How are we
stacking up?
For us, corporate responsibility and the volunteering work we do is about being a good employer, a good neighbour, a good citizen and a good partner. But what does that mean in practice? For one, it's getting involved and investing in our local community. That's why our priorities are homelessness, education and mentoring, and inner city needs. It's also making use of our core asset - the skills of our 600-plus lawyers - by focusing on pro bono work.
Current
performance
Last year we published our second corporate responsibility report. The report, which covered the financial year 2009/10, asked how we were stacking up against some testing targets. Keeping a public record of our progress is important to us, so this is a review of some of the steps forward that we've taken in our corporate responsibility performance for the financial year 2010/11. How are we stacking up?
Current performance
Community
| Community | 2010 / 2011 | 2009 / 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Hours of pro bono work | 4,483 hours at a cost to the business of £564,594 | 3,653 hours at a cost to the business of £526,984 |
| Total investment in corporate responsibility activity | £857,338:
|
£803,456:
|
| Number of hours volunteered by staff across various community initiatives, including pro bono | 6,247 hours | 6,065 hours |
| Hours of meeting room hired for no charge to charities and community groups | 541 hours | 762 hours |
Current performance
People and environment
| People | 2010 / 2011 | 2009 / 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of people who work part-time or flexibly | 33% | 32% |
| Percentage of UK employees who donate to charity through payroll giving | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Environment | 2010 / 2011 | 2009 / 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Firm's UK carbon footprint |
2,503 tonnes of CO2 in the UK, equivalent to 2.5 tonnes per employee (scope 1 and 2 emissions) 3,108 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 3.1 tonnes of CO2 per employee (scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions) |
2,589 tonnes of CO2 in the UK, equivalent to 2.58 tonnes per employee (scope 1 and 2 emissions) 3,041 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 3.0 tonnes of CO2 per employee (scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions) |
| Number of sheets of paper used |
19,117,500 sheets 1 May 2011 - 31 October 2011 |
24,291,500 sheets 1 May 2010 - 31 October 2010 |
| Business air travel miles | 1,641,376 miles | 1,167,319 miles |
- Charity of the year
- Charity cycle ride
- Big top quiz
- Wragge & Co Chorus
- Human dignity trust
- Domestic violence
- Targets
People
Charity of the year
Each calendar year our people nominate and then vote for the firm's charity of the year. As this report covers the financial year from 1 May to 30 April, two charities feature. Our last report focused on the 2010 charity of the year, Over The Wall, for which we raised more than £15,000.
2011's charity of the year was Macmillan Cancer Support. To help us gather ideas and funds we introduced charity champions. These eight volunteers from around the firm helped ensure a bumper fundraising year, in which we raised £35,000. We also hosted a number of one-off fundraising activities, which helped us to reach this fantastic total.
People
Charity cycle ride
In June, seven Wragge & Co cyclists completed a 150-mile cycle ride from the firm's Colmore Row office in Birmingham to the Waterhouse Square office in London. Saddle-sore partners Bleddyn Rees, John Dixon and Peter Hall, associates Chris Finney and Simon Stephen, and solicitors Christopher Richards and Will Howard completed the challenge and raised more than £7,500.
Pictured: Bleddyn Rees, Peter Hall, Simon Stephen, Chris Finney, John Dixon, Christopher Richards and Will Howard
People
Big top quiz
September saw the return of the firm's annual charity quiz. A circus-themed Big Top Quiz put minds and bodies to the test with rounds on general knowledge, sport, literature and cake decorating. It raised more than £4,000.
People
Wragge & Co chorus
Trainee solicitor Rob Bridgman and paralegal Nick Bridgman brought a musical dimension to our fundraising efforts this year. Comprising singers and musicians from around the firm, the Wragge & Co Chorus played to packed houses in July and December, raising almost £2,000.
People
Human dignity trust
Despite the fact that it is a breach of international law to criminalise someone's sexuality, homosexuality is a crime in 82 countries around the world. The Human Dignity Trust is using the legal expertise and influence of solicitors and barristers to change these laws.
This year, Wragge & Co accepted an invitation to join this international pro bono initiative. Chosen for the quality of our litigation practice, we are one of a select group of law firms that have been invited to join the Trust's new Litigation Steering Group.
The Trust will call upon members of its steering group to work with local counsel to challenge legislation through the courts of selected infringing countries. Cases will be run in the same way, and to the same standards, as high-value commercial litigation cases.
