Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland is celebrating after winning two awards that recognise the importance the company places on its employee’s wellbeing and improving society through long-term community charity partnerships.
In May Saint-Gobain, with its charity partner Barnardo’s, won the Project of the Year Award at the Business Charity Awards for its investment in creating the Future Place Academy, which provides young people leaving the care system with construction and life skills training and employment opportunities.
With the first Academy based in Lewisham, London, the programme of activity, funded by Saint-Gobain’s employee fundraising, provides focused skills and trade-based training – initially in drylining – and helps connect young people with employers who have current vacancies.
Meanwhile in June, winning its second award at the Employee Benefits Awards, Saint-Gobain’s Weber brand was recognised for its investment in improving colleagues’ wellbeing and health.
The activity at Weber, part of Saint-Gobain’s broader focus on its colleagues’ health and wellbeing has been running for more than four years and has led to significant improvements in colleagues’ wellbeing, reductions in their health age, reduced absence and lower health related risks. In 2018, Saint-Gobain was commended at the Awards for its approach to health and wellbeing across its 34 UK and Irish brands, 1,100 sites and 17,500 colleagues.
Mike Chaldecott, chief executive officer of Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, said: “These successes are down to the work and commitment to our colleagues. And I’m delighted these efforts have been recognised. Our Future Place Academy helps to meet the industry’s skills need, whilst at the same time, helping young people gain new skills. Our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our colleagues’ is a fundamental part of how we do business.
“Having an environment and culture that supports the wellbeing of all of our people is critical to helping our business develop, improving productivity, customer satisfaction and in many other areas.”
