GoodCorporation - Setting the Standard for Responsible Business

GoodCorporation strengthens its business assessment Standard with additional points on lobbying; bribery and corruption of public officials; responsible management of the supply chain; transparent disclosure of political payments and employee privacy.

Launched today (June 8th) by Lord Hastings, at a House of Lords Lunch Debate on ‘Corporate Responsibility’, the revised GoodCorporation Standard was reviewed in conjunction with the Institute of Business Ethics.

The debate was hosted by GoodCorporation and was the latest in a series of House of Lords lunch debates held for industry leaders across a variety of sectors.

Commenting on the launch of the revised Standard, Lord Hastings said; “I welcome the update of the GoodCorporation Standard. It is a rigorous assessment of corporate responsibility and one that would benefit businesses of all sizes. In today’s business world, it is essential that companies commit to a serious examination of their own business practice and avoid a PR-led approach to corporate responsibility. A failure to do so can have lasting consequences.”

GoodCorporation is a business assessment and certification organisation that helps companies to systematically assess their business practices against the GoodCorporation Standard. To ensure that the Standard stays up-to-date it undergoes a triennial review in consultation with the Institute of Business Ethics, the Accreditation Council and the GoodCorporation Advisory Panel, which includes, amongst others, Lord Sharman, Baroness Greengross, Will Hutton and Dame Pauline Neville-Jones.

The purpose of the review is two-fold. It ensures that the Standard continues to address all the significant responsible practices towards stakeholders while remaining a widely applicable framework for corporate responsibility. It also ensures that the Standard is clearly, succinctly and consistently expressed.

The GoodCorporation Standard is a standard of responsible business practice, developed in conjunction with the Institute of Business Ethics. It is applied to an organisation’s management of its employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, its environmental impact and its relationships with the communities in which it operates.

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18 January 2007
PRESS RELEASE - for immediate release
Small organisations score best in responsible business practices
GoodCorporation has reached its fifth birthday and its 200th assessment. To mark these anniversaries, GoodCorporation has produced a detailed analysis of its on-site assessment data, and found that small organisations outperform large ones in all responsible practice areas towards stakeholders.
Since its launch on 3 July 2001, GoodCorporation has conducted 200 assessments of 90 organisations against the GoodCorporation Standard which consists of 62 specific responsible business practices covering five stakeholder areas: employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, and communities including environmental impact management. Performance is graded on a five-point scale ranging from fail (1) to commendation (5) which can be converted to metrics.
In the areas of community/environmental performance and supplier management, small companies significantly outscore their larger rivals. The difference is also marked in terms of customer performance and employee performance. Performance in shareholder relations is roughly the same for small and large organisations.
The relative strength of small companies we believe derives from their commitment and ability to respond quickly to stakeholder needs. They are also small enough to be flexible and give personalised attention to employee or customer problems.
Pass rates
GoodCorporation awards a certificate of good performance to any organisation that has no "fail" grade in any of the assessed practices. There was a fail rate of 18 percent fail showing the challenge of embedding all elements of corporate responsibility.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that large companies can learn from SMEs about corporate responsibility. Large organisations could delegate the management of stakeholder relationships to smaller "local" teams within a division or subsidiary rather than keeping the function in a central "head office." They also need to be wary of inflexible policies that are a source of frustration as many of our stakeholder interviews reveal.
A copy of the report can be downloaded from the download section of this web site.

