Making a positive difference to our community

For us, retailing is about more than quality products and great service. It's also about supporting and helping the communities where we work, and being a good neighbour. We aim for our stores to be at the heart of the communities they serve.

As well as the charitable aspects of our community approach, there are practical and economic considerations too. We provide jobs for local people, and buy from local suppliers. We also help protect the local environment, and make it safer.

Our colleagues like to give something back to their community. Which is why we run our Local Charity of the Year and Local Heroes schemes, to help them support local good causes.

We also have a part to play in the wider community. Our longstanding partnership with Comic Relief is growing every year, and we are the official supermarket partner of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

There has been much talk of the government's 'Big Society' over the past year. As responsible retailers we believe that we have been doing 'Big Society' for years if not decades.

In December 2010 the Prime Minister introduced Every Business Commits, which asks business to pledge to a five-point charter as part of Big Society:

• Improve skills and create jobs
• Support small and medium-sized enterprises
• Reduce carbon and protect the environment
• Improve quality of life and well-being
• Support your community

At Sainsbury's we found that five pledges under 'Every Business Commits' mirrored our company values and therefore we are already doing this.

Commitments and progress