Drew Hendry has named TEFL Org UK as his pick for the constituency Responsible Business Champion of 2017. The recognition is part of an awards scheme operated by the All-Party Parliamentary Corporate Responsibility Group (APCRG ) at the UK Parliament.
Only Members of Parliament can nominate companies as their Constituency Responsible Business Champions, which distinguishes this scheme from all other business awards. Members of Parliament are also restricted to one nomination each year. The awards scheme is sponsored by National Grid and last year’s shortlist for the award included names such as Manchester Airport, Marks & Spencer plc, and Zurich Insurance.
Drew Hendry said:
“TEFL represents everything we should ask for in a Highland business – I have always been extremely impressed in the way the team operate, placing a high value on diversity and supporting the local community and workforce. I recall the team telling me that they believe in their ‘successes as a roadmap for other start-ups looking to contribute to the local and national economies’. I definitely think this is a mission that deserves recognition.
“I am particularly impressed at the work Jennifer does around encouraging and mentoring other women to lead in business. As TEFL’s Managing Director, she won the Director of the Year for medium-sized business at the IoD Scotland Director awards this year, where judges commended her on combining ‘her personal skills, enthusiasm and talent to bring out the absolute best in her staff, achieving sustainable and socially aware growth in a difficult market’.
In his nomination, the MP wrote:
“As providers of training which allows people to achieve their dreams of teaching English abroad, this company has a very outward looking team. Internationalism at their core but the company has always showed a strong commitment and sense of responsibility to our local community. The management have always sought to develop and engage with a local workforce and other local Businesses.”
Commenting on receiving this recognition, Managing Director, Jennifer Mackenzie said:
“I was delighted to find that TEFL Org UK had been nominated for an award that recognises our ethos towards, how we treat our staff, each other within our business and which leads to our belief throughout the team to simply ‘treat others as we would wish to be treated’. This ethos is a major driving force within the business and I am genuinely honoured for us to be recognised in this way and to have been chosen by Mr Hendry as his constituency nomination.”
The APCRG has already endorsed Mr Hendry’s nomination of TEFL as the Constituency Responsible Business Champion of 2017, and the company will now go forward for consideration by a Parliamentary judging panel who will select the 2017 APCRG National Responsible Business Champion.
In selecting the APCRG National Responsible Business Champion of 2017, the judging panel will be looking for companies which are:
supporting the local community;
investing in healthy workplaces;
offering apprenticeships and training to all;
promoting diversity & inclusion in the workplace, including
offering people with disabilities work opportunities;
monitoring suppliers’ actions on these issues.
The National Responsible Business Champion for 2017 will be presented an award, at a special reception held by the All-Party Parliamentary Corporate Responsibility Group in Parliament, next month.