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14 June 2006
PRESS RELEASE - for immediate release
GoodCorporation submits response to Gambling Commission
GoodCorporation has stressed the need for strict practices and licensing conditions to ensure that gambling operators protect vulnerable groups from problem gambling in its response to the Gambling Commission's Consultation on Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice. The document addresses the specific challenge for the regulator and the industry to put in place practices that will actually help problem gamblers to control their behaviour and to prevent access by young people.
Leo Martin, Director of GoodCorporation commented 'the social responsibility codes in the licensing conditions are vital for British gambling companies to maintain the public's support for the industry in light of the rapid growth of online gaming and betting'. A copy of the full response can be downloaded from www.goodcorporation.com.
Some of the specific measures that GoodCorporation calls for are:
Participation by operators in a global self exclusion database
Risk labelling for every gambling activity off and online
Age verification for use of any 'freeplay' zones of gambling websites because freeplay is a marketing tool and not just a video game
Access to online databases for researchers to identify the real levels of problem gambling, typical behaviour patterns and to develop software that can generate alerts to the operator and messages to the customer.
Contact:
For enquiries about GoodCorporation, please contact Lisa Buchan on 020 7924 3994, email lisa.buchan@goodcorporation.com
Note to editors:
About GoodCorporation
GoodCorporation is a standard of responsible business and an assessment company that organisations use to ensure that they run their business responsibly and treat their stakeholders fairly. GoodCorporation has conducted a number of assessments of companies operating in the gambling and gaming sectors.
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19 November 2005
Bob Bell Joins Accreditation Council
GoodCorporation is pleased to announce that Dr Robert Bell has joined its Accreditation Council. Bob is Managing Director of Environmental Advice Centre (www.envac.co.uk) and has over 20 years experience as an environmental scientist. Bob also serves as an advisor to the Land Regeneration Network (LRN) the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Committee for Wales, The Meat Hygiene Service, The Environment Agency, Wales and the Land Regeneration Network in Wales based at Cardiff University. Bob is a member of the editorial panel of Land Reclamation and Regeneration Journal.

Michael Littlechild Chief Executive of GoodCorporation commented 'we are delighted that Bob Bell has agreed to join our accreditation council, it will strengthen our review process and in particular give us more environmental expertise'.

About The Accreditation Council
The Accreditation Council reviews all assessment reports for certification against the Standard, and settles any disputes that may arise over certification. The Council is chaired by Ken Rushton, former Director of the Institute of Business Ethics and former FSA Director of the UK Listing Authority. Other Council members are : Joe Mann MBE General Secretary for the League of the Blind and Disabled and Political Liaison Officer for Community (the merged ISTC and KFAT trade union); Mike Peart (a founder of Investors in People UK; Jenny Rayner, Principal Consultant at Abbey Consulting and formerly a Chief Internal Auditor with ICI; Simon Webley Research Director at the Institute of Business Ethics. Two representatives from GoodCorporation also sit on the Council.

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21 July 2005
GoodCorporation launches in Ireland
GoodCorporation, the standards organisation for responsible business practice, today officially announced the launch of its service in Ireland. The first organisation of its kind to operate in Ireland, GoodCorporation audits companies for corporate social responsibility practices and provides benchmarking against which member companies can measure their performance.
As accredited GoodCorporation Consultants, A&L Goodbody Consulting will advise organisations on the adoption of the GoodCorporation Standard; assist them in identifying gaps in an organisation’s CSR systems and in implementing the practices required to achieve the Standard; and help them to prepare for an assessment by GoodCorporation.
At today’s launch, Leo Martin, Founder and Director of GoodCorporation, said, "We are delighted to establish GoodCorporation in Ireland. The Standard gives organisations a clear and simple way to review and demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility and we expect this to bring real benefits to Irish companies. Those that consistently demonstrate corporate social responsibility can now access a global standard that will allow employees, customers and investors to recognise that commitment."
"We also look forward to working with SMEs, as well as larger corporations, who will now have an opportunity to implement best practices which were formerly the preserve of large corporations," stated Grainne Madden, GoodCorporation Assessor.
Grainne Pyne, a Senior Economist in A&L Goodbody Consulting noted, "Corporate social responsibility has become an increasingly important component of corporate life in Ireland. Many organisations have CSR programmes in place, but GoodCorporation is the first body to offer a full assessing and benchmarking process across all operations, not just community relations. Critically, it will also allow Irish businesses to communicate their ethical commitments to stakeholders."
The Standard has already received praise from Paul O’Grady, Managing Director, Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA), who said, "As the National force in the pursuit of quality improvement, EIQA is delighted to endorse the GoodCorporation Standard. CSR is becoming a key concern for business and it is important to have a high quality standardised approach that facilitates business improvement and can also be easily understood by the public."
GoodCorporation will host a series of conferences in conjunction with A&L Goodbody Consulting starting on September 27th for Irish organisations which will outline the process and auditing procedures required to obtain the GoodCorporation Standard. Interested parties can contact Julie McGouran in Dublin on 01 649 2105 to receive further information.
For the full text of the press release, click here (PDF document, 24KB).

