National healthcare charity, Sue Ryder has won Retail Employer of the Year at the People in Retail Awards, which took place at the Marriott Hotel in London’s Grosvenor Square on 21st September 2023.
The awards celebrated those who have made a remarkable contribution and demonstrated excellence across the retail sector. The judges included 19 industry experts.
One of the UK’s largest charity retailers, Sue Ryder was the only one to be shortlisted in this category, competing against other high-street retailers, including Fat Face, Rituals and The Perfume Shop.
On being announced as the winners, the host of the awards, comedian Zoe Lyons empathised that the winners had been selected due to their truly people centred inclusivity and forward-thinking ethos.
Commenting on the win, Glynn Taylor, retail regional manager at Sue Ryder, said: “I am so proud that Sue Ryder has been recognised as a great place to work. When we started this journey, we had a vision to make Sue Ryder the first-choice charity retail employer for staff and volunteers. This award recognises the great work which has been done on this journey so far and encourages us to keep making progress.
“It was great to attend the awards ceremony alongside fellow colleagues and illustrious retail organisations from across the country. We all felt very proud to win the award, which recognises our accomplishments in creating a people-centred environment and approach.”
Sue Ryder has recently started an apprenticeship programme to give retail staff the opportunity to train to become managers. Retail representatives have also worked on shaping the charity’s ED&I strategy, which has introduced an Inclusion Passport – a user-friendly template which helps people explore their own need and guide honest, supportive conversations with line managers.
Sue Ryder has over 400 shops across the UK and online stores, run by dedicated teams and volunteers, who turn preloved items into vital funds to ensure the charity can be there when it matters.
The charity retailer employs around 900 people across its retail operation and each year, around 7,000 volunteers give their time to support its retail operation. In the last year around 78 volunteers have moved into paid positions at Sue Ryder.