Commercial litigation partner Tom Ellis is the lead partner for Wragge & Co, while solicitor Karen O'Connell has taken on the role of project manager. They are joined by 16 lawyers across our dispute resolution practice and work is already underway in several jurisdictions.
Other firms on the steering group include Clifford Chance, Baker & McKenzie, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith, Debevoise & Plimpton and Hogan Lovells. Brick Court, Blackstone, Matrix and Doughty Street Chambers are also involved.
People
Domestic violence
Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence
According to Home Office statistics, domestic violence happens to one in four women and one in six men in their adult lifetimes. Although you may think the issue does not affect people you know, the likelihood is that it will. The abuse may be physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or financial.
Having supported victims of domestic violence as part of our community investment work with Roshni and Birmingham & Solihull Women's Aid, we recognised the need for our people and their families to be safe and healthy. We wanted to raise awareness of what domestic abuse and violence is, and to provide help and support to people who are enduring abuse and violence.
This year, we became a member of the Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence (CAADV). CAADV is a group of companies working collectively to raise awareness of the impact of domestic violence and to provide assistance and resources for employees.
Head of corporate responsibility Lorna Gavin is an ambassador for CAADV. Since joining CAADV, we have provided specialist training to our HR advisers and undertaken an internal communications campaign to raise awareness of the issues and provide support to our people.
People
Targets
| People | Target and deadline | Progress as at 31 October 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Identify actual (rather than estimated) number of employees involved in community investment activity | Target: Exceed 50% Deadline: 30 April 2012 |
As at 31 October 2011, 456 employees had been involved in community investment activity, which is 44% of UK employees |
| Increase uptake in payroll giving from 3.8% to 5% | Target: 5% Deadline: 30 April 2012 |
As at 31 October 2011: 3.8% |
Diversity
LGBT
In 2011, Wragge & Co extended its diversity work to sexual orientation. We joined Stonewall's Diversity Champions programme. Promoting good practice regarding sexual orientation in the workplace, the programme is the UK's fastest growing diversity employers' forum.
As part of this relationship, we took part in Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index, a tool we can use to evaluate our workplace practices on sexual orientation equality. We asked our lesbian, gay and transgender (LGBT) people to complete an anonymous survey and we are working with Stonewall to progress our activities based on feedback from the survey.
As well as promoting LGBT events - Out of Office, InterLaw Diversity Forum, Pride and Halcyon - we formed our own in-house LGBT network. Following a launch networking event, this group is now focusing on ways in which it can support the firm in areas like recruitment and business development.
Diversity
Human dignity trust
Despite the fact that it is a breach of international law to criminalise someone's sexuality, homosexuality is a crime in 82 countries around the world. The Human Dignity Trust is using the legal expertise and influence of solicitors and barristers to change these laws.
This year, Wragge & Co accepted an invitation to join this international pro bono initiative. Chosen for the quality of our litigation practice, we are one of a select group of law firms that have been invited to join the Trust's new Litigation Steering Group.
The Trust will call upon members of its steering group to work with local counsel to challenge legislation through the courts of selected infringing countries. Cases will be run in the same way, and to the same standards, as high-value commercial litigation cases.
Commercial litigation partner Tom Ellis is the lead partner for Wragge & Co, while solicitor Karen O'Connell has taken on the role of project manager. They are joined by 16 lawyers across our dispute resolution practice and work is already underway in several jurisdictions.
Other firms on the steering group include Clifford Chance, Baker & McKenzie, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith, Debevoise & Plimpton and Hogan Lovells. Brick Court, Blackstone, Matrix and Doughty Street Chambers are also involved.
Environment
The firm's biggest achievement in relation to its environmental impact came in May when we hit our target to reduce paper consumption by 20%. There is more detail in the targets section.
Having first calculated and published our carbon footprint in 2007, we have continued to monitor our emissions. In the last financial year, our UK business produced direct (scope 1 and 2) carbon emissions of 2,503tCO2e, equivalent to 2.5 tonnes per employee, a 3% reduction from the previous year (2589tCO2e, equivalent to 2.58 tonnes per employee).
Our total emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3) have risen slightly from 3,041tCO2e (3.03 tonnes per employee) to 3,108tCO2e (3.1 tonnes per employee). This increase can be attributed to an increase in miles travelled by air in this period - during which we have undertaken international expansion with an office opening in Abu Dhabi.
Client work is also increasingly international, necessitating more travel by our lawyers to attend overseas meetings. We use video conferencing facilities extensively and offset emissions generated by all flights made by the firm.
