Corporate Responsibility

Introduction


We are committed to being a socially responsible employer and member of the corporate community. We consider the impact of our activities on customers, employees and the community in all aspects of our business. We have chosen to go beyond our statutory obligations and have taken steps to improve the quality of life for employees, the local community and other stakeholders.

In setting our corporate standards, we take account of the significance of social and ethical matters. These issues are also monitored and addressed through our risk management framework which considers operational and reputational risks as well as those of a legal, regulatory and financial nature. Our corporate responsibility is supported by more detailed policies on issues such as human resources, health and safety and the environment.

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Valuing our staff and Equal Opportunities


We believe that our future business success is heavily dependent on developing our major asset - the people working for us. To realise the full potential of every employee, we are dedicated to a continuing training and development programme in an equal opportunities environment.

We value the individuality, diversity and creativity that every employee brings to the workplace. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect and not to be disadvantaged in any way as a result of their colour, creed, disability, nationality, ethnic origin, race, religion, beliefs, sex, sexual orientation or any other personal characteristic.

Equality of opportunity is seen as an integral part of our employment practices, policies and procedures. To this end all our people share an obligation to their colleagues and customers to provide a safe, fair and equitable working environment in which every individual can seek, obtain and continue employment without experiencing any unfair or unreasonable discrimination.

We believe special efforts are required to prevent discrimination and to eliminate it from our workplace and we make a determined and sustained effort to support this belief in a constructive and positive way.
 

Charitable Donations programme


We actively support a range of local charities, with staff suggesting, organising and participating in charity fund raising days throughout the year.

For many years we have been the main sponsor of the Manx Viking Wheelers - an Island-based cycling club for children and teenagers. The club has produced a number of cyclists who have gone on to compete successfully in the UK and beyond. Indeed one former club member, Mark Cavendish, won Gold Medal in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne at the 20 km scratch cycling race – the Isle of Man's first Commonwealth gold for 20 years. In 2008 he became the first British rider to win four stages of the Tour de France.

In 2008 we made corporate charitable donations to a range of charities ranging in diversity from the RNLI, to the Manx Cancer Help Association, from the Manx Wildlife Trust to The Samaritans.

In 2008 we also raised funds for Leukaemia Research. Various fundraising events held throughout the year raised in excess of £2,000.

Mike Yardley, CEO of Royal London, chaired this year’s Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes in aid of JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and in September, 5 staff members and one family member flew to London to participate in the walk, which took place in Greenwich Park. They committed to raise £2,000 and received a Bronze Achievement Award for their efforts at the JDRF awards ceremony in November. The Isle of Man contributed to the fabulous total of £25,000 raised by the Royal London Group.

Throughout the year a total of £1,368 in Dress Down Day monies were donated to Manx humanitarian charities nominated by staff members.

Additional fundraisers were held in aid of World Cancer Research, Macmillan Cancer Support, Jeans for Genes and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
 

Community Support


Throughout 2007 and 2008 we helped to build a full sized working Viking Longhouse and settlement on the Isle of Man. A number of staff spent at least one day at the site, helping to build stone walls and willow fences. When completed, the longhouse will be used by local schoolchildren as an educational resource to gain an understanding of how Vikings lived. In addition to the Longhouse project, we support other initiatives that improve the quality of life in our community, such as Beach Cleaning initiatives and participation in sponsored fundraising activities such as the Parish Walk and the Viking Longboat Races.
 

Data Protection


We aim to provide a high quality service to our customers, ensuring we respect their privacy and comply with the IOM Data Protection Act requirements.