Corporate social responsibility – what it means to LMS

LMS is committed to making a positive impact in the communities we work in, for our planet and its people, today and in the future.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means different things to different businesses.

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For LMS, CSR is an evolving model that ensures we continue to be socially and environmentally accountable and act responsibly in all that we do. We aim to add value in and beyond our commercial activities to support our employees, stakeholders, and the communities in which we work.

Our CSR policy, which incorporates ethical, social, environmental, charitable, and financial factors, empowers us to contribute positively to our society and the environment.

The actions we take today help to create a sustainable future. Therefore, we proactively align our behaviours and actions against our CSR strategy, which is underpinned by our values and those of the wider community, to ensure we achieve sustainable growth whilst demonstrating a high degree of social responsibility.

Below are just a few key areas which are included in our CSR policy.

Equality, diversity, and inclusivity

As an employer committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all its practices, LMS recognises that some groups and individuals are discriminated against in a way that cannot be justified, based on sex, marriage or civil partnership, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, pregnancy or maternity, disability, age or gender re-assignment, and other differences.

Sustainability

Sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising future generations”.

The concept of sustainability is composed of three parts: economic, environmental, and social. LMS is committed to sustainability through actions like decreasing waste, conserving energy, looking for ways to reduce its carbon emissions, encouraging employees to be more environmentally minded, and supporting organisations that work toward a more sustainable future.

LMS’s overarching Environmental Management Framework

We have a dedicated “Green Team”, which is made up of several employees across LMS. They continually review our environmental performance, ensuring that we search for ways to improve upon it to further reduce our impact on the planet.

For example, we are committed to managing and reducing our total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to net zero by 2050, aligning with the 2019 amendment to the UK’s Climate Change Act.

We advocate transparency; therefore, when it comes to sustainability, we want tangible results. This is why we proactively work in partnership with third-party platforms, such as EcoVadis and Investors in the Environment, completing surveys and gaining accreditations to measure ourselves against something achievable.

The refurbishment of LMS’s Chester HQ

At LMS, we embrace a hybrid model that promotes flexibility and diversity, recognising employees’ different ways of working while helping them achieve a positive work-life balance.

Not least, working from home reduces travelling, resulting in fewer vehicles on the road during busy times, thus decreasing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs). But working from home can also bring challenges, such as fuelling a greater sense of isolation and causing barriers to effective collaboration.

LMS HQ, a two-storey, 1980s building, underwent a full refurbishment – we created an attractive environment to inspire creativity, collaboration and communication across the team while ensuring it also delivered on our sustainability objectives.

We also recognised that traditional desks can attract clutter, so we designed our updated office around paperless working, making it safer and more secure for our employees and partners, and, once again, contributing towards a greener way of working. We upcycled our old 1980s desks into stylish new workstations and reused existing partitions to create office spaces.

Our refurbishment project turned LMS HQ into a warm and welcoming space without compromising our sustainability objectives – we reduced our impact on the planet, helped to champion practices that contribute to a sustainable future, and facilitated a positive work-life balance for our employees.

Our community and charitable support

At LMS, we aim to create lasting value for our employees and the wider society. We invest our time, money and skills in supporting the communities in which we operate to tackle some of society’s most pressing issues. Our Employee Voice representatives – made up of staff from various LMS departments to ensure full representation – help agree to our charitable commitments.

Supporting local and national charities

We make donations both to local and national charities and support and organise fundraising events, including those in the local community and initiatives selected by our employees.

Over the last couple of years, we have supported St Rocco’s Hospice by participating in their annual dragon boat race to help raise funds for the charity. In 2023, alongside 11 teams from different organisations that took part in the dragon boat race, LMS helped raise over £29,000 for the hospice; in 2024, LMS and the other 15 teams raised over £27,000.