Building brighter futures

From early years to lifelong careers

As a recruitment agency, our purpose is to help people access meaningful career opportunities and achieve their potential. However, we recognise that for many individuals living in socially deprived communities, barriers to success can begin long before they enter the workforce.

Research consistently shows that the earliest years of a child’s life play a crucial role in brain development, learning, and future life outcomes. Without the right support during these formative years, children can face challenges that impact their education, confidence, and career prospects later in life.

Spencer Clarke Group is proudly based in the heart of Preston. On our doorstep are communities including Blackpool, Liverpool, Knowsley and Manchester, areas that are often highlighted among the most socially deprived in the UK. We believe that these circumstances should not define a child’s future. By investing in children and families from an early age, we can help create opportunities that last a lifetime.

The five core aspirations of our CSR strategy are designed to take a holistic approach to tackling disadvantage and driving meaningful change from the earliest stages of life. By supporting children, families and communities with the right opportunities, resources and skills, we aim to help break cycles of generational poverty and empower young people to build brighter, more prosperous futures.

Support early years development to lay the foundation for lifelong learning, health, and wellbeing

The first few years of a child's life are critical for so many reasons - brain development, developing communication skills, emotional wellbeing, and nurturing a love for learning to name but a few. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds face multiple barriers which can hinder their success later on in life.

We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive which is why we support early intervention initiatives to foster a fairer society and give children the tools to make their own way in the world.

These are just some of the initiatives we support in our communities:

• In collaboration with Helping Hearts Fylde, we sponsor their half-term literacy clubs by supplying a free lunch for all the children who attend.

• In collaboration with Active Lancashire and Active Cycles, we donated 22 bikes to 11 schools across Lancashire to increase opportunities for physical activity. Along with championing the mission to tackle disparity within sport in our local community, we are also proud to have supported Sport England’s National Lottery funded campaign, ‘Leading the Movement’.

• As part of our Big Community Build initiative, we renovated the playground at Mereside Primary Academy and created five learning zones: a construction area, an outdoor library, a music wall, an art wall, and a curiosity shed designed to spark imagination. The new playground follows the Curiosity Approach, aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework.

• Provided schools with sensory items to enhance the ‘calm zones’ within their school. The calm zones are spaces where the children can go to regulate their emotions. We donated sensory lights, weighted shoulder pads, vibrating sensory pillows, infinity mirrors, sensory toys and aurora projector lights.

• In 2024/25, we were proud to sponsor Active Lancashire, an initiative designed to embed sport and physical activity into the everyday life of young people in Lancashire. Sport has the power to transform young people due its positive impact on physical and mental health.

• As the official T-shirt sponsor for the SPAR Lancashire School Games, we provided 10,000 t-shirts for students who participated in the games.

• In 2024, we supported a SEND school to deliver a magical Christmas experience for all of its pupils. As well as supplying arts, crafts and nibbles, we brought a Santa into the school to deliver presents to every child.

• In 2025, we proudly sponsored the Endeavour Awards, Endeavour Learning Trusts awards ceremony which celebrates the commitment and hard work of their staff and students.

• Each year, we sponsor a local football team to encourage sport which can positively impact physical and mental health.

• Each November, the SCG team takes on an infamous gameshow to raise money for Children in Need. So far, we have tackled the Weakest Link and the Traitors.

• We donated 2,000 colouring books to students at local schools. Colouring plays an important role in child development; it helps improve fine motor skills, fosters creativity and self-expression, and teaches children how to focus. The colouring books feature our very own office dogs.

Champion people and diversity

We are committed to championing people and diversity through treating people how we would want to be treated, and by interrupting and challenging unlawful discrimination. As recruiters, we believe that every job applicant should have equal opportunities regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation and any other factors which could be discriminated against.

We oppose unlawful discrimination which relates to pay and benefits, terms and conditions of employment, dealing with grievances and discipline, dismissal, leave for parents, requests for flexible working and selection for employment or promotion.

