Operator of the UK National Lottery Camelot has been named as the winner of the All-Party Corporate Responsibility Group’s ‘Responsible Business Champion’ Award, singled out for its ‘incredible work in the local community’.
An employer of over 1,000 staff members in Watford, Camelot was nominated by local MPs Gagan Mohinra (South West Hertfordshire, Conservative) and Dean Russell (Watford, Conservative) for the award, which was judged by fellow parliamentarians in the group.
The lottery operator was selected for its ‘key engagements and initiatives’ based on local charities and its employees.
Russell commented: “I personally know first-hand the massive difference that Camelot makes to the local area through its charity work, environmental and workplace initiatives, and much more – all of which make our local community a better place.
“In particular, we have a strong shared focus on wellbeing, and have worked together on a mental health initiative that has helped to support the mental health of our town.”
Camelot’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic was singled out in particular; the firm provided donations to local community organisations, such as the Watford and Three River’s Trust for its Covid-19 appeal, as well as donations on a national scale, for example to the Daily Mail’s ‘Computers for Kids’ campaign and The Sun’s Ukraine Fund in support of the Red Cross.
Explaining her decision to nominate Camelot for the award, Mohindra added: “I was very pleased to nominate Camelot for the award, and for them to go on and win it is a credit to them and their incredible work in the local community – congratulations on such a massive accomplishment.
“I know how seriously Camelot’s ethos as a responsible business underpins everything they do and, as the steward of The National Lottery, they take their duty to operate in a socially responsible way extremely seriously.”
Other community investment programmes included ‘Living Life Changing’, which saw employees commit time and money to charities by fundraising and volunteering for charities such as Watford Mencap, The Watford Peace Hospice and The Conservation volunteers.
Providing a positive workplace environment, Camelot was praised for its ‘Place To Be You’ scheme, which encouraged diversity and inclusion in the workplace culture.
Camelot’s Head of Corporate Responsibility, Alison Gardner, remarked: “I’m absolutely delighted that Camelot has been named this year’s winner of the All-Party Parliamentary Corporate Responsibility Group’s Responsible Business Champion Award.
“We’ve always taken both our role in the local community and our duty to operate The National Lottery in a socially responsible way very seriously – and this award is testament to that. I’m proud of every team at Camelot that has helped make this happen, and I’d like to say a huge thank you to Gagan Mohindra MP and Dean Russell MP for nominating us.”
APCRG Co-Chair, Jonathan Djanogly MP, concluded: “First I would like to congratulate Gagan Mohindra MP for nominating – and Dean Russell MP for supporting – Camelot, so that we could celebrate the great work of this company.
“We were impressed by all aspects of their nomination: from its support for apprenticeships and employees, its commitment to ensuring that suppliers act responsibly, its efforts to lower its environmental impact, and its strategic vision to improve diversity and inclusion.
“Above all, we were particularly impressed by its incredible support for the local community and its charitable work. It is a great example for other companies to emulate, and we are delighted to have it as our 2022 National Responsible Business Champion.”