Corporate responsibility

Policy

Safestore is committed to operating in an ethical and socially responsible manner. Throughout the year we have continued to evolve our stakeholder engagement programme based on our commitment to sustainable business practice.

Overview

Safestore remains focused on ensuring that our business operates in an ethical and responsible manner. Our approach to corporate responsibility ("CR") reflects our broader purpose statement and the values of the Group. When making business decisions our objective is to take a balanced view considering the needs of internal and external stakeholders as well as the impact on profitability and the wider community and environment in which we operate. This enables us to build a truly sustainable and ethical business with CR integrated into our every day functions.

Chaired by our Chief Operating Officer, quarterly CR reviews take place with regular feedback to our Board on progress against our key performance criteria. Everything we do in terms of our approach meets legislative requirements and supports good governance and the needs of our stakeholders.

Our eight point strategic plan sets a clear approach in terms of how we will meet the varying needs of our stakeholder groups. This is encapsulated into four key policy statements, fundamental to delivering an overall net gain to our four key stakeholder groups – our marketplace, our people, our environment and our community. Our senior management team is responsible for the ownership and day-to-day delivery of our strategic plan across our UK wide estate and head office. This has led to a highly integrated CR programme visible in each team’s function rather than being a stand alone operation.

Highlights

— This year we were delighted to achieve a highly prestigious Ruban d’Honneur
    at the European Business Awards in Paris for our efforts in the "Employer of
    the Year" category.

— We were also delighted to continue to meet the CR inclusion criteria for the
    FTSE4Good Index retaining our membership of the FTSE4Good Index series,
    the leading global responsible investment index.

Steve Williams accepts the European Business Award in Paris

Steve Williams accepting the European Business Award in Paris.

Safestore and our marketplace

Policy statement

We focus our approach on providing easily accessible and clearly communicated information on our business to all interested parties including shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers and third party advisers. We will:

— maintain a customer engagement programme that continually aspires to
    deliver "best in class" standards of customer service;

— support the evolution of the broader self-storage sector and actively
    participate in industry forums and conferences to share best practice;

— be an active member of the Self Storage Association; and

— work proactively with council planners and the broader community regarding
    our new store expansion programme.

Highlights

— Despite the economic climate we expanded our store portfolio by 15%,
    through a combination of new store openings and our success in being
    awarded the management contract for the Space Maker chain.

— We participated in National Customer Service Week for the third consecutive
    year. This saw both our estate and head office teams supporting our
    "Exceeding Expectations" theme when considering the needs of their internal
    and external customers.

— The Web and telephone are key ways our customers choose to interact with
    us. We have therefore continued to expand our Customer Support Centre
    providing a "one stop shop" experience for our customers.

— We were delighted to achieve a customer satisfaction score of 97% for the
    year, demonstrative of the excellent service our staff provide to our
    customers every day.

— The year saw the strengthening of our strategic alliances with the further
    evolution of partnerships with O2, Parcel2Go, eBay and Propertywide.

— We continue to work proactively with local planners ensuring all new store
    applications conform to Bre Eam guidelines as standard.

— We extended our commitment to utilising renewable energy sources, ensuring
    all new stores were fitted with photocell sensors, minimising the need for
    illuminated signage. In addition, internal sensor lighting has been fitted as
    standard for more than ten years.

— During the year we introduced air-to-air heat source pumps which extract
    heat from the outside air into our Barking and Crystal Palace stores, reducing
    demands on electricity consumption. In addition, we fitted photovoltaic cells
    which react with sunlight, a natural source of renewable energy, to generate
    electricity at our Barking store. This has generated CO2 savings with surplus
    electricity deployed back to the grid.

Our core values

 

1

We will continually listen to the needs of key stakeholders and deliver meaningful solutions.

 

2

We will work towards operating in an environmentally sustainable manner considering the impact of our activities at all times.

 

3

We will use Corporate Social Responsibility not only to deliver legislative compliance but as a springboard for ongoing continuous improvement.

quote mark

For Safestore to receive a Ruban d’Honneur at the European Business Awards is a real mark of distinction and testament to the determination and passion which drives the Group. The commitment of our staff and the importance we place on exceptional service for our customers and partners has culminated in us being recognised as leaders in our field.

quote mark

Stephen Williams
Former Chief Executive Officer

 

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