University of Sussex Students’ Union Trading Ltd

ImpactReport

2009/10

Friendliness

We want you to want to be involved in the Students’ Union, either as a volunteer, an employee or using our services and venues. Whatever you are doing with us we want you to feel welcome. Being friendly and approachable is a very important part of that and we take it very seriously.

Responsibility

We are ethical and responsible in all of our endeavours. We place a very high value on the wellbeing and safety of our users, our staff, our community and the environment. We are committed to promoting equal opportunities in the provision of all our services, as an employer and as a representative and campaigning body and we are honest and open in all our dealings.

Fun

Being involved in the students’ union as a member, a volunteer or an employee should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Through this sense of enjoyment we aim to promote enthusiasm for what we do.

Democracy

We are a democratic organisation controlled by our members, who actively participate in setting our policies and making decisions. Members serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership and all members have equal voting rights with one member having one vote. Furthermore we believe democracy is about making sure that our volunteers and staff members have a say in the way we run our services and the students’ union as a whole.

Improvement

We want to make things better. We are here to improve students’ lives by improving their educational and University experience. We always aim to improve our services and we strive for and seek to attain continuous improvement in all that we do.

Our Values

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ContentsIntroduction 4Responsibility 6Student Benefit 8Community 10Customers 12Outputs and Impacts 14Our Outlets 16

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USSU Trading Ltd (the company), is the commercial trading arm of the University of Sussex Students’ Union. The company has been trading on campus for over 35 years, and operates as an ethically led ‘social enterprise’. After all operating costs, the company covenants all profit back to the Students’ Union, where the money is used to fund a range of services for students at Sussex. This includes the provision of advice services in areas such as housing and money management, and to support the development of student Groups and Societies on campus. This support is provided via the provision of development staff and provision of a small-grants fund to support the development of students’ group activities or sports clubs. Prior to the transfer of any surplus to the union, the company also reinvests money on an ongoing basis, to maintain and further improve our services and facilities for students.

Introduction

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Our Vision: ‘To be the student choice at Sussex’

The company has come a long way from the days when bar staff were paid in ‘beer vouchers’! Over recent years we have made a major commitment to modernising every aspect of our services for customer benefit:• Invested in our retail facilities, staff

training and development• Quality and customer feedback

mechanisms and technology• Our relationships with both

suppliers and customers• Benchmarking (internally &

externally)• Continually revised our offer and

sales mix• Improved our financial

management and reporting• Adopted smarter retailing

principles• Improved the overall quality of our

services and our customer offer.

With three busy retail outlets and two successful licensed venues, we are the longest established and largest provider of retail and hospitality services to students and staff on campus.

This brief report is to explain a little bit more about what we do and why we do it. We hope you find it informative and interesting, and would welcome your feedback and ideas, so that we can continue doing what we do, better. Thank you for your continuing support and commitment.

The company has a number of ‘social aims’ in addition to its main business aims as outlined in its business plan. These are;• To provide funding for

the Students’ Union• To provide services to

students• To provide jobs for

students• To provide an

increasing range of social impacts via our trading activities (i.e. support for Fairtrade, community engagement and environmental initiatives)

“94% of customers feel that it is ‘important’ or ‘very important’ that profits from campus trading activities actually remain on campus for student benefit”

Customer Survey 2010

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It’s not always easy to ‘do the right thing’ these days, and particularly in business. Today’s modern society means that customers (quite rightly) have ever increasing demands and expectations when it comes to choice, quality and value for money. But thankfully, customers are also increasingly concerned about ensuring their purchasing decisions help achieve a wider positive impact, in society generally and particularly across the World’s poorest regions.

As a company we have always tried to do the right thing, in terms of trading ethically so that in aiming to deliver what’s best for customers, we can also hopefully in some small way make a positive contribution to society. And the nice thing about contributing in lots of small ways, is that they soon add up and we then start to make a real difference, and hopefully

encourage lots of others along the way so that together we make an even bigger difference.

