Our ESG commitments
Davies Sports is committed to instilling a lifelong love of activity into its educational, grassroots and leisure communities by offering a diverse range of inclusive sports, comprised of as many sustainability products as possible. Our ranges are ever evolving to meet the needs of our customers.  
Physical and mental wellbeing flourishes when our communities are engaged in healthy and stimulating activities. That is why we’ve married our environmental goals to our human goals  

We have set ambitious targets for our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments to make the world a better place by 2025 and beyond. We’ve already made a start on doing good things. But there is more to be done. Follow our journey right here, including our part of the Findel family
We’re now leading the change by taking something away, and as of April 2024 we’ll no longer be producing big, printed catalogues in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. Find out more here

Ten things we are doing to help make the world a better
place by 2025 - and beyond. 

1. Giving children the right start.

Our commitment 
For several years, Davies Sports has partnered with Greggs to provide Breakfast Clubs to 5 schools and growing. This year Davies Sports will support further schools in 5 areas across the United Kingdom

Our progress so far
We currently support one Greggs Breakfast Club local to our Greater Manchester headquarters and we are in the process of signing up an additional four clubs.

We will support an additional 4 Greggs Breakfast clubs in the UK.

Our waste streams and packaging waste will continue to be independently audited annually.

2. Zero landfill waste.

Our commitment 
We continue to ensure none of our waste from our two UK sites, as well as the packaging waste we have direct control over, goes to landfill.

Our progress so far
Our waste streams are audited annually as part of our ISO14001 integrated management system audit. For the packaging waste we produce, this is controlled under “The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations” for which we do an annual submission via Valpak.

3. Embracing equality, diversity and inclusion.

Our commitment 
By 2025, we will have a well-established culture of diversity and inclusion, in which all Findel colleagues feel a strong sense of belonging to our organisation and are able to thrive. This will be championed by our leaders who we will train in inclusive leadership practices.

Our progress so far
Our mental health and well-being provision is now an established part of our offer to colleagues. We have developed a diversity and inclusion roadmap, which takes us one step further by enabling better business outcomes through a more diverse workforce that reflects the communities and customers we serve.

We will continue to grow a culture of diversity and inclusion to support all our colleagues.

Keep working towards reducing the Scope3 emissions in our UK supply chain.

4. Improving our UK parcel distribution emissions.

Our commitment 
By 2025 we will be monitoring and reducing our Scope3 emissions in our supply chain, including wider distribution of our UK parcels on electric only vehicles.


Our progress so far

We are currently partnered with DPD for outbound logistics, who are the leading green parcel carrier for UK deliveries.

5. Supporting education.

Our commitment 
By 2025 we will have developed resources and content to help teach sustainability and climate change in schools

Our progress so far
Our buying and curricular teams have started to explore new resources and engaging content to support teaching about sustainability

Develop resources and content to help teach sustainability in schools.

We will launch the Findel Foundation to colleagues and explore even more ways to support causes which benefit children and education in the UK.

6. Charitable support.

Our commitment 
The Findel Foundation will help further support causes that benefit children, their education and their environment in the United Kingdom. Davies Sports will support by providing donations and gifts of products, sponsorships and in-kind support.

Our progress so far
We have supported Derian House Children’s Hospice by organising colleague fundraising activities, provided sponsorships of school sports teams; and donated goods and vouchers to schools close to our main locations in Greater Manchester and Nottingham.

7. Supporting local communities.

Our commitment 
By 2028 we will ensure over 30% of our colleagues in permanent locations are engaged in 15 hours or more volunteering to support children and their education. For example, career development, supporting children who are subject to deprivation, or creating engaging spaces to contribute towards the health and wellbeing of children.

Our progress so far
Since launching our volunteering policy in January 2022, 24% of our colleagues have taken part in community volunteering activities, which has positively impacted over 2400 young persons’ lives.

Keep encouraging our colleagues to participate in community volunteering activities.

Extend our LED lighting conversion across the rest of our distribution centre..

8. Reducing carbon footprint.

Our commitment 
By 2030 we will be a carbon-neutral business, using 100% renewable electricity across our entire operations, investing in infrastructure and credible carbon offsetting, in line with limited global warming to 1.5 oC.

Our progress so far
In 2020 we switched the energy supply for our two UK sites to a renewable supply. In October 2022, the gas supply was also switched to green gas, supporting significant reductions across both our Scope1 and Scope2 emissions and our Science Based Targets initiative pathway. All external lighting at our UK distribution centre has been converted to LED and projects are well underway to extend this across the entire site, in parallel with other energy-saving initiatives

9. Sustainable sourcing.

Our commitment 
By 2028 we will have switched 45% of our Classmates® product range for sustainable alternatives, or sustainably improved them with a focus on removing single-use plastics.


Our progress so far

We have focused on improving the product packaging of our Classmates range in 2022, with 7% of the range already improved.

Work towards switching 45% of our Classmates product range to sustainable alternatives.

Start roll out of suppliers completing the SEDEX SAQ and uploading SMETA audits for high risk factories.

10. Sourcing responsibly.

Our commitment 
By 2028 we will ensure that 100% of our tier 1 suppliers in higher-risk markets, defined by the Global Slavery Index top 10 and the Corruption Index top 10, have a full ethical audit with credible and recent sector-specific assessments recognised by SEDEX.

Our progress so far
We are now members of SEDEX and we are currently undergoing training on the SEDEX platform, to enable our suppliers to complete SEDEX SAQ and upload SMETA audits for high risk factories.