Speak to an expert social value advisor now: +44 (0) 203 747 6555

  • 3 minutes
  • 06/04/2022
10961

Lyreco Goodness: a microbusiness support programme

On 1st January 2022, Lyreco launched ‘Lyreco Goodness’, a new umbrella programme bringing together all their sustainability and social responsibility initiatives. Andrew Byers tells us how Lyreco Goodness came to be, and what it hopes to achieve.

On 1st January 2022, Lyreco launched ‘Lyreco Goodness’, a new umbrella programme bringing together all their sustainability and social responsibility initiatives. Here Andrew Byers, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Lyreco, talks us through the programme. 

Lyreco Goodness is about always doing the right thing – not just for our customers, but for our people, our communities, and our planet. It’s at the heart of everything we do, and it guides every choice we make. This also extends to who we are as people, and we have a proud history of actively supporting local charities and businesses both here in the UK & Ireland, and further afield.

The work being implemented through Lyreco Goodness is structured around supporting our beneficiaries, or whom we exist to serve. We have defined a set of six objectives that each support one or more of our four main benefits and our four beneficiaries: staff, suppliers, customers and our community or our people and the planet.

Through our fundraising and volunteering works, we go beyond the delivery of providing workplace solutions to make a difference in local communities. As part of our ambition to impact society and to empower our people to give something back to the communities we work in, we’ve partnered with WorkingRite as our Lyreco lead charity. Within each of our four product categories we have also partnered with Lighthouse Club, Mental Health Foundation, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Shrewsbury Ark.

Here at Lyreco HQ we’re always looking for innovative ideas to develop our sustainability practices even further. Our on-site bee apiaries, eco-garden, bird boxes and ‘green wall’, are just a few of our latest developments to strengthen the surrounding eco-system. We are one of the first UK Commercial and Industrial sites to combine large scale battery storage and rooftop solar panels. With over 13,860 solar panels, generating over 3 million kWh of electricity, we not only power our business and electric car charging points – we also pass what we don’t back into the national grid.
Our Microbusiness Support Programme

Micro, Small or Medium sized businesses are estimated to make up 99.9% of the nation’s business population. However, the failure rate of such businesses are high due to the lack of support and high initial costs in the first few years of the business starting. In order to play a part in supporting microbusinesses in the UK & Ireland, Lyreco has launched the Lyreco Goodness Microbusiness Support Programme.

Within this programme, successful applicants receive sponsored support including:
• 12 month free product and services webshop listing and digital trade plan support
• Dedicated Webshop Landing Page
• Preferred payment days
• Access to Sales Force via Learning and Development

David Harman, Director of Product and Services, explains how the idea for Lyreco Goodness Microbusiness Support Programme came about: “Microbusinesses are an essential component of the UK economy, but for many business owners, the pandemic has had a devastating impact. This in turn could have a detrimental effect on employment and the resilience of our communities. Now more than ever, microbusinesses need access to support and resources that will empower them to thrive in the post-pandemic economy.”

Lyreco are a proud sponsor of the National Social Value Conference 2022. Click here to book your tickets and join them there.

For more information on Lyreco Goodness and the Microbusiness Support Programme, click here.

Ready to get started?

Book a demo with a member of our team to see the Social Value Portal in action and find out how to maximise the good you do.