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17 February 2005
Peter Hain celebrates GoodCorporation success
Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Wales and Leader of the House of Commons, today presided at a ceremony in Fishguard, Wales where he presented 21 GoodCorporation members with their certificates. The certificates were awarded to companies that have demonstrated excellent standards of responsible business practice.
The ceremony was held at Sigma Exhibition Services, one of the GoodCorporation members based in Wales.
Tamsin Dunwoody, Assembly Member for Wales attended the ceremony and spoke of the need to promote responsible business in Wales and noted the significant success that the GoodCorporation businesses had achieved in recent years.
Leo Martin, Director of GoodCorporation commented, "We are delighted that the responsible business practices of our members is being recognised at the highest levels of government."

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12 July 2004
Acambis PLC joins GoodCorporation
GoodCorporation has its first biotechnology member after Acambis plc was successfully verified in April 2004. It is GoodCorporation's second high-tech Cambridge company and is next-door neighbour of ARM, one of our founder members which has just had its fourth verification.
Acambis is one of the leading developers of vaccines against infectious diseases. Two products are currently marketed: the first is supplied to governments to protect against the threat of a smallpox-related bioterrorist event; the second is an orally administered typhoid vaccine promoted and distributed in North America.
Acambis started out as a small research-focused organisation based in Cambridge only twelve years ago; today it has around 300 employees located across its operations in Cambridge (UK), Boston (MA), Miami (FL) and Toronto.
Having grown so fast, Acambis wanted to take stock of its responsible business practices and to report on them in a practical framework. It chose GoodCorporation so that it could benefit from an independent assessment of where they are now. 
Notes for editors: Acambis is a leading developer of vaccines to prevent and treat infectious diseases. Recognised internationally as the leading producer of smallpox vaccines, Acambis is developing a second-generation smallpox vaccine which is currently undergoing clinical trials and, under a unique arrangement given the threat of smallpox being used as a bioterrorist weapon, is manufacturing emergency-use stockpiles of this investigational vaccine for the US Government and other governments around the world. Acambis is establishing a travel vaccines franchise through its US-based subsidiary Berna Products Corporation, which markets Vivotif®, the world’s only licensed oral typhoid vaccine, in North America. Acambis has a number of other potential travel vaccines in development and is also developing a vaccine against the West Nile virus, which has spread to 46 US States in the last five years.  Acambis is based in Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Its primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange (ACM) and its shares are listed in the form of American Depositary Receipts on NASDAQ (ACAM). More information is available at www.acambis.com, or by contacting Lyndsay Wright on 01223 275300
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8 July 2004
GoodCorporation features in a new corporate social responsibility television series to be broadcast from 12 July
The BBC has made a series of programmes about corporate social responsibility that investigate how companies deal with corporate responsibility issues.
The programmes will appear on BBC Four, the digital television channel at 8.30pm, 12–14 July, 2004. The first programme, It Pays to Be Green (12 July) focuses on the community and environment; the second in the series, Nice Guys Finish First (13 July) highlights employee relationships; while the final one, Power to the People (14 July) looks at customer, supplier and investor issues.
The programmes feature GoodCorporation members ARM, Ladbrokes and DHL as well as GoodCorporation advisory panel member, Will Hutton of the Work Foundation. Other companies and organisations that participated in the series include B&Q, the Consumers’ Association, Fidelity Investments, Greenpeace, Isis Asset Management, Nationwide, Oxfam, Shell UK and USS Pensions. For complete programme information see www.radiotimes.com.
Notes for editors: For further information about the programmes, please contact the BBC press office on 020 8576 1865.  
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23 April 2004
GoodCorporation and BBC make CSR programmes
GoodCorporation and the BBC are making four programmes about corporate responsibility. Three of the programmes will appear on BBC4, the digital television channel. The programmes are divided into the different stakeholder categories in the GoodCorporation standard. The first focuses on employee relationships, the second on the community and environment. The third programme looks at customer, supplier and investor issues. The programmes show how companies deal with corporate responsibility issues and also highlight the role that GoodCorporation plays as a standard and in the process of verification.
