Stronger Together welcomes Whitbread as the newest sponsor of its UK Construction and Property Programme

Whitbread has become the newest organisation to sponsor our UK Construction and Property Programme, joining existing sponsors Saint Gobain, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Wolseley and Stark in publicly demonstrating their commitment towards tackling modern slavery in the construction and property sectors.

Whitbread are hospitality experts, running some of the UK’s best-known brands, including Premier Inn, the UK’s biggest hotel brand. Whitbread operates over 840 hotels in the UK and Ireland and is growing rapidly in Germany. The Whitbread property estate is constantly growing and evolving through the construction and refurbishment of Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels.

The Construction Sector and modern slavery

The Construction sector is identified as high-risk for modern slavery by various bodies, including the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and the Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement. Due to its related activities and overlapping workforce, the broader Property Sector is considered equally high-risk.

About Stronger Together’s UK Construction and Property Programme

Originally developed in conjunction with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and our development partner, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), our recently updated Construction and Property Programme develops capability in the construction and property supply chain with sector-specific tools, training and resources.

Oana Burcu, Stronger Together’s UK Construction and Property Programme Manager commented: 

We are excited to welcome Whitbread as Sponsors of our Construction and Property Programme.  We support Sponsors to tackle the risks of modern slavery across their direct operations and supply chain through sector-specific trainings, free online resources, and site and due diligence assessments.

Importantly, we also provide space for Sponsors to engage in shared learning and collaborative projects, offering opportunities to connect not only with peers from the same programme but also with Sponsors from other Stronger Together Programmes. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to combat modern slavery in the construction and property sector and drive industry wide change.”

Ana Nicula, Responsible Sourcing & Sustainability Manager at Whitbread said:

“At Whitbread, we are committed to protecting human rights and preventing modern slavery across our operations and supply chains. We are proud to sponsor the Stronger Together Construction and Property Programme.

This partnership supports our due diligence efforts in three ways; it provides our suppliers with access to expert-led training at no cost to them, enables meaningful collaboration with industry peers, and offers valuable insight into property projects through Site Assessments.

We’re excited about the positive impact this partnership can deliver and remain committed to driving responsible, ethical practices.”

Get involved with the programme

Find out more about the UK Construction and Property Programme, including opportunities for training, eligibility for free places and sector specific resources.

Join us on 10 March for our upcoming workshop ‘Tackling Modern Slavery in UK Construction and Property’

Stronger Together is an impact driven, not for profit organisation that provides businesses with practical training, resources, business services and collaborative programmes. 

Stronger Together works across three continents and within multiple sectors with many organisations to achieve their wider vision of a world where all workers are recruited responsibly and have fair work, free from exploitation.

About Whitbread:

Whitbread PLC is the owner of Premier Inn. Whether it’s a choice of more than 85,500 rooms across 840+ hotels, beds guests won’t want to leave, tasty food, flexible rates or friendly team members who genuinely care, these are just some of the reasons Premier Inn is one of the most-loved hotels in the UK and beyond.

Tags: new sponsor, UK Construction and Property

Categorised in: Construction