Mears Group has won Social Responsibility Company of the Year at the 2016 National Energy Efficiency & Retrofit Awards.The Awards recognise and reward excellence in energy efficiency to improve UK housing stock, reduce carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty and help homeowners reduce their energy bills.Some 386 companies entered the Awards this year in 20 categories. Nominees in the Social Responsibility Company of the Year Award were judged on:
- the impact their business has had within the local community
- what their customers and local community have to say about them
- the level of expertise the nominee has within its organisation.
Mears Group was chosen for the top prize by a panel of 30 independent expert judges. The judges said: “Mears demonstrated a holistic approach to social responsibility with innovative schemes covering all ages and utilising the variety of skills levels throughout both the community and the workforce."We were impressed by the effort Mears has put into social activities; for instance enabling their staff to put valuable time into community projects and putting profits directly into support for vulnerable customers. Their focus on recruiting through apprenticeship and following that through with offers of full time employment is also commendable.“We’re impressed that Mears has introduced an innovative payment mechanism for smaller businesses – promoting the financial sustainability of their supply chain in this way not only helps Mears to deliver its projects but also brings social and economic benefits to those businesses and their communities.“Mears also has an eye on environmental benefits as demonstrated by work on waste collection and community gardens. In all, Mears has touched on the three pillars of sustainability and for that reason we have chosen to recognise their efforts as the winner of this award.”The award was presented at a gala dinner in Birmingham Metropole Hilton Hotel on the Friday 16 September, by Absolutely Fabulous actress Joanna Lumley and the award’s sponsor, Community Warmth.Andy Derry, Mears Group’s Development Support Manager, said: “Social responsibility runs through everything we do as a company, so to be awarded Social Responsibility Company of the Year is testament to all the hard work our teams carry out every day across the UK.“Our vision is to make a positive difference to the communities we serve. We do this by improving homes, improving communities and improving lives.”To find out more about Mears' social responsibility, download our Social Value Report.