The three programmes are being edited to make a fourth programme for BBC Worldwide which covers all the stakeholder groups. The BBC Worldwide programme will be marketed to channels worldwide and also be made into a BBC Worldwide and GoodCorporation video. The video will be accompanied by a booklet on how companies can set up and manage a corporate responsibility programme and how the GoodCorporation standard can be used as a tool to help management to measure and improve corporate responsibility performance.
The programmes feature a number of GoodCorporation clients including ARM, Ladbrokes and DHL. They also include a number of non-members including Nationwide, Shell and B&Q. The dates for broadcast of the programmes have not yet been confirmed. 
Notes for editors: BBC Worldwide Limited is the commercial consumer arm, and a wholly owned subsidiary, of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company was formed in 1994 to develop a co-ordinated approach to the BBC’s commercial activities: television, publishing, product licensing, Internet and interactive. BBC Worldwide exists to maximise the value of the BBC’s programme and publishing assets for the benefit of the licence payer, and re-invest in public service programming. In 2002/2003 £123 million was returned to the BBC.
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15 August 2003
GoodCorporation standard to be updated
GoodCorporation is updating its standard, to a timetable agreed with the Institute of Business Ethics. The standard enables companies to demonstrate social responsibility towards employees, customers, shareholders, the environment and the community. The new version of the standard will be ready for use in the second half of 2004.
The original GoodCorporation standard was launched three years ago, and piloted by 10 organisations in 2001. Since its launch, the standard has been applied over 50 times in 12 countries, using 17 verification companies.
The standard is currently being reviewed. It will then be updated, and circulated for consultation between September 2003 to January 2004.
Leo Martin, Director of GoodCorporation, commented: "Our verification work to date has shown that the GoodCorporation standard works extremely well in many different cultures and many different types of organisations. Corporate responsibility issues are evolving, and we are now looking to the IBE to help us include some of the recent changes in the standard. We will give plenty of assistance to our members to make sure that they understand the changes."
Simon Webley, Director of Research at the IBE, said: "The feedback we have received is that the standard is working well on the ground. There are some issues – for example corporate governance – that have emerged since the original design and we will need to adapt the standard in some places to address these issues. It’s great to see that the GoodCorporation standard and verification are both extremely valuable to organisations of any size."
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15 May 2003
The Pensions Trust becomes a GoodCorporation
Leading pensions company in the charitable and voluntary sector shows its socially responsible values at work.
The Pensions Trust, the leading multi-employer occupational fund for organisations involved in social, educational, charitable, voluntary and other similar work, has just joined the GoodCorporation network of socially responsible organisations.
To join, the Trust had to go through an independent verification of its practices. The GoodCorporation standard tested the Trust’s dealings with its own employees, its customers and its suppliers. It also had to show its commitment to the communities where it operates, mainly in Leeds and Edinburgh, and towards the wider environment.
"With charities and the voluntary organisations as your customers, it makes sense for us to demonstrate our own values of social responsibility," said Stephen Nichols, Deputy Chief Executive. "But we got much more out of it than that. Being seen by an outside pair of eyes has given us a lot of guidance on how we can continually improve and fill in any gaps. It also gave us great confidence that we were along the right lines."
The Pensions Trust was commended in a number of areas, such as its open dialogue with its own staff, which so many organisations struggle to get right. It also had excellent customer response practices. It has implemented a systematic environmental policy over the last year and the verifiers provided suggestions on how this could be extended.
"GoodCorporationís Chief Executive, Michael Littlechild, said: "The major banks and insurers have been putting a lot of effort into this area in recent years. The Pensions Trust has shown that corporate social responsibility is not just for the big players in the financial sector and that it is not afraid to open its doors to outside review."
Notes for editors: The Pensions Trust is the leading multi-employer occupational pension fund for organisations involved in social, educational, charitable, voluntary and other similar work. The Trust provides a variety of pension arrangements including stand alone and centralised final salary schemes, a money purchase plan as well as an innovative career average revalued earnings scheme, CARE. It employs 160 people in Edinburgh, Leeds and London.
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15 May 2003
DHL Aviation becomes a GoodCorporation
