A key facet of our social responsibility involves collaborating with and supporting local communities.
This is particularly important because many of our sites are located near residential areas and local residents may perceive our logistics operations as disruptive. We observe the following guidelines in our local community activities:
We attempt to minimise noise and emissions from our sites and vehicles and train our employees appropriately
We sponsor several local charitable organisations, and provide financial support for sports clubs and projects benefiting the disadvantaged
We maintain close contact with schools, collaborating on road safety education, internships and careers development
We offer employment opportunities to former members of the armed services
We also offer employment opportunities for ex-convicts and the homeless
Our Gist Division works closely with its customers to deliver on its sense of social responsibility.
With Marks & Spencer, for example, we established a joint charity project to support people facing hardship.
Within the Fairshare project, we distribute groceries with short shelf lives to organisations for the homeless and kitchen facilities. This is part of a national relief campaign, in which around 1.2 million meals are distributed to those in need each year. The Marks & Spencer and Gist are proud to be major partners and contributors to this campaign.