We aim to trade responsibly in everything we do. We’re not perfect and we know we still have areas to improve upon. But we’re working on it, and we are committed to improving things where we can. We don’t trade ethically simply because we think the customers will like it, and we certainly don’t subscribe to the ‘green-washing’ approach of many businesses who do so simply because they think it will attract more customers. We trade ethically because we can and because we know it’s the right thing to do. As a social enterprise we know it’s possible to do business so that everyone benefits, and this is the guiding ethos of our company. And of course, as workers, we like what we do!

Responsibility

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• Our commitment to Fairtrade; we brought the Co-op to campus in 2006, and now sell over 100 Fairtrade products in our shops and bars (last year we sold over £250,000 worth of Fairtrade products). We also led on achieving Fairtrade Status for Sussex in 2007, and have been working with students and the University since to promote and raise awareness of Fairtrade across campus.

• In 2007, following customer feedback we introduced an ‘Eco-Charge’ across all our outlets, whereby we charge 10p for a plastic carrier bag (bio-degradeable), and 15p for a sturdy ‘bag-for-life’. In follow-up surveys over 99% of customers thought it was a good thing, and to date this has saved an estimated 400,000 plastic bags going to landfill. All ‘profit’ (annual average of around £2,000) from this charge is ring-fenced and recycled directly back into the campus community, helping fund a range of environmental initiatives (for example this year’s funding will help pay for a number of free drinking fountains in and around Falmer House, aimed at encouraging people to cut down on bottled water consumption).

• All our suppliers via our NUS purchasing consortium are carefully selected, and undergo rigorous ethical screening (and a 70-page assessment), before being chosen as an official supplier.

• We have further implemented an ‘ethical labelling scheme’ in the Union Shop in Falmer House, devised by the ‘Good Shopping Guide’ and aimed at helping customers make more informed purchasing decisions.

• We want all students to have a great time at university, and this of course may include the occasional trip to the bar! We want students to enjoy our bars but in a safe way, and have achieved a Bronze ‘Best Bar None’ responsible alcohol retailing award for East Slope. In the coming year we aim to achieve a silver award for both Falmer and East Slope bars.

• We take the environment and our responsibilities seriously. Last year we achieved a Silver Award in the NUS ‘Green Impact Awards’, following assessment of our environmental performance and practices. We are committed to further improving and aim to do better in the coming year.

Some of our responsible trading initiatives include:

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Over 90% of our staff are students who work part-time. We currently employ about 140 students on flexible part-time contracts. Hours of work are agreed to fit around students study commitments, a major factor which helps make part-time working a viable option for the increasing numbers of students who need to work to support themselves through their time at university. We believe the company’s flexible approach helps ensure students are not excluded from work opportunities because of their studies. This approach is somewhat unique when compared with most other major retailers but we think it’s important, not just for the benefit it provides to many students but our services are also much more responsive to student needs as a result.Besides, it works both ways, and the extra work and cost for the company is repaid by the commitment we get from a great staff team who are very keen to provide the best they can for their fellow students and the wider campus community. And when we’re up against it that commitment shows through, as was evidenced over the past three years when campus was closed during heavy snow-fall, when we were the only campus retailer able to provide an extended food retail and bars service throughout.

Other ways students benefit include;

• Funding - our bars & shops collectively delivered £435,000 operating profit over the past year. From this, the company contributed £300,000 towards Union and central operating costs, and the remaining £135,000 surplus was covenanted back to the Students’ Union. All of this money remains right here on campus to be spent on services for students.

• Jobs – we’ve employed 141 students over the past year, paying nearly £300,000 in wages, and have provided almost 1,100 student jobs since 2005.

• The company regularly sponsors a range of social/entertainment events aimed at students on campus, and this includes payment of appearance fees for bands and DJ’s, as well as sponsorship of prizes and other aspects of events such as equipment and marketing services. Recently sponsored events include: Fairtrade Fortnight, the Dissertation Dash and Fresher’s Week.

