The Big Interview Are we nearly there yet?
In the autumn last year, The Parently Group, released its first sustainability report called ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ Managing director of The Parently Group, Kathryn Shuttleworth, explains more.
Q. First of all, can you tell our readers what The Parently Group is, for those who may not be familiar with this name? A. The parent company to David Luke was formed in 2016 following a management buyout of the founders, David Burgess and Adrian Luke, to ensure the business remained owner-managed.
The new management team have grown brands alongside the school uniform part of the business, and as we are all parents of young kids, we are really keen to build a portfolio of brands that deliver kit and clothes for kids whether they’re at school, sports or play.
David Luke remains our original and flagship brand, but with growth of Juco for sports and activewear, and Grass & Air for outside play and fun, the overall group rebrand at the beginning of 2020 to The Parently Group, seemed like a great way to deliver growth and share focus across all our brands.
Q. You’ve just released your first integrated report as a group, called ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ In a nutshell what is the report about? A. Our impact report covers how we are as an employer and the culture we foster; the environmental considerations and sustainability passion that exists within the organisation; providing transparency of our supply chain and the ethical approach with our partner factories; how we work within our community to support localised impact; and how we are innovating and thriving across each of our brands.
The title is there to clearly say that this is a journey, and that the pursuit of positive change and action is not something that ends but continues with each generation. The purpose of the report was to inspire pride in our team and key stakeholders,
| 68 | January 2022
The Parently Group’s first impact report
and to clearly demonstrate how the business is building across its brands. We are committed to manufacturing durable and ethical consumer products, that are loved by our community of stockists and resellers, so that they can share in the pride and see the benefits of supplying brands that become better known for the positive impact they can have.
Q. What do you hope to achieve through the publication of this report? A. We always seek to lead the way in the markets we operate in, to bring ideas and inspiration and take action. Following what we have just been through as a society and looking at the way business needs to demonstrate its worth beyond just financial performance, we wanted to produce something that would showcase all the great things we are doing, that are having a positive impact.
Integrated reports for financials and ESG are going to become a regulatory requirement for large PLCs, and so we wanted to lead the way with this approach for smaller business, showing how valuable it is
for our people and stakeholders, to see and feel proud about the contribution we are making and to the wider community and environment. Impact has to be about the things you do, not the things you say, and this report really shows the positive action we are taking in so many areas.
Q. What have been the key highlights of The Parently Group’s sustainability journey over the last 12 months? A. Sustainability has been a huge part of what we do for over 12 years, but the last 12 months has brought a brilliant energy transition at our site, when we had over 1,000 solar panels installed on our roofs, saving around 25 tonnes of carbon a year. Our team engagement has grown, with our Green Team working on various projects to improve the practices in the workplace. And with now over 70% of our product range containing recycled polyester, our product evolution continues with both Grass & Air and Juco ranges also using this more sustainable fibre. David Luke launched a brilliant campaign during the summer called Re:Uniform, promoting ‘Love it, Fix it, Swap it’ for extending the life of uniform and
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