Environment
Targets
| Environment | Target and deadline | Progress as at 31 October 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce paper consumption per head by 20% compared to 2009/2010 volumes | Target: 20% reduction Deadline: 30 April 2011 |
Actual: 21% reduction by 30 April 2011 |
| Reduce the volume of waste going to landfill by 10% compared to 2010/2011 volumes | Target: 10% reduction |
Birmingham general waste sent to incinerator to create energy |
Community
Mentoring and Development Alliance
Mentoring and Development Alliance (MEDAL) partner mentoring
In addition to their considerable legal expertise, our partners have valuable commercial experience and a skill-set that includes business development, strategic planning, leading and managing people, and finance.
Working in partnership with the West Midlands Trading Alliance and its founder Joan Blaney CBE, partners - David Barron, Sue Bennett, Michael Luckman and Patrick Duxbury - are sharing their commercial nous and business skills.
They are working with four small and diverse businesses based in inner city Birmingham: a chiropodist, a Caribbean restaurant, a personal development business and a care agency for the elderly.
In London, partner Jason Coates is mentoring the manager of a social enterprise operated by Spitalfields Crypt Trust. The enterprise provides training and development opportunities for homeless people who have suffered with alcohol and drug addiction, helping them gain skills in gardening, woodwork, catering, music and languages.
The organisations we are assisting and our people have benefited greatly from the relationships. Our plan is to extend this partner-level support of local organisations further into the partnership.
Community
Targets
| Community | Target and deadline | Progress as at 31 October 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Give 5,000 hours of pro bono legal advice in the financial year 2011/2012 | Target: 5,000 hours Deadline: 30 April 2012 |
2010/11: 4,483 hours 1 May 2011 - 31 October 2011: 2,384 hours |
| Offer work placement places to 20 homeless people | Target: 20 work placements |
2010/11: 20 placements |
| Review charitable donations practice with a view to formalising a matched funding policy | Target: formalise matched funding policy Deadline: 30 April 2012 |
Work in progress |
Targets
Hitting our target
All but one of the 2009/10 report targets have a deadline of 2012, so we will say whether or not we have hit them in next year's report.
We met, in fact we beat, the one target with a 2011 deadline: to reduce paper consumption by 20% compared to 2009/10 volumes (24,291,500 sheets of paper).
A technical solution ensured all printers default to double-sided printing. This, together with a sustained internal communications campaign, helped us achieve a 21% reduction in paper consumption.
We produced a video showing exactly how far our paper travels and what happens to it once it leaves the building. This is important because recycling, while better than pure waste, still entails an environmental cost.
We achieved our target but we face an ongoing challenge to maintain this level.
Since setting our target to reduce volumes of waste going to landfill, we have learned an interesting fact. Aside from the materials we recycle, the general waste from our Birmingham headquarters is sent to the city's incinerator which creates electricity from the waste.
It was a pleasant surprise, but we now turn our efforts to our London office to establish how its general waste is treated and to reduce volumes at both sites.
Targets
People
| People | Target and deadline | Progress as at 31 October 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Identify actual (rather than estimated) number of employees involved in community investment activity | Target: Exceed 50% Deadline: 30 April 2012 |
As at 31 October 2011, 456 employees had been involved in community investment activity, which is 44% of UK employees |
| Increase uptake in payroll giving from 3.8% to 5% | Target: 5% Deadline: 30 April 2012 |
As at 31 October 2011: 3.8% |
Targets
Community
| Community | Target and deadline | Progress as at 31 October 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Give 5,000 hours of pro bono legal advice in the financial year 2011/2012 | Target: 5,000 hours Deadline: 30 April 2012 |
2010/11: 4,483 hours 1 May 2011 - 31 October 2011: 2,384 hours |
| Offer work placement places to 20 homeless people | Target: 20 work placements |
2010/11: 20 placements |
| Review charitable donations practice with a view to formalising a matched funding policy | Target: formalise matched funding policy Deadline: 30 April 2012 |
Work in progress |
Targets
Environment
| Environment | Target and deadline | Progress as at 31 October 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce paper consumption per head by 20% compared to 2009/2010 volumes | Target: 20% reduction Deadline: 30 April 2011 |
Actual: 21% reduction by 30 April 2011 |
| Reduce the volume of waste going to landfill by 10% compared to 2010/2011 volumes | Target: 10% reduction |
Birmingham general waste sent to incinerator to create energy |