StudentBenefitOne of the company’s primary aims is to provide services for students and the wider campus community. We recognise that students have a very important part to play in ensuring our services are accessible, appropriate (in terms of choice, quality & price), and relevant to student needs.

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• Student training - The company is committed to continuing staff development and ongoing investment in this area to ensure its services are of a consistently high quality. All new student staff receive a broad range of training opportunities as standard, regardless of study year or length of time with the company, allowing students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and training opportunities to enhance their future employment prospects.

Training opportunities offered include;

• Comprehensive induction to the Union & Company

• Basic Health & Safety training• First Aid training• Fire Warden training• Food Safety training• Ongoing Customer Service

Training • Accredited management

training for new managers and supervisors

• BII & Licensee training• Assertiveness training• Training in the operational

management of EPoS systems

• Valuable mentoring opportunities for student staff and supervisors, supporting local young people on work experience placements within our outlets

Over the past year the company spent approximately £22,000 on training for students, and despite the fact that they move on when their studies are finished, we feel this investment is necessary to ensure our services are the best they can be, whilst also directly contributing to the future employability of our hard-working student staff. We’re committed to achieving Investors in People accreditation by September 2011.

Here’s what some of our former staff told us

“Working for the Students’ Union offered so many opportunities I just would not have had with other employers, such as the flexibility allowed around shifts and lecture times, opportunities to really contribute and feed-into the business, and gaining some great experience from having lots of responsibilities. I don’t think I’d have got the job I wanted first time without that experience”

Becky Cox, KPMG, Union Shop staff ‘07-10

“Working in the Union Store was an invaluable part of my experience whilst at Sussex. Combining work and studies in a balanced way, and my supervisory training and responsibilities, has helped hugely since finishing my degree”

Mai Amunsen, BA Int. Relations ‘08

“The experience really helped kick-start my career. The confidence and skills gained really mattered when it came to my interview, and I ended up working in an area I really longed for. It was also really enjoyable working for the union, and it’s only since leaving there I’ve realised just how special the organisation’s ethos actually makes it”

Lizzie Ralph, Sussex Police, Union News Supervisor ’07-09

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CommunityCommunity is important. We aim to trade in a way that provides benefit to poorer communities across the world, via supporting Fairtrade and adhering to ethical procurement practices. But similarly, our ‘local’ community has its own needs, and we’re working to support these in a number of ways;

The company is playing an increasing role, as one of Brighton & Hove’s largest social enterprises, in the provision of opportunities to benefit the wider community and strengthen links between both the local and campus communities. As members of Brighton & Hove Education Business Partnership, we’ve recently run a very successful pilot programme providing work experience placements to young people from Brighton & Hove. We’re now aiming to develop this further, by providing work experience placements on a year-round basis for year 10/11 students from schools across the city.

Our work with the local community is aimed at

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delivering some great outcomes;

• High quality supported work experience for young people, delivered in a way that supports their learning needs, and within an environment that has already proven to significantly help in raising young people’s aspirations.

• Providing valuable mentoring opportunities for our student staff and supervisors, who support and train placements throughout their time with us.

• We currently employ four local young people under the City Council’s Future Jobs Funding programme. Having been long-term unemployed, they’re now working with us for 20 hours per week, gaining valuable skills and experience to improve their longer-term employment choices and prospects.

• We participate in employer activities and events in local schools, aimed at giving young people a better understanding of the world of work, ethical business, and outlining what they need to be aware of and preparing for.

• We also procure locally where possible, and are working with an increasing number of local suppliers and social enterprises, to deliver increased choice for customers whilst supporting local businesses and jobs.

