We recently published the Pentland Brands Positive Business report, outlining our commitment to take action for people and planet. Here are some of the things our brands have done this year to help us deliver on those commitments.
Supporting people
Our brands proudly embrace all forms of diversity in their campaigns, products and community initiatives. This year Speedo unveiled its Made For Everyone campaign in Australia, highlighting the inclusivity of the range worn by swimmers across the world for over 90 years. In the UK, Speedo also joined forces with the Black Swimming Association to help address barriers faced by BAME communities around swimming and water safety.
Kickers is also addressing prejudices around ethnicity in the UK, announcing its partnership with education charity Show Racism the Red Card to educate children and adults on the importance of diversity. The collaboration is part of the brand’s Change Starts Here platform, which sees it partner with organisations that share its goal of making tangible change to improve diversity and inclusion, education and environmental impact.
Protecting our planet
We’re a constantly evolving story and our brands are taking steps to build their sustainability credentials. In October, Canterbury launched the official British & Irish Lions jersey for the 2021 tour. Made up of 100% polyester, it’s the Lions’ most sustainable jersey ever.
We’re also looking at how we can build circularity into our products and processes. This year, Berghaus teamed up with Cumbrian climbing company Dirtbags to give its products a second life. The collaboration, called ‘Rehaused By Dirtbags’, takes Berghaus products that are no longer usable and upcycles the materials into climbing kit.
Where we’re unable to transform our brand products into something new, we donate them to In Kind Direct, which distributes them to UK charities that need them most. So far this year, we’ve donated 6,500 products from across our brand portfolio.
Taking action
During the global pandemic, our brands put their principles into action. To support frontline workers, Endura employees made use of their skills in rapid garment development and produced medical gowns for NHS Scotland.
The Speedo North America team donated 2,000 goggles to US hospital partners, via the Swim Across America, and Speedo UK donated 2,500 goggles to Shield for redistribution to charities supporting UK frontline workers.
Endura and Berghaus offered a 50% discount to key workers, and many of our other brands including ellesse, Kickers and Canterbury also offered Blue Light Card discounts to the UK’s NHS, social care services, emergency services and armed forces.
Our brands have also donated products to people that need them. SeaVees has donated 500 pairs of shoes to healthcare workers and is offering care packages to nominated frontline workers in California.
To find out more about how our brands have been taking action, view our Positive Business report.
