At Ridge, we believe that business should be a force for good, from helping to create jobs in the local community to focusing efforts on making every project as sustainable as possible. It’s more than just good business sense, creating social value is fundamental to creating a fairer and greener world.
To cement our commitment to building healthy communities and environments, we are now proud members of Business in the Community (BITC). Founded over 40 years ago, and supported by His Majesty King Charles III, BITC provides support to businesses across the UK to design, embed or strengthen their existing responsible business agenda.
Lauren Bailey, Head of Social Value at Ridge, said:
Becoming a member of Business in the Community will support Ridge to commit to the highest standards of social responsibility within the built environment, driving sustainable change and fostering better relationships within the communities where our services are delivered.
Joining the responsible business movement
By becoming members of BITC, we now join the ranks of PwC, Sky, Co-op, Marks and Spencer and ARUP, who are all committed to growing the responsible business movement by focusing on:
- Developing a skilled and inclusive workforce
- Ensuring work is good for people
- Innovating to sustain and regenerate the planet
- Building thriving communities
Fundamentally, we want our business decisions to have a positive impact on people, their communities, and their environments.
Mary Macleod, CEO of Business in the Community, said:
I am delighted that Ridge has joined our network of businesses leading from the front to bring about long-term meaningful impact for the benefit of people, our communities, and our planet. Our vision is to create a fairer and greener world, driven by fairer and greener businesses. It is only through the commitment, collaboration, and innovation of organisations like Ridge that we will make this ambition a reality.
The responsible business map
BITC guides members along their responsible business map, which is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is split into two focus areas – healthy communities and healthy environments. Building healthy communities is about making jobs accessible to all and once in post, ensuring employees are healthy, happy and engaged. This covers three key areas:
- D&I
- Health and wellbeing
- Employment and skills
Building healthy environments is about focusing on creating a one-planet economy that delivers lasting prosperity by encouraging innovative and transformational change at the core of businesses. The three main areas are:
- Circular economy
- Climate action
- Nature stewardship
Tracking progress
BITC’s specialised tracker will assess our performance as a responsible business and track our progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The tracker is an important part of understanding where there is room for improvement and innovation, as well as providing a benchmark against other members of BITC. We’re not perfect, but we want to be.
Adrian O’Hickey, Senior Partner at Ridge, said:
Being part of the BITC network is a public commitment to building a fairer and greener world through our business decisions, and I am excited to see how our work together over the coming years will progress Ridge’s responsible business journey.
Read more about Business in the Community.
