Sunbelt Rentals Case Study

Adherence to Code of Conduct: Sunbelt Rentals aligns with Cadent’s expectations regarding ethical behavior, environmental responsibility, and social equity. The company uses the Social Value Portal and its National TOMs Framework for reporting.

Social Sustainability Program: Focuses on Environmental Conservation and Social Mobility. Initiatives include:

  • Skills, Education, and Employment: Supporting underrepresented groups such as veterans, prisoners, and long-term unemployed residents
  • Easier Warmth: Providing heating equipment to community partners like APEX Scotland to help vulnerable people during winter  
  • Fairer Opportunities: Programs like the Beacon Skills Academy and employability workshops to help individuals transition into meaningful employment

Environmental Initiatives:

  • Forests With Impact: Establishing commercial tree nurseries within prisons to support net zero, biodiversity,
  • Rebuild CIC: Supporting the setup of ‘reuse’ hubs to reduce waste and promote sustainable practices and biosecurity

Examples:

Easier Warmth

APEX Scotland initiative. Sunbelt Rentals’ Climate Control and Social Impact teams partnered to provide heating equipment to help vulnerable people access safe and warm spaces during the winter months. This initiative supported APEX Scotland, a charity that works with people with criminal convictions or those at risk of offending, by providing ten temporary heaters to create a more productive and welcoming learning environment.

Fairer Opportunities

The Beacon Skills Academy is a significant case study under this pillar. It provides practical learning and real-world experience for students and adults in local communities, helping those overcoming various barriers to employment, skills development, and social inclusion. The academy offers tailored support through adult employability programs, skills for life workshops, employability workshops, and work experience programs.

Additionally, the Cadent Training Academy at Trafford College and Hopwood Hall College supports the pipeline of NCO1 Gas Network Qualified Engineers by providing up-to-date training equipment.

Greener Society

 The Forests With Impact program is a key case study for environmental sustainability. This initiative involves establishing commercial tree nurseries within prisons to support net zero, biodiversity, and biosecurity. The program creates sustainable employment pathways for prisoners and prison leavers while generating income reinvested into skills training.

Sunbelt Rentals supports the Forest with Impact launch event

Another example is the Rebuild CIC initiative, which supports the setup of ‘reuse’ hubs to reduce waste and promote sustainable practices. This initiative channels surplus materials from the construction industry through these hubs, repurposing them for local projects and contributing to environmental sustainability.

Other examples

Veteran 4RS

Sunbelt Rentals is proud to have been awarded the MOD’s Gold Armed Forces Covenant Award in June 2022 as part of the Employer Recognition Scheme. The company employs over 170 veterans in the UK and encourages recruitment both directly from the tri-services and from veterans who have already left the military. The Veteran 4R’s Programme focuses on four key areas:

  1. Recruitment: Actively hiring veterans and supporting their transition into civilian employment.
  2. Retention: Providing ongoing support to ensure veterans remain in their roles and continue to develop their careers.
  3. Resettlement: Assisting veterans in adapting to civilian life and finding meaningful employment.
  4. Recognition: Acknowledging the contributions of veterans and celebrating their achievements.

Sunbelt Rentals works closely with various veteran-led VCSEs (Voluntary, Charitable, and Social Enterprises) to provide practical, mental health, and employment support. Some of the organizations they collaborate with include Walking with the Wounded and Project RECCE. They also support Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity for bereaved military children and service families, and Combat2Coffee, their first ethical supply chain partner. Combat2Coffee employs veterans to roast coffee beans, and Sunbelt Rentals is in the process of switching over procurement of this ethical coffee for their UK network, with an official launch planned for Armed Forces Week in June 2025.

SEND Road Safety Workshops

Sunbelt Rentals’ expert Traffic Management Operatives volunteer to deliver Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Road Safety Training Workshops. These workshops are designed to equip learners with essential road safety skills, promoting independence and resilience. The interactive and engaging workshops help SEND learners navigate the challenges of road safety with confidence and knowledge. Sunbelt Rentals has delivered these workshops at various schools across the country, including the West SILC school in Oldham and the Green Corridor Academy at Heathrow.

These initiatives demonstrate Sunbelt Rentals’ commitment to supporting veterans and promoting road safety for SEND learners, aligning with their broader social responsibility goals.