Page 37 Supporting our communities


Building Foundations in Liverpool
Working closely with our development partners, our activities can support local communities that would not necessarily benefit directly from economic city centre regeneration. For example, our new shop in Liverpool is supporting the charitable trust set up by the property developer Grosvenor the Paradise Foundation. This charitable trust focuses on assisting those communities facing considerable social challenges and for whom shopping has little relevance. The Foundation is largely funded by the investors, builders, engineers, architects, retailers and subcontractors involved in Liverpool One; John Lewis has made a significant cash contribution and provided administration support in the Foundation's office.


Our direct involvement with the Foundation has led to John Lewis Liverpool, John Lewis Victoria and our fit-out contractor, Wates Retail, renovating Kingsley United football club's facilities in Tiber Park, Toxteth. Liverpool City Council originally donated two football pitches and a school hall to the club three years ago, on the understanding that the club was to become self-sustaining within five years. Despite major efforts to source external funding, the hall remained uninhabitable and the children lacked suitable facilities.


With the support of Wates Retail and its subcontractors, and after 200 hours of Partner volunteering and the donation of John Lewis appliances, the club opened its fully renovated clubhouse in September 2007, complete with central heating, replacement windows and refitted changing facilities. This will enable the club to give something back to the local community as a venue for after-school activities and social functions. It can also now apply for additional funding from the National Lottery and UEFA, European football's governing body.


Business protection and combating crime
Our Partners, customers, shops and other assets are all protected appropriately against the risks we face, and we work actively with others to contribute to the wellbeing of the communities in which we operate.


We are represented in, and in some cases lead, local business efforts to create safer communities by sharing information, participating in radio information networks, providing Special Constables to the 'Shopwatch' community policing scheme and developing close links with the police. For example, John Lewis Welwyn has chaired the local Business Against Crime group for six years, during which time it has won a Safer Business Award, increased its membership, and introduced a newsletter and a members' training scheme.


As a future priority, we are working as part of the National Retail Crime Steering Group, administered by the British Retail Consortium, to develop a coherent, community-based strategy to respond to retail crime in the UK.

(Picture of Malcolm Wilkinson holding a gosling)

Malcolm Wilkinson swapped his role as a security guard at John Lewis Newcastle to one protecting the birds at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust centre in Washington through a Golden Jubilee Trust secondment.