SPAR UK partner CJ Lang & Son Ltd supports Helm youth work charity

March 22, 2023 IN THE CATEGORY: Community, People, Responsible retailing

The SPAR UK partner in Scotland, CJ Lang & Son Ltd, works in partnership with the youth work charity, Helm, to support young people to obtain qualifications, gain work experience, and prepare for employment or further education. The wholesaler has designed a specific eight-week training programme for Helm’s adolescents.

For 40 years, Helm has been working at grassroots level to address the inequalities that many adolescents are facing.

The Scottish distributor has worked in partnership with Helm to design a specific eight-week training programme for Helm’s young people. They are given the opportunity to work within all teams with the wholesaler, thereby giving them a wide understanding of the industry and gaining experiences which are useful as they start seeking employment. During the last week of their placement, young people spend time in the HR department developing their CVs and working on interview techniques.

“We are fortunate to be able to provide young people with a work placement programme so they can gain experience and develop their skills within our logistics operation. I am delighted that several young people who went through the programme are now in full-time employment and enrolled on our Warehouse Apprenticeship Scheme,” said Alan Brown, CJ Lang & Son Ltd Distribution Centre Manager.

In December 2022, Helm presented the distributor with its first-ever Outstanding Commitment Award for supporting and nurturing young people while on placement. The company was recognised for spending many hours creating and implementing a training programme specifically for Helm’s adolescents.

Five trainee beauticians working at Helm recently held 30-minute nail, facial and hand massage appointments for 45 logistics colleagues at the company’s Dundee warehouse. Alan Brown said: “We wanted to give our logistics team a boost after working tirelessly throughout the pandemic to ensure our SPAR stores across Scotland have remained well stocked.”

Source: SPAR UK

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About SPAR UK

The UK became a SPAR member in 1956 when SPAR International granted the SPAR licence to a group of independent wholesalers. As a result, there are now five regional partners in the UK. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group.

SPAR has led the highly competitive convenience market in the UK for many years. Always innovative, the five regional partners continue to grow the brand. SPAR UK comprises independently owned licensed retailers and company-owned stores. These include forecourts, airports, train stations, city centres, and local neighbourhood stores.