Our Social Impact
We believe in using technology to empower not only our customers, but communities and the planet as well. This is our commitment to a better world.
Measuring our impact
At Getech, we’re not just talking about social responsibility; we’re actively measuring it. Using the National TOMS Framework, we translate our social impact into tangible financial terms that we can track.
In 2023/24, we generated £655,964.17 in social value, which includes everything from carbon offsetting and improved air quality to direct community contributions.
Here’s how that figure broke down into four key categories:
Employment and Skills: £26,186.26
Community: £6,760.96
Environmental: £543,208.74
Equality and Diversity of Employment: £79,808.20
Empowering communities
We’re committed to bridging the digital divide. So many kids don’t have access to a computer at home, which is putting them at a huge disadvantage. But it’s not just children who are missing out.
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee determined in 2016 that digital exclusion was costing the UK economy an estimated £63 billion annually.
By donating refurbished laptops that have been securely wiped of all previous data to local schools and programmes that need help to procure IT equipment with little or no budget, we’re giving more people access to technology and, we hope, a brighter future.
Sustainable practices
Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond environmental concerns. We’re actively reducing our carbon footprint, using recycled materials and repurposing packaging wherever possible, as well as working with our distribution partners to minimise the impact of our deliveries, especially in that ‘last mile’ from the local distribution centre to the customer’s door.
These initiatives not only benefit the planet, but also drive cost savings that we can reinvest back into our business and share with our customers through more competitive prices. It’s a win-win.
Investing in people
We believe in the wellbeing of our staff. That’s why we offer mental health support, flexible working arrangements and continuous training opportunities. Investing in our team creates a more engaging and productive environment, which ultimately benefits our customers and community.
For Lenovo, they empower their staff to give back to the community through volunteerism, led by employee champions at over 50 offices around the world. To date, over 13,000 hours have been volunteered, leading to more than 55,000 people directly benefiting from Lenovo’s investment in staff through various projects.
Our Social Value Strategy
Getech is an Employee Owned Trust (EOT) committed to being a fair, responsible company that benefits our staff, customers and the communities we serve. We support causes around our hometown of Ipswich in Suffolk, through STEM and SEND events, volunteering, local and national campaigns, charity fundraising and employing from diverse and disadvantaged groups.
Our Social Value Strategy has five key constitutions:
- Positively impact communities.
- Embed Social Value in our service provision.
- Create accurate annual reports.
- Deliver Continual Service Improvements.
- Invest 10% of gross profit in Social Value programmes.
Lenovo’s Local Charter
All of Lenovo’s social impact initiatives are guided by a Local Charter, which you could see as a social responsibility manifesto. It outlines their commitment to prioritising local partners for the provision of relevant services, hiring from underprivileged communities and supporting community groups. They strive to embed social impact into every aspect of operations.
Lenovo’s Local Charter is more than just words. Our plan outlines the concrete steps taken to achieve social impact goals.
Good intentions won’t change anything. It takes a well-considered strategy and assertive action to make a difference.
