WITH annual sales of £6.4bn and 68,000 employees, known as partners, John Lewis is the UK’s largest employee-owned business. The ideals set out by the company’s founder John Spedan Lewis remain the inspiration behind the partnership’s approach to corporate social responsibility and they continue to shape the business today. One of the key principles enshrined in the company’s original constitution is that all partners should ‘contribute to the wellbeing of the community in which they operate’. Sharing the rewards and responsibilities of ownership, and conducting business with integrity and courtesy, has meant that the company has put responsible business practice at the heart of their operation. The strength of this commitment was demonstrated by the partnership’s remaining in the top 20 of BITC’s Corporate Responsibility Index in 2006. Each individual store is given a budget of £15,000 to meet the needs of its local community and John Lewis Newcastle uses this to engage the local community in areas that bring the greatest benefit to both the business and society. The Vocational Placement Programme, for instance, is designed to create individual work placement programmes providing opportunities that allow students to gain experience in the workplace and gain a BTEC or NVQ qualification in the process. The programme started in 2005 with two schools and five students and quickly grew last year to involve four schools and 38 students who have one-day placements per week for a year. Additionally, the store has provided over 70 one-week work experience placements for year 10 students over the past 12 months. Links with several different schools have led to workshops being run, covering activities that add benefit to the students’ course-work, and students from as far a field as Berwick High School have benefited from the store’s three-day comprehensive workshop introducing career opportunities outside their local area. John Hayes, managing director of John Lewis Newcastle, said: “We are thrilled with our Big Tick award this year and it enhances the various community initiatives we embark upon through the year. “We would encourage other companies to get involved with Business in the Community. “As we all share best practice, we can together raise standards of corporate responsibility throughout the business community.” John Lewis Newcastle is looking forward to seeing how it can develop its community programme for 2007/8 to add to its success this year. | 
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