DHL Aviation is the first company in the airline sector to achieve GoodCorporation status.
This is a standard for corporate social responsibility. It reflects the company’s commitment to high levels of fairness to its employees, customers and suppliers. The award is also for its contribution to the community and the protection of the environment.
"It was a very interesting company to assess because of some of the issues DHL Aviation faces," Nick Bell, the GoodCorporation verifier said. "For example, UK businesses need overnight courier services, so DHL must operate night flights to meet these needs. The company therefore encourages local residents in the East Midlands to visit the facility, generating a better understanding in the local community of how DHL operates."
DHL Aviation General Manager Danny Pedri commented: "I was immediately attracted to the GoodCorporation approach. It made sense to us to get an external endorsement of so many of the good practices we already had in place. We are also committed to constant improvement and the GoodCorporation process has prompted us to make changes in several areas."
Notes for editors: DHL Aviation provides the air transport network for DHL. DHL is the world’s leading express and logistics company. Its harmonised international network links more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. Based in Brussels, Belgium, DHL is 100% owned by Deutsche Post World Net.
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15 April 2003
TotalFinaElf implements its code of conduct using the GoodCorporation methodology
GoodCorporation and TotalFinaElf announced today that they are working together to help the global oil company to implement its code of conduct. The work is based on the GoodCorporation standard that was developed by the Institute of Business Ethics.
The GoodCorporation standard encompasses 65 management practices covering fair dealings with employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, protection of the environment and contribution to the community. The process is based on independent verification of practices on the ground, most importantly discussing directly with groups of employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and community groups how well policies work in reality.
TotalFinaElf asked GoodCorporation to look at 10 additional areas, covering issues related to the oil sector, and to conduct a pilot in 2002 in its subsidiaries in the North Sea and in Morocco. TotalFinaElf then used the GoodCorporation methodology to review some of its largest subsidiaries in Latin America, Africa, North America, Continental Europe and the Far East. The results of the first group of businesses are being collated and presented to the company’s Ethics Committee in Paris.
The Chairman of the Ethics Committee, Jean-Pierre Cordier explained his choice of the GoodCorporation approach: "We wanted to find a practical way to establish how well our code of conduct and business principles are working in reality. We also wanted to find a methodology that allows credible measurement of our performance. I do not want to know where we are doing well, rather I want to find out where we need to improve."
Leo Martin, Director of GoodCorporation, said, "We are very pleased to see a global company like TotalFinaElf use the GoodCorporation approach. It demonstrates how a company can use a consistent system across contrasting cultures and economies."
Notes for editors: TotalFinaElf is one of the leading oil companies in the world. With operations in more than 100 countries, the Group’s activities span all aspects of the energy industry from Upstream - oil and gas exploration and production - to Downstream - refining and marketing of refined products as well as international trading in both crude and refined products. TotalFinaElf is also a major player in the Chemicals markets, through its branch Atofina.
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24 October 2002
Hermes investment principles make sound sense but will investors listen?
Lord Sharman, Chairman of the Advisory Panel of GoodCorporation, welcomes the Hermes approach of building long-term shareholder value but has doubts as to how many will follow the lead. Hermes, the major UK pension fund manager, published its investment principles earlier this week.
"One investor, however large and influential, will find it hard to make a difference," he says in a discussion paper on the principles. "We need to see a change of culture, which includes rewarding fund managers for long term returns, quite unlike what happens at the moment."
Lord Sharman points out in the paper that investors, even company pension funds, reward on the basis of short-term returns, encouraging the sort of behaviour which we now know can have catastrophic consequences. "I for one don’t dismiss what Hermes have said as pie in the sky," he added. "If the culture doesn’t change we’ll always endanger long-term strategic investment. If the incentives on investment managers are perverse, the same will be true of company managers."
He thinks, however, there has been progress in some aspects of shareholder involvement. He observes a growing awareness that social, ethical and environment responsibilities are being more closely reviewed and seen as a commercial, not just a PR, issue. There is a long way to go but useful approaches are evolving. "If we don’t get this right regulation is sure to come, which will be very much second best," he added.
