Sainsbury's aims to become most trusted retailer among shoppers and employees

Sainsbury’s have embarked on a journey to offer the same appreciation and encouragement to the co-workers from the LGBT community as the other co-workers took it for granted. The campaign is in its early days, but they are on the right course.

They are devoted to encouraging a working culture that displays the diversity of the sections that they serve.

As their Headingley Store Manager, Jemma Kameen, laid down that Sainsbury’s aim is to become the most trusted retailer, where people appreciate working and shopping. She mentioned that being inclusive helps a lot in this and they desire to build an environment of opportunities, without any kind of discrimination, where they all can excel to the maximum.

Jemma is simply one of the many co-workers who shows an active participation in their endeavour to emancipate and support individuals from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.

Her name was shortlisted for the Yorkshire Women of Achievement Award and her efforts brought her a nomination for the Financial Times Outstanding LGBT Young Leader.

She was influential in making Sainsbury’s a successful patron of the Leeds Pride in 2016, which is one of the many Pride marches that they encourage across the nation. She was acclaimed for her attempts at The Annual Leeds LGBT awards, where she walked away with the Leeds Pride Ally of the Year award.

Over four hundred colleagues participated in the Leeds Pride event.  Amongst them, Tom Rickels, a Sainsbury’s fish seller who made an appearance in The Voice UK and was one of the inaugurating acts enacting live on the Parade Stage. He said that he was extremely overwhelmed after getting a chance to sing at the event. He even added that it was great to know that hundreds of Sainsbury’s colleagues would be there at the parade to vouch for him. 

An essence of inclusion

An essence of support & inclusion is functioning and lively around their business and can be seen in the constant expansion of their LGBT+ network.

Important dates in the network’s schedule involve frequent Proud@Sainsbury’s events. They offer a great stage where the people in Sainsbury’s can come forward and share their ideas, as well as, experiences for supporting their LGBT+ colleagues to a greater extent.

Associates are crucial to making more co-workers knowledgeable of the LGBT problems. In recent times, they have implemented a high-yielding mentoring relationship with the international consultancy firm Accenture, which is improving to bring change in their business.

They have learned lessons of the utmost importance based on how to create an allies programme, where employees - regardless of them being LGBT+ or not - can assist in motivating inclusion and promoting awareness for LGBT+.

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