Why social enterprise gifting will demonstrate your companies commitment to sustainability

Want to give a social enterprise gift that creates an impact? Looking for Edinburgh sustainable gift boxes for your team? Then, Social Stories Club is exactly what you are seeking.

We started Social Stories Club, an Edinburgh-based social enterprise backed by The Big Issue Invest and the Scottish Edge social enterprise fund, in 2018. We create sustainable gift boxes for teams, clients, individuals and more. We fill our gifts with social enterprise products and have people with barriers to employment pack them so that teams can learn about social enterprises and sustainability. We are creating jobs in Scotland for those who need them most.

Here's how corporations are using a sustainable employee gift box to make a difference in the world and in their offices.

How can an employee gift box support social enterprises?

Every sustainable gift hamper contains soaps, teas, chocolates, and more, along with an inspiring social story that teaches people how to change the world by purchasing from social enterprises. We work with over thirty social enterprises and social businesses in the UK that supply our products. We are constantly adding new items to our offering to support more social causes and deliver the finest quality items in all of our corporate gifts. We work with social organisations and businesses to generate social impact. We are constantly expanding our product line and trying to provide the highest quality items in all of our packages. Stories are a powerful instrument for educating people about social impact and prompting people to change their beliefs to change the world. We include a booklet with our hamper in which we share the story of how teas are helping refugees and chocolates are supporting ex-convicts. These narratives can demonstrate to people what a potential future might look like when businesses take responsibility for solving some of the world's biggest challenges.

Sustainable packaging and corporate gift hampers

We strive to reduce our environmental impact and improve our carbon footprint by reducing our waste in packaging. We seek out ways to lower our waste and improve our carbon footprint to deliver sustainable hampers, so we offset the carbon from the delivery of all our sustainable boxes. We always research and look for new ways to reduce our waste and improve our sustainability and all our packaging options are reusable, recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable.

All of our boxes are made from recycled materials and are either biodegradable or reusable. We print the phrase “This Box Supports Different Social Causes” on all of our packages. We also include pictures of people carrying out the United Nations' sustainable development goals, which are terrific for educating people of all ages about social issues. Our eco-friendly boxes are delivered in biodegradable mailer bags that are more convenient for people with disabilities to open. We can reuse our hampers as new gifts or as storage containers after we are finished with them, as they are made from paper rope and are durable. Wood wool is a natural filler that replaces plastic packing peanuts and is harvested from trees that are carefully managed. All of our social enterprise merchandise is secured with this material.

How an employee gift box is providing jobs to those who need them most

Our beautiful sustainable gift boxes are packaged by kind people at Social Stories Club, who are just as passionate about them as we are. We want to be the most significant and sustainable corporate gifting company that we can be, this was always our main goal when we started Social Stories Club. We can make more impact as a corporate gifting company when we were able to expand our team. We hire individuals with barriers to employment who have struggled to find work because we want to provide quality job opportunities for them. Our team consists of employees from a wide range of backgrounds. We believe in everyone who works for us. We value everyone who works for us. We value diversity and inclusivity. We were pleased to receive our Living Wage Employer accreditation last year, and hope that this demonstrates how much we value our employees' dedication.

How businesses are using sustainable gift boxes to unite their teams

Staff engagement is one of the key drivers that can help a company achieve sustainable business outcomes. This means that employees are fully invested in the company's mission and are committed to achieving its goals. Companies must demonstrate that they care about sustainability to be effective. Employees can determine whether their employer has a genuine interest in sustainability by assessing the company's mission and vision, as well as its willingness to address the changing environment. A simple way to demonstrate this commitment is to switch to sustainable suppliers such as Social Stories Club which make sustainable corporate Christmas hampers. The first way is by clearly communicating these goals to staff. One way to accomplish this is by holding events such as volunteering, donating, impact reports, or corporate social responsibility programmes, in addition to showing employees how their work contributes to the organisation's goals and objectives. The third way is by demonstrating that staff have a voice in making decisions that affect sustainability and that the company is open to suggestions. By allowing staff to participate in decision-making, it is possible to demonstrate that the company is attentive to the issue of sustainability. Employers need to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability to receive the support of their staff.

Over 100 corporations have created a positive social impact through our sustainable corporate hampers by helping to build a sustainable future for society. According to PLAY's October 2021 survey, 77% of UK employees want their employers to be more transparent about their environmental impact. A mere 15% of employees think that the sustainability initiatives of their employers are always impactful or genuine, with business leaders being the most common to agree with this view (34%). Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to businesses, and employees are looking for a group with which to share this value. As businesses choose their suppliers, they demonstrate their shared values. Many businesses already have a lot going for the environment, but their employees do not know about their company's CSR efforts or other sustainable initiatives because their internal messaging is not effectively communicating this.

Choose products from companies that the staff directly interact with to begin. The most effective way of doing this is by choosing products from companies which the staff directly interact with. An example might be a social enterprise drink provided in a communal kitchen or a Social Stories Club employee gift box which may be sent to the team in place of a generic corporate gift hamper.

Conclusion

There are several reasons why people should purchase Social Stories Club corporate gift hampers for their employees and clients. First and foremost, it is a truly unique gift that will be appreciated by the recipient. They will find it special and value the time that was invested in providing it to them. Second, a Social Stories Club hamper can bring people together. Third, social stories, which are contained in the storybook, can be shared with friends and family if you give one as a gift. Third, corporate gift hampers from Social Stories Club may be given as a way to express your appreciation for good work. Your team members will appreciate receiving gifts! Fourth, a Social Stories Club hamper is helping people get jobs by employing individuals who have barriers to employment at a living wage. Finally, the success of an ethical corporate gift hamper may inspire others.