The Co-operative wins national business award for Corporate Social Responsibility

The Co-operative Group’s leadership position in Corporate Social responsibility CSR) has again been recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony.

The Group won the award for CSR at the influential ninth annual National Business Awards in partnership with Orange held at Grosvenor House in London

Peter Marks, Group Chief Executive, who won the Orange Leader of the Year at same event last year said: “Yet again our exemplary work in CSR has been recognised on the national stage.

“As well as being commercially successful, the Co-operative Group is a business with strong ethical foundations and our values influence not only what we do with our profits but how those profits are made in the first place.

“This is a great achievement for every member of staff who help us to deliver the Co-operative difference day in day out across our complete family of businesses.”

Philip Forrest, Chairman of Judges, the National Business Awards said: “The UK’s largest mutual - comprising food, farming, financial and funeral services - is a beacon of best practice. Judges were impressed by the Group’s proactive work, whether it relates to tar sands within its toxic fuels campaigning or sustainable lending practices through its banking arm.”

The Co-operative not only takes pride in its efforts towards CSR but also in its promotion of community living initiatives across the UK.

The Group was also runner up in the Large Cap Business Award.


Additional Information:
The Co-operative Group stands apart from other major retailers in the UK as a business which is owned, not by a small group of shareholders, but by more than five million consumers. With core interests in food, financial services, travel, pharmacy, funerals and farms, it has an annual turnover of £14 billion, employs 123,000 staff and operates over 5,000 retail trading outlets handling more than 20 million weekly transactions.

Following the acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain in March 2009, The Co-operative Food is the fifth largest food retailer. The Co-operative Financial Services is one of the largest and most diversified financial mutual businesses, operating The Co-operative Bank, The Co-operative Insurance and Britannia.

The Co-operative is the UK’s number one provider of funeral services, the third largest retail pharmacy chain, a leading travel retailer, supplying the travel needs of more than three million people annually, and is the UK’s largest farmer.

Among its other businesses are The Co-operative Motor Group, The Co-operative Electrical and The Co-operative Legal Services.

Contact Information

Dave Smith

Press Contact

PR Manager Corporate

Contact via E-mail