The pandemic, which has affected us all in unprecedented ways, continues to place pressure on the most vulnerable members of society. In response, the Devonshire Group and its local communities have been working more closely than ever to look out for those in need.
As a result, we decided to adapt the community-linked target within Our commitment to our shared future. We felt it was important that the target accurately reflects our desire to have a positive impact on those around us.
The original target was to ‘minimise disruption to our local communities’, focusing on traffic management and delivering better car parking facilities. The focus now is on improving the quality of life and wellbeing of our local communities. We will do this by:
- Providing green spaces everyone can access, with more space for nature
- Reducing the number of car journeys to our estates
- Increasing our support and charitable contributions within our communities
Another positive legacy of the pandemic is the community engagement forum. Formed in response to the lockdown and its impact on our communities, the forum brings together colleagues from across the organisation to help provide support for those in need.
In both the new target and its predecessor, transport remains a key priority for the Group. We are working to encourage active travel and bus use, and support colleagues and visitors in adopting sustainable methods of transport.
As an example, in March 2020 we hosted an e-bike demo day at Chatsworth. Supported by Giant Sheffield, our staff and volunteers were given the opportunity to try riding a range of brand new e-bikes. Employees are able to use our Bike2Work scheme to purchase their own bike or e-bike and cycling equipment.
