As the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns came to be, we had to pivot our ordinary business operations and change how we help people in a time of crisis. As mainstream suppliers were overwhelmed, trying to import Personal Protective Equipment, we stepped in where they failed. We used our expertise, gained over decades sourcing environmentally conscious products, to find manufacturers in the UK who could supply rarer-than-gold-dust PPE and sanitising products.
If ever there was a time to lean on our manufacturing and supply base, it was now. We are immensely proud that we helped and protected people, while reducing carbon miles and safeguarding the small manufacturers and supplies companies that are our communities’ lifeblood. We found small female-run businesses and social enterprises ignored by the mainstream and built our supply base around them. We found a way to recycle the disposable PPE we supplied, read the trends to keep pricing low while retaining continuity of supply, and we gave.
We helped our communities wherever we could – however we could. In a turbulent marketplace, we did our best to do right by all our communities, and right we did.
In 2020 we worked with 234 suppliers, 47 social enterprises and helped more than 200 communities. Our supply chain supports food banks, gives work to refugees, trains and supports people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities and ex-offenders. In short, our supply chain is fantastic and multiplies our impact at every stage. It’s what happens when you are committed to building a social economy.