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As you would expect, our customers are extremely important to us, and not just because ‘we want your money’ (though we will help you spend it wisely!). As a trading company we’re a fairly large part of the Students’ Union, and as such, because we serve on average close to 7,000 customers a day, we think we’re quite an important part of Sussex. We’re here to serve you, the customers, and in doing so hopefully providing you with what you want and in a way that you like and can feel good about. Our customers are important because in a way they’re our ‘shareholders’, and we think this gives them the extended right to have a say in what we do and how we do it. From eco-charge to Fairtrade, and others like local procurement, bagels (yes, you know there’s only one), extended ranges of international and Halal foods, and even down to providing a choice of what bus company you want to travel with, all are being provided as a direct result of feedback from our customers.

Customers

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Talk to usWe’re always looking for new ways to communicate with customers, and in a manner that suits you best.

Emailtrade@sussexstudent.com

Follow our bars on Twittertwitter.com/FalmerBartwitter.com/EastSlopeBar

Search for us on FacebookFalmer BarEast Slope BarUnion StoreUnion ShopUnion News

You’ll also find a customer feedback box in each outlet, where you can post your comments, ideas, complaints and compliments whenever you’re in and we’ll make sure we get back to you.

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Outputs and ImpactsActivities Outputs

Commercial Trading Activities (Bars & Shops)Funding for Students’ Union, c.140 jobs for students and a wide range of services provided year round.

Ethical Trading Position

Substantial growth in Fairtrade sales, Co-op brand & quality available on campus, Eco-Charge introduced, ‘Best Bar None’ & ‘Green Impact’ awards.

Student DevelopmentMin 2,500 hrs student training provided, incl supervisory training, customer service & Licensing.

Community PartnershipsMin. 20 wks supported work experience training for local schools, four x 12 month FJF posts.

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Outcomes Impact

£135K + direct funding to USSU. Approx £150K contribution to USSU central costs. 140 student jobs provided on terms that support their study commitments. Wide range of retail, entertainments and hospitality services provided on campus year-round.

Union funding of advice, ents & other support services leads to better supported students, reduced dropout rate/individual difficulties, enhanced sense of community on campus and improved ‘student experience’. Student staff experience, skills training & involvement in running the company leads to enhanced employment prospects.

Vastly increased range of FT goods available on campus. Increased student & staff awareness of Fairtrade and impact of their purchasing decisions. FT Status achieved for Sussex, est 400,000 carrier bags saved from landfill, improved alcohol retailing and environmental management/performance and awareness.

Increased support for FT producers and positive impact on the development of poorer communities. Reduction in harmful emissions from landfill. Changed consumer habits/environmental awareness delivering increasingly positive benefits in the longer term. Potential for initiative to drive further positive change.

Improved services and customer satisfaction across all areas. Skills development = empowered staff + enhanced capacity, operational efficiency and profitability of businesses.

Students better prepared and equipped for future employment via more rounded experience and skills gained at Sussex, complimenting their studies and enhancing confidence.

Four x f/t jobs provided for long-term unemployed local young people, min 20 x high quality supported work experience placements for local Yr 10/11 students, quality mentoring opportunities provided for staff. Enhanced local community perceptions of company and university.

Enhanced community & student perceptions of each other, fostering improved community links in support of Union and University aims and values. Better services. Local young people supported to learn and gain valuable skills & experience in an environment that helps raise aspirations.

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Our Outlets

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Union NewsBramber HouseOpen:8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday

Falmer BarFalmer HouseOpen:9am - late

East Slope BarEast SlopeOpen:12pm-midnight Mon-Thurs & Sun, 12pm-1am Fri & Sat.

Union StoreYork HouseOpen:8am-10.45pm, 7 days a week

Union ShopFalmer HouseTerm-time open:Monday-Friday 8am-9pm (Off-licence from 5pm)Holidays open:Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

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USSU Trading LtdUniversity of Sussex Students’ UnionFalmer HouseFalmerEast SussexBN1 9QF

01273 872 839trade@sussexstudent.comwww.sussexstudent.com

Printed onrecycled paper