Greggs has been hailed as an "iconic British company that has not forgotten its roots" by the Cabinet Office Minister during a visit to the firm's Newcastle HQ.
Nigel Adams was full of praise for the Geordie bakery chain when he met with staff at Greggs House on Thursday, April 7. The Minister was there to find out how the firm is helping to get people back into work through its Fresh Start programme which offers training and work experience to people who are transitioning into work.
This includes care leavers, people who have been unemployed for a long time, and those who are leaving the armed services or prison.
Greggs, which already has more than 25,000 employees and operates over 2,200 shops nationwide, has ambitious plans for the future. Roisin Currie, CEO designate, and Emma Walton, the organisation’s people director, told Minister Adams about the aim for the business to reach 3,000 shops and double Greggs’ sales in the next five years.
And Minister Nigel Adams couldn't help but be impressed by everything the company has achieved.
"Greggs is an iconic British company that has not forgotten its roots and continues to support and create jobs for local communities throughout the UK," he said.
“The Government is committed to strong local growth through our Places for Growth strategy. There are more than 16,000 civil servants already in the Tyneside area from at least 15 Government departments, and it’s vital that we continue to build a more diverse and inclusive civil service that reflects local communities across the UK.”
During his visit, the Minister spoke about the Government's Places for Growth programme which will benefit Newcastle and the surrounding areas by moving 22,000 roles outside of London to other regions in the UK by 2030.
The Departments for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), DEFRA, Work and Pensions (DWP), Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMRC have all made commitments to grow their workforce in Tyneside and the surrounding areas.
Roisin Currie, CEO Designate said: “Whilst Greggs is a national business, the sheer ‘localness’ of our operations means we can have a hugely positive impact on the communities we serve, both through offering employment opportunities, including to those who need more support through our Fresh Start programme, [and] through our longstanding partnership with The Greggs Foundation supporting initiatives such as the breakfast club programme.
“Our people are what makes our business successful and we pride ourselves on offering them a great place to work. It was good to hear more about the Levelling Up agenda from the Minister, and we are supportive of any positive steps made to further drive equal opportunity for UK communities."