Our aim is for workforces, whether that be our own or the clients we serve, to be fair and truly representative of all sections of society. If we see or suspect that bias might be present in our clients recruitment process, we believe that it is our obligation to interrupt and challenge it. By removing the inequalities which restrict equal opportunities, positive change can happen.

These are just some of the measures which we implement to champion people and facilitate an equal, diverse and inclusive workplace:

• Commitment to review DEI Policy annually. The DEI policy extends to all internal employees, contractors and agency staff.

• Regularly review the portrayal of under-represented groups within marketing materials to ensure they are balanced and don’t reinforce stereotypes.

• Commitment to review marketing materials and offer recommendations to improve the diversity of candidates without being tokenistic.

• Regularly explore and examine SCG employees privilege, unconscious bias and assumptions.

• Provide education and internal training to share strategies on testing and eliminating unconscious bias.

• Use of intelligent data to drive decisions to minimise the impact of unconscious bias.

• Ensure job adverts use the correct language and avoid any stereotyping which may deter candidates from applying.

• Use of structured interviews to enable a candidate's skills, qualifications and knowledge to be fairly measured against each other rather than from impressions.

• Market career opportunities at targeted networking events and advertise on niche/specialist job boards.

• Conduct anonymous employee and agency staff (past and present) surveys to understand what specific issues of unconscious bias and unfairness might exist.

• Zero tolerance for bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination. All complaints are taken seriously and such acts are dealt with as misconduct under the Spencer Clarke Group grievance and disciplinary procedures. (The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination in the workplace. If harassment relates to a protected characteristic, this is a criminal offence and will be dealt with through official channels.

• Raised £3,423 for brain injury charity Headway, and £2,984 for mental health charity, Lancashire Mind by taking on Tough Mudder.

• By playing ‘Traitors’ we raised £1,180 which was split between the winners chosen charities - Lymphoma Action, Dementia UK and Children in Need.

• Employee John Shorrock ‘braved the shave’ to raise a collective £1,198 for MacMillan Cancer Support, a charity close to his heart.

• Through funding Carma Earth and the Standing Tall Foundation, the foundation provides mental health counselling, giving veterans and local communities access to support, mindfulness, and guidance when it's needed most.

• Through funding Carma Earth and the HighGround Charity, the Rural Weeks residential courses offer a supportive, practical pathway for those transitioning from military to civilian life and seeking employment outdoors.

Protect the environment and achieve net zero emissions by 2045

As Mike Berners-Lee famously once said, there is no planet B, which is why protecting our environment and achieving net zero emissions by 2045 is one of our core CSR aspirations.

Each year, we calculate our Greenhouse Gas (GHGs) emissions and produce a comprehensive Carbon Reduction Plan which is in line with the latest government recommendations. Emissions are calculated in accordance with the UK Government’s Environmental reporting guidelines and The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard.

These are just some of the initiatives which we facilitate to reduce direct emissions, indirect emissions and indirect value chain emissions:

• Support UK and worldwide climate and forestation projects. We have helped to fund 16 projects including repairing water boreholes in Eritrea, peatland restoration and conservation in Indonesia, a wind power project in Mexico, generating renewable solar electricity in Egypt, and conserving the Amazon in Brazil.

• 1896 trees planted in 2025.

• On course to plant 1894 trees in 2026.

• Employees can access the UK Government EV Scheme.

• On-site EV charging is available for employees.

• Commitment to minimising waste and maximising recycling. We provide dedicated bins for cardboard, plastic, cans and batteries.

• Reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency through energy-efficient lighting throughout our offices.

• A largely paperless office.

• Promote virtual meetings to reduce business travel.

• Encourage car sharing and use of public transport to reduce travelling.

• Use of sustainable suppliers and thoughtful purchasing are prioritised wherever possible.

• Provide employees with personalised water bottles to reduce the number of single-use plastic.

• Provide employees with the opportunity to volunteer hours in the community.