Carlisle Support Services given ‘Industry Champion’ Award for Dedication to Real Living Wage

• Carlisle Support Services were awarded a prestigious prize for their commitment to the real Living Wage at last night’s annual Living Wage Champion Awards

• The organisation, responsible for providing cleaning, security, events and retail support services, were given an accolade for the Industry Champion Award because of their commitment to paying the voluntary rate and promoting the Living Wage in their industry and supply chain, leading more employers to pay the real Living Wage.
• Carlisle Support Services became a Living Wage employer in 2016 and have been committed to paying the real Living Wage rate to all employers and promoting the voluntary rate in the industry ever since.

At last night’s annual Living Wage Champion Awards Carlisle Support Services were recognised for their commitment to paying the voluntary rate and promoting the Living Wage in their industry and supply chain, leading more employers to pay the real Living Wage. 

Carlisle Support Services was awarded the “Industry Champion Award” for its dedication to promoting the voluntary rate as a Recognised Service Provider.

As a Recognised Service Provider we have committed to pay all our head office staff the Living Wage as per the Living Wage Employer agreement.

Unlike accredited Living Wage Employers, where every employee must be paid the Living Wage, we are on a journey with our clients to enable us to do this. As a Recognised Service Provider we have committed to actively promote the Living Wage to all our clients by submitting a Living Wage bid alongside any market rate bid for work.

We promote the Living Wage as not only the right thing to do, but the option that makes best business sense. We are proud to see more and more of our contracts move to the Living Wage each year, we want to work with our clients to end low pay.

Paul Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Carlisle Support Services, said:

WE’RE VERY PROUD TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS AWARD AND TO PAY THE REAL LIVING WAGE. PAYING THE REAL LIVING WAGE IS SIMPLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND, AS NOTABLE EMPLOYER IN THE REGION, WE REALLY HOPE THAT OTHER LOCAL EMPLOYERS FOLLOW OUR LEAD.

The real Living Wage is currently £9.00 across the UK and £10.55 in London. Unlike the government’s minimum wage or so-called Living Wage, it’s independently calculated based on the cost of living. 

Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said:

CONGRATULATIONS TO CARLISLE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR WINNING AN INDUSTRY CHAMPION AWARD THIS EVENING. THE ORGANISATION HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO PROMOTE THE REAL LIVING WAGE IN THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY AND IS INTEGRAL TO THE LIVING WAGE MOVEMENT.

THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL FOR THE LIVING WAGE FOUNDATION AS WE’VE SEEN THROUGH THE 5,000TH LIVING WAGE ACCREDITATION. OUR AWARDS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNISE THE FANTASTIC BUSINESSES WHO CONTINUE TO RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF A WAGE THAT TRULY COVERS THE COST OF LIVING, AND THE VALUE THIS PROVIDES FOR WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AS WELL AS BUSINESSES.

The annual Living Wage Champion Awards celebrate notable employers that pay the Living Wage and last night’s awards were hosted by Martin Lewis at Guildhall, London. The awards were sponsored by Aviva, Heathrow and City of London.