Office Friendly Announces New Social Sustainability Programme for SMEs

4th June 2019

Sheffield-based business development specialist Office Friendly will launch its new social sustainability programme, Weaver, on Monday 1st July.

The programme will award participants certification across five possible areas of sustainability and has been designed especially for SMEs by Office Friendly in partnership with London-based independent sustainability consultancy, Carbon Smart. Office Friendly has worked with Carbon Smart for over 10 years to deliver the multi-award winning So-Go-Eco programme. The development of the Weaver programme is a direct response to modern attitudes towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a whole as well as increasing demands from stakeholders for accountability and meaningful action on the part of industry and business. The Weaver programme will offer a structured framework across five key CSR areas: carbon footprint, waste management, single-use packaging, sustainable products, and social responsibility. Alongside the certification, participants will be able to access free introductory training, learning materials, templates and guidance documentation for each area using the Pioneer platform. The programme is also highly flexible, allowing participants to pick and choose which area they would like to address at their own pace. Julie Hawley, Managing Director of Office Friendly, sees the Weaver programme as a valuable opportunity for SMEs to make meaningful changes in their supply chain, communities and the environment. -SMEs shouldn't be frightened off by the phrase corporate social responsibility (CSR) or ignore it because they think it's for large corporates. Many consumers are challenging their supply chains and SMEs need to be prepared. "Reputation and professionalism is a vision all businesses should continually strive for and CSR is one comprehensive way of showcasing this very well. Done well, it's meaningful, commercially advantageous and can't be called 'greenwash'. The Weaver Social Sustainability Programme will launch to the Office Friendly membership and the wider SME community on Monday 1st July. Visit the website at officefriendly.co.uk/weaver or contact weaver@officefriendly.co.uk for more information on the programme and how to get involved. About Office Friendly Office Friendly is a not-for-profit dealer group offering a range of business services to over 150 members across the country. Founded in 1994, Office Friendly offers support in business development, mentoring and commercial direction, and provides bespoke marketing out of its in-house agency, KascAid. For more information, please visit www.officefriendly.co.uk. As a leading provider of business sustainability services, Carbon Smart's expert team helps businesses of varying size, from a wide range of industries, to understand and overcome their sustainability challenges, identify tangible opportunities and provide clear action to enhance their sustainability. For more information, please visit www.carbonsmart.co.uk.

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