- Unlimited Potential was awarded a prestigious prize for its commitment to the real Living Wage at the national Living Wage Champion Awards.
- Unlimited Potential was given an accolade for the Against All Odds Industry Champion Award because it has shown leadership on the on the Living Wage in an industry with high levels of low pay. These include: retail, hospitality, care, cleaning, security, manufacturing and temporary recruitment agencies.
- Unlimited Potential became an accredited Living Wage employer in 2013 and is committed to paying the real Living Wage rate to all employees.
At the national Living Wage Champion Awards, Unlimited Potential was recognised for its role in leading the way and demonstrating that not only is paying the Living Wage possible in low-paid industries but that by doing business differently, they can change the industry for the better.
Unlimited Potential was awarded the ‘Against All Odds Industry’ Champion Award for its dedication to spreading the real Living Wage in health and care in Salford. It is also tackling the challenge of outsourced and sub-contracted services by promoting the real Living Wage within procurement.
This is the second national Living Wage Champion award that Unlimited Potential has received, having won the Industry Leadership Award in 2018.
Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive, said: “We are very proud to have been given this award and to pay the real Living Wage. Paying the real Living Wage is simply the right thing to do and we really hope that other local employers follow our lead. We are aiming to spread the real Living Wage in health and care across Greater Manchester.”
The real Living Wage is currently £9.00 per hour across the UK and £10.55 per hour in London. Unlike the government’s minimum wage or so-called ‘living wage’, it is independently calculated based on the cost of living. There are currently 5,000 Living Wage employers that pay the real Living Wage rate including 27 both large and small in Salford, including 11 in health and care.
“We are pleased that almost every main health and care organisation in Salford is an accredited Living Wage employer” continued Chris. “We were especially pleased that Aspire, a social care provider in Salford, also won a Living Wage Champion Award this year for going Beyond the Living Wage.”
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “The last year has been particularly successful for the Living Wage Foundation as we’ve seen through the 5,000th Living Wage accreditation. Our awards are an opportunity to recognise the fantastic businesses who continue to recognise the importance of a wage that truly covers the cost of living, and the value this provides for workers and their families, as well as businesses.”
The annual Living Wage Champion Awards celebrate notable employers that pay the Living Wage and last night’s awards were hosted by Martin Lewis at Guildhall, London on 5th June, 2019. The awards were sponsored by Aviva, Heathrow and City of London.