Calverts provides high quality, environmentally conscious communications design, printing and web services to a wide range of commercial, third sector, government and community organisations in the UK.

Activities range from copywriting, illustration, branding and graphic design to digital, litho and wide format printing, mailing and distribution. Products include every type of print collateral, from brochures, magazines and stationery to information packs and exhibition materials.

Calverts is London's leading ethical and environmental printer. The company holds Forestry Stewardship Council and Greenmark certification, as is working towards the ISO 14001 environmental management accreditation.

Calverts is a common ownership co-operative, incorporated as an Industrial and Provident Society. All employees are eligible for membership, and each member has a single, non-transferable voting share.

Business vision

To be recognised as the UK's leading co-operative provider of communications design and printing services.

Business philosophies and beliefs

It is part of human nature to want to improve the conditions of our work. As a co-operative, Calverts enables its employee members to take part in the democratic control of their working environment and life. We strive for better, fairer and more dignified ways of working.

A co-operative is an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Calverts therefore operates according to the seven co-operative principles:

1. Voluntary and open membership
2. Democratic member control
3. Member economic participation
4. Autonomy and independence
5. Education, training and information
6. Co-operation among co-operatives
7. Concern for community

Business Values

Self-help

Self-responsibility

Democracy

Equality

Equity

Solidarity

Honesty

Openness

Social responsibility and caring for others

Business mission

To provide the highest levels of quality and service in communications design and print services

To provide secure, meaningful and properly compensated work for the members of the co-operative

To generate wealth in order to improve the quality of life of the members

To develop a culture and practice of democratic self-management in the workplace

To support the sustainable development of our communities

Business Information

Date established:: 1977
Contact details: Sion Whellens, Client Services Director, sion@calverts.coop, 020 7739 1474
Business structure Help Basic business structures under UK law include: sole trader, partnership, private company limited by shares, private company limited by guarantee, community interest company, public limited company, private unlimited company, and franchise.: Co-operative (Industrial & Provident Society)
Address of company headquarters: 9-10 The Oval, London, E2 9DT
Countries of operations: UK
Countries where goods and/or services are sold: UK
Size of workforce: 15
Financial year Help The 12 months used as a company's accounting period. This may or may not be a calendar year.: 1st October to 31st September
Market capitalisation Help The market value of a public company's issued share capital, i.e. the number of shares multiplied by the current price of those shares on the stock market. For private companies, 'company value', estimated by the book value of all assets or by using comparable companies, is a more appropriate term. This information is not compulsory.: GBP 262,000 before goodwill
Turnover (last financial year) Help Income that the business receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. Also known as total revenue, total sales or the top line.: GBP 1,380,000
Profit (last financial year) Help Gross profit is the total turnover minus cost of sales. Net profit is the turnover minus all expenses, including payroll and tax. Businesses are asked to state gross profit, net profit or both. This field can be left blank.: GBP 31,000
Details of owners: Common Ownership Co-operative with 15 members, each holding a one pound, non-transferrable voting share
Directors' other business interests Help Businesses are asked to list other directorships held by their directors and company secretary: Sion Whellens is a non-executive director of Co-operatives UK Ltd

Goods and Services

Calverts services include:

Graphic and communications design

Branding, corporate identity and campaigns

Illustration, photography, copywriting and editing

Web development

Reprographics

Printing - litho, digital and wide format

UK and worldwide mailing and distribution

Free samples, dummies and advice

Calverts products include:

Websites and e-newsletters

Brochures and catalogues

Annual reports and reviews

Newletters and magazines

Flyers, leaflets and posters

Stationery, folders, packs, binders

Books

Exhibition and display materials

A full range of recyled papers

Calverts is dedicated to providing integrated communications design and print that is financially, environmentally and socially sustainable.

As a Forest Stewarship Council certified printer, we can also demonstrate that our clients' projects are printed using paper made from well-managed forest products; from 100% post-consumer recycled paper (made in paper mills which are themselves FSC accredited); or from 'mixed source' FSC papers. Our clients can use the FSC claim on their own publications.

