Be Ethical Training set up by North West entrepreneurs, Caroline Swailes and Heather de Groot is on a mission to help leaders across the region practice kinder business.
They aim to help businesses formalise and recognise the value of their corporate social responsibility (CSR), to give them the tools to become kinder, more sustainable, and to grow.
The company has also pledged to support North West social enterprise, Girls Out Loud, which helps teenage girls in the UK to find their voice, by developing their confidence, emotional resilience and self-esteem. With every new member that signs up, Be Ethical will donate £150 to the charity, with the hope of raising £25,000 for the cause in the next twelve months.
Caroline and Heather were inspired to help businesses do better during their time at Bibby Line Group, supported by Sir Michael Bibby Bt DL, chairman of Bibby Line Group and celebrated philanthropist.
Speaking about their mission, co-founder and director of business development, Caroline Swailes, said:
“Having worked for businesses that value and champion a culture of responsibility like Bibby Line Group, we’ve seen first-hand the importance of accountability and engagement when it comes to CSR. And as women in business, we have also experienced the value of mentors in empowering us to lead in these areas. We certainly wouldn’t be where we are today without them or the experience we gained during our time at Bibby Line Group.
“Supporting Girls Out Loud really aligns with who we are as individuals and as women who are passionate about being in business. It makes a real difference that we can see the impact of the work we do and we look forward to inspiring the next generation of women in business.”
Through a 12 month programme of support, currently delivered through an online training platform, businesses are trained on how to formalise their CSR practices into an ESG (environmental, social and governance) framework, and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Businesses will be able to maximise their competitive advantage, support a culture of responsibility, and become part of the kindness economy, prompting consumers to buy into their values, rather than just buying from them.
Co-founder and director of operations, Heather de Groot, explained:
“As we emerge from an unprecedented time in our history, our society has changed for good. Community and kindness have been a lifeline to many working from home or during furlough. We want to build on this good business practice.
“We are now seeing procurement frameworks measuring social value. We had clients who did amazing things, but just didn’t get the marks as they had never measured and reported their social impact. We launched Be Ethical Training to educate these amazing SME businesses to maximise their competitive advantage through the work that they do in the workplace, their local communities and for the planet.”
During their time at Bibby Line Group, Caroline and Heather developed and championed a successful employee engagement programme, supporting 5,000+ employees in 20 countries to raise in excess of £6 million for charitable causes.
For more information about Be Ethical visit www.be-ethical.com
