Community engagement
Engagement with the community is at the heart of our everyday activities and there are many examples of this involvement.
The range of community activities undertaken by our newspapers, magazines and radio stations has been extremely varied and includes:
- Supporting the donation of old mobile phones and computer equipment for the benefit of a children's charity and the disabled.
- Supporting the 'Business In The Arts' programme where senior managers sit as non-executive directors for arts organisations.
- Organising the annual North West Evening Mail Family Fun Day in Barrow.
- Arranging the Cumbria Life Woman Festival.
- Running the Pride in Tynedale Awards.
- Leading the Whitehaven Save our Services campaign.
- Event management including careers fairs, wedding and fashion shows.
Employees are encouraged to become involved in activities across the communities we serve.
These could be as diverse as the rescue services, the arts or local charities.
Green Team: The customer service team of the Hexham Courant saving trees through more environmentally friendly office practice are (from left) Vikki Ord, Rio Fielding, Irene Henderson and manager Phyllis Carlisle. Confidential waste is shredded and recycled. In 2007 the equivalent of 17 trees were saved from a premature end.
Environmental management
We recognise that our operations impact on the surrounding environment and we are committed to continuous improvement in waste reduction, pollution prevention and environmental care.
As an ethically based organization highly committed to the local communities which we serve, our policy is to work together with relevant authorities to minimise our impact on the local environment.
The bulk of the Group's paper supply used for printing comes from a spread of established suppliers who source wood fibre mainly from traditional areas of Scandinavia and the Baltic states. During 2007 all of our newsprint was sourced from recycled fibre or fibre from certified forests. A total of 10,020 tonnes of newsprint was used of which 8,840 tonnes (88%) was from recycled fibre and 1,180 tonnes (12%) from fibre from certified forests which operate sustainable forestry.
Our suppliers advise that the plates and inks now used in our printing process are free of volatile organic compounds (VOC's).
Procedures have been introduced at Carlisle, our largest site, for the disposal of waste. Where possible, waste is segregated into plastic, metal or paper. The plastic and metal goes for recycling and the office paper is collected together with printing waste to be processed through our compactor and is then sold for recycling. By segregating paper, preliminary information indicates that 38% by weight of our general office waste is now recycled.
Confidential paper waste is also sent for recycling following shredding with the volume in 2007 from the Carlisle offices being equivalent to 51 trees. We have introduced an energy programme aimed at achieving a reduction in energy consumption. Electricity, gas and water consumption is now monitored at all our sites and will provide the benchmark for future comparison.
Health and Safety
The CN Group has a strong culture of health and safety awareness from management through to the workforce in all areas. With this rising profile employees are fully engaged in safety management.
All sites have health and safety representatives who report statistics monthly, covering RIDDOR and non- reportable accidents along with near misses. From these, repeat accidents and hot spots can be identified and action taken.
Similarly, all sites either have health and safety committees that meet regularly or for the small sites, health and safety appears on the agenda item at all management meetings.
Ethics
For many years the Group has had a management guidebook intended to provide an understanding of the company philosophy and required level of staff conduct.
The philosophy includes the pursuit of total customer satisfaction through constantly reviewing and improving the quality of our service. Emphasis is placed on customer care and integrity. We value our reputation as a friendly local company and will continue to foster community support and involvement. Direct commercial influences will not govern editorial content and a responsible attitude will be retained to the reporting of local and national events.
The Group's reputation is seen as one of its most vital resources and it is essential that the required standards of integrity and conduct are maintained in our dealings with employees, shareholders, readers, listeners, customers and the communities in which our businesses operate.
Charities
Group companies are empowered to make limited direct donations to charities and supportable causes operating for the benefit of the local community. Further support to charities may also be provided through the pages of our publications or radio broadcasts through appeals and editorial content.
In addition the Group is involved in charitable donations through its Charitable Trust covering the Group's newspaper circulation areas. Donations are made in response to direct applications and are given to a wide variety of charities and community groups.
In 2008 the Charitable Trust donated £30,010 to 88 charities, bringing the total donated over the past 19 years to £295,178.
Further, the Group has involvement with Cumbria Community Foundation, which aids community-based charities within Cumbria.