Click here to download the discussion paper (Acrobat pdf format)
Notes for editors: Lord Sharman is Chairman of the Advisory Panel of GoodCorporation. He is also non-executive Chairman of Aegis PLC and a liberal democrat peer. He was formerly Chairman of KPMG Worldwide. Hermes is one of the largest pension fund managers in Britain. It issued this week its principles on what owners should expect from UK public companies and what companies should expect from their owners. They are available at www.hermes.co.uk. 
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14 May 2002
GoodCorporation chairman appointed chief economic adviser to DTI
Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt today announced that Vicky Pryce, Chairman of GoodCorporation, has been appointed as the new chief economic adviser at the DTI.
The appointment follows a review of the department launched by Patricia Hewitt to look at the DTI's support for business and its priorities and structure. An essential component of the new DTI structure will be the new chief economic adviser.
Vicky Pryce said "This is a very exciting opportunity and will allow me to bring my many interests together to help the DTI with its policy making. These interests of course include corporate social responsibility and the work that I have been doing as Chairman of GoodCorporation. I am therefore very pleased to announce that I have agreed with the DTI that I will join the Advisory Panel of GoodCorporation and this will allow me to continue to support GoodCorporation and the excellent work that has been achieved since its launch last summer." 
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8 April 2002
GoodCorporation status awarded to first Welsh company, Jay-Griffith Consulting
Certificate to be awarded by Chairman of the Welsh Development Agency
Jay-Griffith Consulting will be presented with its GoodCorporation certificate by Roger Jones, Chairman of the Welsh Development Agency, at a ceremony tomorrow (9 April). The award is made to businesses that demonstrate social responsibility throughout their operations. The award is the first in Wales.
Leo Martin, Director of GoodCorporation said: "The award to Jay-Griffith Consulting is something of a landmark for Wales. Not only has Jay-Griffith Consulting passed a rigorous external audit of its operations and gained GoodCorporation status in its own right, but it has achieved a first for the Welsh business community."
Roger Jones of the Welsh Development Agency said. "I am delighted that Jay-Griffith Consulting has achieved GoodCorporation status. We believe that social responsibility is vitally important for Welsh business and we hope to see many more businesses following this lead."
To achieve GoodCorporation status Jay-Griffith Consulting had to meet the standards of the 21-point GoodCorporation Charter covering six key areas: fairness to employees, customers, suppliers and funding providers; environmental protection and contribution to the community. 
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5 April 2002
Hospitality Training Foundation a "GoodCorporation"
– Top Award For Corporate Social Responsibility Given After Independent Audit – HTF To Work to Promote Best Practice Across Sector
The Hospitality Training Foundation [HTF], the UK's leading training organisation for the hospitality industry, announced today that it has been awarded the coveted GoodCorporation marque.
Being awarded GoodCorporation status certifies that HTF has met the standards required by an independent verification designed to identify businesses with an outstanding commitment to socially responsible behaviour. Once granted, the symbol allows organisations and individuals to make informed decisions on whom they want to work with or where they may want to buy from.
Verification is conducted against a charter covering the six key areas of corporate citizenship: fair treatment of staff, customers, suppliers and shareholders; contribution to the local community and protection of the environment.
HTF was particularly commended by the verifiers for its HR policies and rigorous competency-based recruitment process. It joins successful businesses ranging from those in the FTSE 100 such as Ladbrokes to small family firms such as The Seaview Hotel, Isle of Wight.
Danuta Muir, HR Director of HTF said: "The real challenge for any business is to make sure that they live up to the values that they promote. GoodCorporation offered us an effective way to understand, and evaluate, our approach to becoming a good corporate citizen. Going through the audit and evaluation was a useful exercise helping us identify where we are doing well, and those areas where more work is required."
HTF has also announced that it will be talking with its clients and suppliers to further promote the understanding of the role of corporate citizenship and the value of shared standards such as the GoodCorporation marque.
GoodCorporation's charter is designed to be applicable not just to businesses, but all types of organisations. It puts small businesses on an equal footing with large corporations with regard to their ability to prove good business behaviour. 
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11 February 2002
Super Tramp Sets Industry Standard for Social Responsibility
Independent verifiers award "GoodCorporation" status Call on industry to look towards shared standard
