The Big Tick
DONCASTER KNIGHTS PARTNERSHIP HELPS WIN NATIONAL BUSINESS AWARD
Network Rail has been recognised as amongst the best in class in corporate citizenship as it beat off dozens of other top companies to secure two top business awards. It was praised for community safety projects including support for Doncaster Knights DIRECT (Doncaster Inclusive Rugby Education Community Trust).
The Business in the Community “Big Tick” is an industry recognised award presented to companies able to demonstrate significant impact and high quality management of their responsible business practices and which can show a positive impact both on society and on the business. Owing to its continued commitment to corporate responsibility Network Rail has been awarded two Big Ticks for excellent work within the talent and community safety sector.
With a national community safety programme and dedicated team of community safety managers, Network Rail has achieved great success nationwide and within local communities to raise safety awareness and ultimately reduce the number of incidents of crime and vandalism on the railway.
Network Rail’s work in this area has gone from strength to strength over the last three years after launching its No Messin’ campaign. By engaging with local communities to tackle issues around railway crime and through the development of new sport and activity-based community clubs, Network Rail has achieved success in bringing down railway crime.
Network Rail’s dedication to investment in its people helped secure the Big Tick award for talent. As one of the biggest investors in vocational training and development in Britain, Network Rail recognises the importance of investing in the company’s future by nurturing new and existing talent. Specialist vocational training centres provide Network Rail staff with a dedicated base to learn new techniques and update existing skills, playing a pivotal role in the leadership and talent development of Network Rail people.
The award winning advanced apprenticeship scheme which combines personal development with technical training has trained over 200 apprentices over the last year and will train 1,200 additional apprentices in the next five years. In 2009 the company will spend more than £30 million on vocational training and is set to take on 280 graduate recruits, about double last years intake.
The company’s Big Tick achievements feature in today’s Financial Times Responsible Business supplement which also lists Network Rail’s attainment of a silver award in the Business in the Community corporate responsibility index, a step up from last year’s bronze award.
Iain Coucher, chief executive, Network Rail said: “Winning the Big Ticks and the silver index award is an excellent achievement of which we are all proud. As a company we believe in investing in our people. Over the last year our commitment to both our employees’ futures and the success of the community safety campaign has proven to be fruitful, achieving great results. Winning these awards underline our commitment to our people and being a good corporate citizen.”
Stephen Howard, chief executive, Business in the Community said: “I congratulate Network Rail on achieving silver in the 2008 Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index. At a time when trust and confidence in businesses is at an all time low, it is examples like this that will help to demonstrate that some businesses are taking the responsibility they have towards their people and the planet seriously and that it makes business sense.”
