Saffery Trust has been named as winner of the Corporate Social Responsibility/Diversity category in The Twelfth Annual Wealthbriefing European Awards 2024.
The annual awards are open to financial service providers across Europe, focused on experts, products, and services. The CSR category required nominees to demonstrate their social responsibility activities over the prior 12 months and how their firm’s culture supports its people and community.
Responsible business is a pillar of Saffery Trust, with dedicated teams to drive its CSR and green activities. The private client firm supported several charitable causes and launched environmental initiatives through 2023, which contributed to its awards success.
The firm’s flagship charitable activity is as main sponsor of the annual Saffery Rotary Walk, which has raised over £1m for local causes since its inception. 2023 was a record-breaking year for the Walk, with over 1,000 walkers raising more than £100,000 for 25 local charities. In addition to covering all the operating costs, Saffery Trust staff volunteer their time supporting the organisation and marketing of the event and volunteering on the day.
Saffery Trust also supported several smaller charitable initiatives over the year, including a donation towards Guernsey Prison Officer Simon Chapman’s Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle challenge, becoming the first Guernsey business to introduce its staff to the women’s safety campaign ‘BE LADS’, and taking part in the annual Rotary Christmas Shoebox Appeal to donate gifts and toiletries to disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe .
The firm also took part in the local Better Journey Day initiative and subsequently launched its own ’10 in 10′ project, challenging staff to replace 10 car journeys with green alternatives over 10 weeks. Saffery Trust also purchased two electric bikes for staff use, with over 1,000 miles being undertaken on the bikes in the first three months.
The trust and corporate service provider also financed and supported Transformation Manager and Responsible Business Champion Joe Cardoso-Smale in undertaking a Carbon Literacy Course to support the firm’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
Joe said: “I would credit our success in the Wealthbriefing Corporate Social Responsibility/Diversity category to Saffery Trust’s ongoing commitment to prioritising wellbeing and promoting an ethos of working together to do good.
“Our people recognise that CSR activity extends beyond financial contribution and that, often, donating our time to charitable causes is just as, or more, valuable. Without staff engagement and involvement, we would not be able to have such a positive environmental and social impact.”
Saffery Trust Guernsey and Cayman Director and Saffery Rotary Walk Lead, Lisa Vizia, said the award was a testament to the firm’s values: “At Saffery Trust, we pride ourselves on doing the right thing, even if no one is looking. We are committed to acting responsibility and to giving back to our people and our community wherever and however we can. For our efforts to have been recognised by Wealthbriefing is an honour shared between all our people, and the charitable and green organisations that we work in partnership with.”
Stephen Harris, ClearView Financial Media’s CEO, and publisher of WealthBriefing, was first to extend his congratulations to all winners and highly commended companies: “Every winning entrant has been subjected to a rigorous and independent judging process and should be rightly proud of the success they have achieved this year.
“I offer my congratulations and best wishes for the future to all winners and highly commended firms – they are all worthy recipients who join the prestigious list of wealth management professionals who form the global elite of WealthBriefing winners.”
