Giving Back to Society is deep-rooted within Suntory’s global purpose and is a strongly held company value. Through our 'Together for Good' platform, employees are encouraged to contribute their time and efforts to make a positive difference in our local communities.
Recently, our Sales team fully embraced this by participating in a huge group volunteering day with East End Homes, a community organisation that strives to maintain and improve community centers and public spaces in East London. They rely on volunteers to help with various tasks to create welcoming and functional spaces for residents.
Over 130 dedicated employees came together to give their time to transform community spaces in a local housing estate, demonstrating our ethos of collective action and making a tangible difference in the lives of others. Volunteers play a crucial role in creating welcoming and functional environments for residents. Our team redecorated a derelict nursery to create a welcoming environment for children, transformed an overgrown playground into a vibrant picnic area, repointed cobblestones to restore pathways, and planted numerous plants and trees to enhance green spaces. These activities not only improve the aesthetic and functionality of communal spaces but also foster a sense of community pride and ownership, impacting the well-being of local residents and the overall quality of life in the community.
The day was not only focused on community service but also on strengthening the bonds within the team. By uniting for a shared, common goal, the event fostered a sense of unity and purpose among our employees who reported feeling energised and inspired, with many highlighting the powerful effect of witnessing the immediate results of their hard work. This brings benefits for our company too - a study from Benevity showed that employees regularly participating in goodness activities had 5 times higher levels of wellbeing, 4 times higher employee engagement and turnover was reduced by 57%*.
The biggest challenge we faced was finding a location that could host 150 people, but once we partnered with East End Homes, everything fell into place. The impact we made was immense, not just on the community but also within our team, and the incredibly touching feedback from the local community reaffirmed why we do this. Looking forward, we intend to make this volunteer day an annual event, with plans to increase both its scale and impact each year. The goal is to build on the momentum and continue to engage in collective acts of goodness, creating enduring positive change in the communities we serve.
Our 'Together for Good' platform offers numerous opportunities for employees to engage in volunteering, charitable giving and sustainable behaviours and every employee in our business is granted a paid day off to participate in volunteering activities. These initiatives not only contribute to our broader strategy to give back to society but also shows how we embody our company values daily.
The success of this event has set a new benchmark for volunteering activities in our business – showing what we can achieve when we come together with a shared purpose. It’s not just about the immediate impact on the community; it’s about fostering a culture of giving back that resonates throughout our organisation and beyond.
*Benevity Labs Report Goodness Study