Super Tramp Trampolines, one of Europe’s leading distributors of trampolines, has today [11/02/02] been awarded the "GoodCorporation" symbol, the sign of a "good business" which is awarded to organisations that can demonstrate social responsibility throughout their operations.
To achieve the GoodCorporation status Super Tramp had to meet the standards required by an independent audit based on a 21-point charter covering six key areas: fairness to employees, customers, suppliers and funding providers; environmental protection and contribution to the community.
In the area of fairness towards employees, Super Tramp was commended for its bonus scheme that paid staff equal amounts regardless of their salary or status. They are committed to providing training for all employees and have a policy of paying all suppliers promptly. Acting responsibly in their operations has meant high levels of customer satisfaction and the retention of suppliers and customers on a long-term basis.
The Devon-based business has been distributing trampolines for over 17 years to major UK retailers. Their current customers include The John Lewis Partnership, Intersport and leading activity toy centres. They join a growing network of national and multinational ÔGoodCorporations’ ranging from the world’s largest betting business, Ladbrokes, and FTSE-100 microprocessors business ARM Holdings, to much smaller business sectors including printers, hoteliers and consultants.
Chris Prentis, Managing Director of Super Tramp, commented:
"Super Tramp has always been committed to good business practices but up until now there has not been a simple framework to assess and communicate this effectively. Earning the GoodCorporation status proves we are serious about our social responsibility and we believe it will be good for our business.
"We are thrilled to achieve this recognition and hope that others will apply for GoodCorporation status. Our ambition is to create a single industry standard that all customers and stakeholders can easily identify with."
The GoodCorporation charter was designed in conjunction with the Institute of Business Ethics, and was compiled following lengthy consultation with businesses, trade unions, consumer organisations, voluntary organisations and experts in Corporate Social Responsibility. It is relevant not only to businesses, but to all types of organisation, including charities, public bodies, and associations. It puts small businesses on an equal footing with large corporations with regard to their ability to adopt and prove good business behaviour. To find out more about GoodCorporation visit www.goodcorporation.com.
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26 June 2001
First ‘GoodCorporations’ show that ethical business works for all
FTSE100 companies join SMEs in new standard
A UK-based firm GoodCorporation launches on 3 July 2001 the first ever global badge of corporate social responsibility open to all organisations. The badge is based on a 21–point charter and to qualify an organisation must successfully undergo an independent verification to demonstrate that the principles are implemented inside the organisation.
Ten organisations have already become ‘GoodCorporations’ including FTSE100 members Ladbrokes and the technology company ARM. Other first members include a further education college in Guildford, and various SMEs such as a hotel on the Isle of Wight and a printing company in north London.
‘GoodCorporation has given us a clear and simple way to review and demonstrate our corporate social responsibility. We expect this to bring real benefit to our business not least by showing our investors that we take corporate social responsibility seriously,’ says Jonathan Brooks, Chief Financial Officer of ARM.
The first members have been independently verified by KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers from the big five accounting firms as well as specialist verification firms Bureau Veritas, Intertek and SGS ICS. The verification work has taken place on site in each organisation and has lasted from one day to 14 days, depending on the size of the organisation. Verification work has been completed in America, Japan and the UK.
‘We are delighted to have as our first members companies like Ladbrokes and ARM,’ said Vicky Pryce, Chairman of GoodCorporation. ‘Standing alongside them are small independent businesses and public institutions, showing that organisations of all sizes and sectors can share the same standard.’
Anthony Goldstone, President of the British Chambers of Commerce, underlines this point: ‘It is high time that SMEs had the same opportunity to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility as large listed companies. I welcome the launch of GoodCorporation. It provides a simple and cost-effective way for our members to review existing policies and procedures and ultimately to profit from ethical behaviour.’
GoodCorporation is now rolling out its services to a wide range of organisations. It will build a network of GoodCorporations initially from its base in the UK, moving to the US and Western Europe.
‘Our hope is that the clear benefits of being a GoodCorporation will attract many organisations into our network and help extend corporate responsibility from the few to the many,’ says Vicky Pryce.

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