CRYSTAL PEAKS LEAVES ITS 'MARK' ...

The first and currently the only UK Shopping Centre to achieve the prestigious Business in the Community "CommunityMark Award" is none other than South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire's very own Crystal Peaks!

The highly coveted "CommunityMark" is the national standard for responsible business practice and formally recognises the valuable contribution businesses make to their local communities. The model was developed by 'Business in the Community' and is based on the "Excellence Model" of the 'British Quality Foundation'.

Since its inception in 1988, Crystal Peaks has always been committed to developing and sustaining a comprehensive programme of community involvement. The Centre's formal submission for this award was independently assessed and scrutinized by a panel of top London judges. It was agreed that Crystal Peaks had demonstrated a very significant level of positive community activity and involvement. Consistently customer focused and market orientated, Crystal Peaks proved full operational integrity, environmental respect, an accountable procurement policy, a practice of care for employees and a sustained investment in its' local community to optimise the Centre's commercial efficiency.

At the recent presentation ceremony a delighted Centre Manager, Chris Jones, said, "It's a tremendous honour to know we've now have a mark for leaving our mark on the community. The CommunityMark Award is a big black and white “Thank You” tick for Crystal Peaks to display with pride. It is also 'a first', as we're the leading Shopping Centre in the whole country to achieve this prestigious CommunityMark - made more special by the fact it was bestowed upon us by Mr. Richard Gregory - His Royal Highness, Prince Charles' newly appointed Business in the Community ambassador for Yorkshire. This has certainly given all of us at Crystal Peaks clear and tangible recognition after years of consistent community spirit. The management team has always believed that Crystal Peaks should become an 'organic entity' rather than just another facility and that the route to this state would be based upon genuine value based propositions for the benefit of the local community which would eventually be reciprocated by increased loyalty. Internal strategies were considered to reflect processes for external benefit. We also considered it essential to constantly review the values already demonstrated and to add value yet again - to ensure sustained positive impact. In the first instance, our business ethics and 'good neighbour' core principles needed to be fully understood and accepted by management (to lead by example) and then conveyed to all our employees in every department - from housekeeping to landscaping, security to administration. These principles were soon embedded in the fabric of the corporate culture of Crystal Peaks. The Centre's long involvement with local charitable projects has considerably enhanced our reputation in the community and the various volunteer work undertaken by our in-house teams has generated a genuine sense of pride and job satisfaction. Opportunities increased for innovation and creative activity from staff with very positive impacts on career development and team building. Every member of the team at Crystal Peaks has an input into the community culture of this 'organic' shopping centre and many frequently demonstrate their commitment well beyond normal working hours!"

He added, "My task is to ensure that this genuine enthusiasm continues long into the future to maintain the values reflected by our CommunityMark Award."

Richard Gregory, Chairman of Business in the Community, Yorkshire & Humber and Yorkshire Bank Chair commented, "Most successful sustainable businesses know that they need to achieve the best possible relationships with their communities and stakeholders if they are to grow and prosper. The key is to make a positive impact on their society and environment - this Sheffield Shopping Centre is a shining example of both types of work."

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