After 162 years of dedication to their social purpose, built on a desire to help war veterans into gainful employment, Corps Security are now celebrating their recently awarded Social Enterprise status.
Since their inception in 1859 they have followed, what we now term, the triple bottom line ethos of ‘people, planet, purpose’. That’s over a century and a half of social value.
Achieving Social Enterprise status acknowledges the good work that Corps was founded on and sets them apart from their competitors in the security sector.
Mike Bullock, CEO of Corps Security says, “We were already special in the industry. Being awarded Social Enterprise status will not change the running of our business, it simply gives official recognition to the social mission that we were founded on – it nails our colours to the mast.”
Gaining Social Enterprise Status
Social Enterprise UK is the leading global authority on social enterprise and the biggest network of social enterprises in the UK. They are a strategic partner to government departments and have led public policy on social enterprise for 15 years.
To become a certified social enterprise businesses must satisfy a number of key criteria, which importantly includes proving how profits are distributed and invested as well as company ownership status and evidence of a social mission.
Corps Security does this and more…
As well as ticking every box on the Social Enterprise criteria list, Corps Security can add a few of their own unique social achievements.
Corps Security are already a Living Wage Foundation recognised service provider. Introduced in 2019, they now pay 56% of colleagues a Real Living Wage. They also advocate for their customers to pay a Real Living Wage too.
Add to this their Gold Status Employer Recognition Scheme award and internal initiative, Corps Together (a programme promoting diversity), and you can see how committed Corps are to their people.
Corps are also a Carbon Neutral company, certified by Carbon Footprint in early 2020, after funding projects across the world and offsetting 477 tons of avoidable carbon.
Social Enterprise status is not something other security companies can easily achieve. Corps has a unique constitution, operating as a Trust. There are no shareholders to pay dividends to and their profits are either reinvested or are donated to selected charity partners.
Combat Stress is their preferred charity and having Social Enterprise status means Corps can secure regular funding for them, to help pay for research, clinicians and counsellors to support ex-military personnel with their journey into civilian life and any mental health care they may so desperately need.
Mark Rogers, Sales and Marketing Director comments, “Social Enterprise status brings many benefits. For our business it guarantees that our social mission remains at the very heart of all we do and ensures we continue to operate in an ethical, transparent and accountable way. It also means our customers can increase their own environmental, social and governance credentials by choosing to work with us. My hope is that together we can achieve great things for our people and our planet whilst supporting our purpose.”