At Circle UK Group, we have a deep and genuine commitment to caring for the people and places where we work.
It runs deep in our culture, way beyond simply complying with legislation about the environment.
From our leadership team to those delivering our services on site, we all have a sense of responsibility to give back to those people and places.
Because of the nature of our work in security and facilities management, we see first-hand the challenges in our society and the consequences for those who are caught up in them.
Working all over the country, our team members often meet people from disadvantaged communities. One of the things that inspires us is how many of those people rise above any challenges they may face personally to create new initiatives to help their communities.
That’s one of the things that has lit in us a burning desire to play our part in supporting those communities, especially their young people, and it has resulted in a thriving social responsibility programme.
Let’s take a look at some of the latest projects where we’ve been able to lend a hand.
Christmas Appeal: Helping the homeless
Every winter, wherever she’s worked throughout her career, Hayley Thomas has been helping the homeless by running a donation bank.
It’s a tradition that she has carried on since joining Circle as Head of Business Development.
Can you make a donation?
Calling on the generosity of colleagues, contractors and friends, Hayley collects and parcels up donations of warm clothes, new underwear, coats and toiletries that are then delivered to a chosen homeless shelter or charity.
Several charities have benefited over the years, including projects specialising in helping single and young homeless people.
This year, the beneficiary will be a local homeless charity in one of the communities where Circle is currently working.
On-site training portal
Imagine you’re looking for work but you have few, if any, workplace qualifications. The simple answer would be to get training, but that is easier said than done.
Many people who are without jobs or not in full-time employment find it difficult to access opportunities for additional training because either they cannot get to the training location or the lesson times clash with their part-time jobs or childcaring commitments.
There’s a need for something more flexible, and that’s a gap we’re aiming to fill.
You’ll find Circle training portals on several sites where the company is running projects.
They offer a room where up to ten people at a time can access a bank of PCs to take part in online learning and complete certified training that can further their job opportunities.
The short on-site, online courses that Circle provides are easily accessible locally and require relatively little time commitment.
“We see training as a core element in our programme to deliver social value through the contracts that we win,” explains Circle UK Group Director Kyri Anastasi. “It promotes the spirit of the company, our commitment to growing our own skilled workforce, and it shows people there are opportunities to join us, to develop and to give back to their own communities.”
Tackling youth suicide
Anyone taking their own life is a tragedy. To see that there is a rise in young people attempting suicide is particularly shocking, especially for those of us at Circle who are parents.
By the age of 17, seven per cent of children have attempted to take their own lives, and almost one in four say they have self-harmed (British Journal of Psychology).
We’re pleased to find that there are several initiatives trying to tackle the depression and loneliness that are often the cause of those stark numbers, and we have been keen to help.
Now, we are providing a free training programme to the OLLIE Foundation suicide prevention charity.
This certified e-learning course is being provided from the mental health and wellbeing section of our Circle Academy, the company’s dedicated training arm. We will be delivering suicide prevention training to schools, youth groups, sports clubs, voluntary organisations and universities.
Participants will have access to online or in-person talks and training covering:
- Talk safe, plan safe
- The science of goal setting
- Keeping safe and carrying on
- Safeguarding for teens
We’re delivering the course in partnership with the OLLIE Foundation, which has provided suicide prevention training to more than 10,000 people since 2016, and we’re delighted that alongside these vital training services, we have also been able to provide the charity with a cash donation.
https://www.theolileightrust.org/the-big-give-christmas-challenge-2022.html#/
Supporting football teams
As the UK’s national sport, football is a great way to connect with young people to give them a place to go and a sense of purpose.
That’s what Enfield Football Club do.
Located in north London near to Circle’s HQ, the club provides training every Saturday morning for youngsters ranging from under-7s to under-18s.
A self-funded charity, the club completely depends on generous donations for its survival.
So we are delighted to be able to sponsor them.
As site security makes up a large part of our service portfolio, our team are very aware of the effects of changing values in society and the pressures that challenging neighbourhoods put on young people.
As a father with teenage children of his own, Kyri knows that young people need places to socialise and develop skills outside school, and that those aren’t always readily available.
“It’s crucial that young people have a safe place to get together, he says. “Youth football clubs like Enfield provide that.”
To thank Circle for their sponsorship, the club has presented Kyri with a team shirt.
Donating to food banks
Food banks have become increasingly important as disadvantaged families face hardship in the cost-of-living crisis.
At Circle, we regularly make donations to food banks in the areas where the company operates, including Enfield and Tower Hamlets.
Backing a street gym
Terroll Lewis says he is running not only a gym but also a safe space for the community.
As someone who grew up in a disadvantaged community, he works with young people who come to his Brixton Street Gym to steer them away from the streets and help them to find employment.
The gym has a mission to build the minds, ambitions and confidence of young people.
When a Circle team was sent to the gym to manage compliance on building work, we straight away fell in love with the project.
Our people have been working with the gym’s team ever since to provide health and safety services and training through our dedicated training arm, Circle Academy.
We’ve also donated gym equipment, and we’re currently putting in a wheelchair ramp at the gym.
Brixton Street Gym is a charity-based community gym that caters for everyone in Brixton. The site has new equipment and classes including circuit, spin, boxing, ladies-only circuit, calisthenics, kids’ fitness, Muay Thai and dance classes.
Last Word
At the core of our promise on social responsibility is a pledge to support charities and local communities, aiming to make the communities where the company works better places to live and do business, and being sensitive to local cultural, social, and economic needs.
“We are always looking for local organisations to support, particularly those aimed towards youth,” says Kyri. “We think it’s incredibly important to give our backing to local clubs and organisations that give young people a place to go as well as helping people develop skills that will help them to find work. We want them to have confidence and self-esteem so that they have happy and successful lives.”
