How can we make a wider impact?
Our relationship with our suppliers
Our values and beliefs are reflected in our choice of suppliers. We have a robust supplier due diligence process with questions designed to ensure that they are a ‘good fit’ for us, focusing on their own impact and encouraging them to consider their social and environmental impacts.
We aim to work with like-minded, responsible companies. Last year, Mark Cuddigan, CEO of Ella’s Kitchen, joined our annual team day and shared his passion for influencing other companies to consider certifying as a B Corp.
In our ongoing drive to combat unethical practices everywhere, we constantly review who we choose to do business with, ranging from utility companies, stationery and other service providers.
Our aim for the future is to continually benchmark and set targets so that we can steadily work towards being carbon neutral as well as ensuring that the suppliers we engage with have the same intentions.
Although volunteering opportunities are presently limited, owing to Covid-related restrictions, Paradigm Norton has a history of involvement in the community and is keen to recommence such initiatives when possible.
We encourage volunteering from several perspectives:
Wellbeing Days
Wellbeing Days are a much-valued feature of Paradigm Norton life for partners. They are one day per month in addition to annual leave, to be used for ‘the stuff of life’ and we suggest that engaging with the community is an excellent way for these to be utilised.
This is because we recognise that “giving back” in this way can make a positive contribution to an individual’s personal development. Some partners already hold voluntary roles with charitable organisations, for example, and we would be pleased to see this number increase.
Charitable trust
Our grant making charitable trust, funded by profits from Paradigm Norton, is run by some of our partners. It has relationships with charities in Bristol. Again, we are looking at ways to re-engage with local charities to create further such opportunities.
Financial Education
Financial education is an area in which we can add value via our professional expertise to assist the under-served majority. Historically, we have teamed up with a financial education charity to deliver their material in local schools.
Examples of our current activities are the free advice sessions we give during ‘Financial Planning Week’, an annual initiative by our professional body, plus the delivery of remote sessions during lockdown to young adults at a formative stage in their “financial lives”.