We understand that our centres benefit from strong, more resilient communities in order to succeed. Our aim is to leverage our position as important community hubs to shape better communities, enhance local connections and deliver positive social outcomes. We do this by strategically supporting issues that impact both our centres and the local community.
The ‘Community Significance’ pillar of our Sustainability strategy is focused around three key programs:
Through a range of community and business partnerships we are leveraging the unique position our centres hold locally, as well as Vicinity’s footprint nationally, to make a meaningful difference for communities across Australia. Our targeted program allows us to remain focused on causes that make sense for our business, driving a long-term commitment and enabling us to have the greatest chance of creating significant positive impacts for Vicinity and our communities.
Vicinity’s community investment program focuses on addressing an important social issue that impacts both our centres and local communities right across Australia – youth disengagement and unemployment.
Throughout FY21, we continued to deliver this program at a corporate and centre level through various local partnerships and initiatives.
Find out more about how our community investment program is being implemented on the ground, and our community contributions in FY21.
Our Innovate RAP aims to increase respect, equality and opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, businesses and communities.
We have committed to deepening relationships, increasing cultural awareness and connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with employment and business opportunities across our organisation.
We work hard to understand our communities' wants and needs, so that we can respond to ensure we offer an experience that is better, easier and more enjoyable.
We know that high internal engagement levels with Vicinity’s Sustainability agenda and programs is an important driver of overall employee engagement and can help make our people feel proud to work at a sustainable, purpose-led organisation.
In FY21 a full-scale employee experience survey was conducted with 872 team members completing the survey representing a 75% participation rate. Overall employee engagement was measured at 61%, with the sustainability engagement score measured at 73%.
We have recently entered a three-year partnership with the Australian Red Cross, through which we will deliver our community investment program to alleviate youth unemployment and disengagement within our centres.
Social procurement
With a portfolio of Vicinity’s scale and reach, we acknowledge our role as a large employer of service providers across Australia, generating significant economic activity through the operation of our centres.
Social procurement is an important avenue through which we leverage our unique position with our suppliers to help to shape better communities.