eliminating 8 million single use plastic carrier bags.         

This year we have some new exciting targets alongside the established ones.  One of the new targets is to reduce the overall waste that we produce across our operations.  This builds on the work that many of you have supported to tackle single use plastic across our business and help protect the environment.  All colleagues can play their part in helping to achieve this new target.  For example, you can help reduce the amount of paper that we use by considering if you need to print it in the first place, conduct paper-less meetings, and re-use scrap paper where possible. 

I encourage you to please do all that you can to support the Society Steering Wheel targets and help us create a better, fairer world.  

The full Society Steering Wheel targets are below. 

GroceryAid ball

Last week several of our Food colleagues attended the prestigious GroceryAid Ball at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Much of the industry was represented at the black-tie event and there was a silent auction which raised an incredible £700,000 for charity, with all the profits going to colleagues in need. These events are used to support the Grocery Aid Colleague Helpline; a free and confidential service that we launched in partnership with GroceryAid last year, for all colleagues. I heard that it was a great evening for everyone who attended. You can read more about the auction by clicking here.

World Book Day

We had a great response to World Book Day, and I’m delighted to say that Brian Stovold, a Personal Funeral Advisor in Didcot, is this year’s winner. Brian is clearly a real book worm and is currently reading the Lord of the Rings, as well the works of Jasper Fforde, Terry Pratchett and Neville Shute. Well done Brian, a signed copy of Neville Chamberlain’s Legacy is on its way to you!

Susan Davis – 40 Years’ Long Service Award

On Tuesday I visited Bilston Travel to join the award presentation for Susan Davis, who is celebrating 40 years’ long service. Sue, as she is known amongst her peers, joined the Co-operative just before her 18^th birthday at the Wolverhampton Co-op homemaker store. Sue worked in the cash office before moving to the Walsall store. In the early days, both stores sold many items, including school uniforms, TV’s and fridges to washing machines and rented brown and white goods.

In 1993 when Walsdall closed its doors Sue was transferred to the newly opened food store in Wednesfield and became a foreign exchange cashier. She worked there until the Travel shop was moved inside Sainsbury’s. In 2018/19 Sainsbury’s opened their own travel money desks so since February Sue has worked in our Bilston Travel store. She’s a well-liked and hardworking member of the team who is respected by her colleagues. I would like to congratulate Sue for completing 40 Years’ service with us!

COVID-19

Please refer to the regular updates posted on Colleagues Connect for all the information you need to know about our response on what we are doing to support our colleagues.