At the meeting, the retailer announced that, through the scheme, £10m of its profits have been donated to more than 30,000 good causes across the UK and Channel Islands.
The Prime Minister also welcomed the supermarket’s decision to increase its support for local communities, and in particular to help youngsters get into work.
Launching in February, its Partner Volunteering scheme will see thousands of Waitrose Partners, as all employees are called, donating time to local charities and good causes over the course of the year – with every Waitrose branch volunteering for an average of 250 hours. Following successful trials, the scheme will be rolled out across the business, meaning a total of 75,000 hours will be spent in local communities in 2012, the supermarket said.
The second new initiative to rollout in 2012 will offer, through The Prince’s Trust ‘Get into’3 programme, a series of two-week work placements to youngsters who are not in education or employment. The supermarket will offer nearly 100 placements across its distribution centres, head office and shops this year.
Prime Minister David Cameron, said: “The Big Society Awards are all about recognising the work that people like Waitrose are doing to bring about what I care about most: a bigger, stronger society. And Community Matters is helping to do exactly that.
“Those green tokens have already seen £10m donated to more than 30 thousand local good causes. I’ve heard first-hand this morning from some of the charities who have benefited – they are the greatest testament to the difference this scheme makes.”
Source: Waitrose
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