Business Responses

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Workforce

Has your company implemented a strategy for promoting health and safety at work?

Rationale for question

Businesses have a responsibility to ensure employee well-being and safety in the workplace. Not only is it an ethical and legal duty, but effective management of health and safety issues also leads to fewer absences, improved staff retention, higher morale and higher productivity. A health and safety policy can provide protection for both employers and employees should a dispute arise related to injury or illness.

Health and safety is relevant to all places of work. For example, health risks might include:

poor lifting techniques;
incorrect handling of materials;
working in noisy environments;
working at a computer with poor set-up; and
working long hours and to tight deadlines.

Safety risks might include:

slips, trips and falls;
poorly maintained facilities and equipment; and
working with heavy machinery.

Notwithstanding the human cost of illness or injury, it is much more effective to implement practices and policies to protect health and maintain safety than it is to pay the costs of absence and sickness and risk the loss of business. An effective strategy allows a company to keep valued and experienced staff, to reduce sickness payment costs and reduce the cost of temporary staff or recruiting new staff. It also reduces the pressure on other employees covering when colleagues are sick.

A strategy for promoting health and safety may include:

evaluating health and safety risks regularly;
training staff in effective work practices;
inspecting and monitoring company safety performance;
improving operations to remove or reduce work-related injuries or sickness;
reviewing health and safety at management level; and
assigning responsibility for health and safety to a named individual.

Defining Terms

A 'strategy' is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal taking into consideration the widest possible set of potential options and their impacts. It must include actions that are undertaken consistently. In the case of health and safety, it involves not only meeting minimum legal requirements, but also considering work environment and practices.

Primary and Secondary answer requirements

ANSWERING YES

Companies must:

explain the components of their health and safety strategy (as described in the rationale); and
describe how it is implemented and monitored.

Companies may:

mention any successes in dealing with health and safety issues, e.g. a reduction in workplace accidents or workforce sickness.

ANSWERING NO

Companies must:

explain why they do not or cannot answer YES to this question, listing the business reasons, any mitigating circumstances or other reasons that apply.

Companies may:

describe any future intentions regarding this issue.

DON'T KNOW is not a permissible answer to this question.

NOT APPLICABLE is not a permissible answer to this question.

NO ANSWER YET is only permissible under extraordinary circumstances and then for only a limited period.

Calverts

YES

As a worker co-operative, Calverts has a mission to provide the best possible working environment for its members and employees. We therefore take health and safety issues very seriously. Calverts Health and Safety Officer is appointed by the management committee. She is supported by our personnel officer, who is responsible for advising on best practice and changes in the regulatory environment (and when necessary taking external professional advice). Our detailed Health and Safety Policy document is reviewed and updated regularly.

Calverts general policy is to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all our employees, and to provide such information, instruction and training as they need for the purpose.

Appropriate preventative and protective measures are implemented wherever and whenever we identify work related hazards, and make an appropriate assessment of the risks related to them.

We also accept our responsibility for the health and safety of other people who may be affected by our activities.

The allocation of duties for safety matters, the identity of competent people appointed with particular responsibilities, and the arrangements made to implement this policy are set out in a detailed H&S policy document, and in associated documents and records.

This policy is kept up to date to reflect changes in the nature and size of our business.

Alongside a general H&S policy statement, Calverts maintains manuals, rules, procedures and associated documents such as records of assessments carried out in accordance with duties under the regulations relating to the Management of Health and Safety at Work, Work Equipment, Provision and Use of Personal Protective Equipment, Manual Handling Operations, Display Screen Equipment, COSHH and other health and safety legislation. Our Employer's Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Certificate is prominently displayed.

Calverts has an excellent health and safety record. In the 32 year history of the company, there have been no serious accidents, even though we work with heavy printing presses, industrial guillotines, binding and heavy moving equipment. The average number of employee days absence due to illness has never exceeded 5 days per year.

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