Four Key Initiatives
The words sustainability and social responsibility are increasingly key motivators for both clients and team members alike, but what do they mean to us here at By Word of Mouth? Read on to discover more about the four key initiatives we are working on in these areas and click here to access our Corporate Responsibility, Environmental & Sustainability Policy.
Sustainability
Several years ago, By Word of Mouth established an in-house Green Team, made up of volunteers from across the business. The group had huge success in researching, communicating and implementing sustainable practices throughout By Word of Mouth and its successes include reduced waste/increased recycling, reduced use of energy, and the enthusiastic take up of the Cycle to Work Scheme. This was just the start of our sustainability journey, and the Green Team is now supported by our membership of isla, the not-for-profit organisation dedicated to driving the events industry towards a more sustainable future. Looking forward, we are excited about working with isla, embracing its post pandemic approach of build back better and implementing new practices to ensure that when we talk about sustainability, we can back our words up with tangible results.
Food – Provenance, Purchasing and Plant-Based
With great food at the heart of our business, By Word of Mouth has always believed in placing the best, seasonal produce in the hands of skilled chefs and we have never compromised on our approach. Working with the same, trusted suppliers for many years has enabled us to maintain the exemplary standards we are known for, and means that we can rely on them to source ingredients that are ethically produced, offer full traceability and are best in class. Whether a full-flavoured halloumi made in Sussex or traditionally smoked salmon from Scotland’s Inverawe Smokehouses, we will choose UK produced, artisan ingredients wherever possible and our suppliers share this approach. Plant-based eating has experienced huge growth in recent years for many reasons, not least for its environmental credentials. We offer delicious, plant-based options on all of our menus and are happy to create fully vegan menus if required.
Welfare and Wellbeing
The welfare and wellbeing of our team is of great importance to us and respect, friendship and an open-door policy can be expected from the moment someone joins By Word of Mouth. Initiatives such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, volunteer days, specialist training courses, team outings and regular social activities are just a few ways in which we enhance working life at BWoM. We are also proud to be a London Living Wage employer. The fact that so many of the team stays with the company for many years (at least three of us have been with By Word of Mouth for over 2 decades and several more for over 10 years) is a great endorsement of our efforts to create an enjoyable and fulfilling place to work.
Charity and Giving Back
By Word of Mouth has a long history of charitable activities, and over the years we have supported organisations such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Leuka and Wellbeing of Women.
Our partnership with City Harvest London was created early in 2020 when we came up with the pioneering idea of offering two No Waste canapes on our menu and to make a donation to City Harvest every time they are served. We chose to support City Harvest primarily because their work not only supports London’s vulnerable and needy (they currently deliver surplus food to over 350 charitable projects) but also because their work rescues the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from food waste – a double whammy of positive action. It is an exceptional organisation, whose mission strongly connects with our efforts to reduce the impact of our activities on the environment. The charity canapes have been selected by many of By Word of Mouth’s clients who have embraced the idea of including an element of giving-back in their event menu. With thousands of pounds already raised to help keep City Harvest’s vans rolling across London, we are looking forward to seeing our two charity canapes at many more events looking forward.