As we reach the end of 2025, we're reflecting on our responsible business practices over the last year. From tackling homelessness to reducing our carbon footprint, this work has continued to build on our long-held belief that responsible business is simply good business.
Tackling homelessness
Our partnership with Crisis deepened significantly in 2025. Earlier in the year I wrote about why the property sector must take a more active role in preventing homelessness – recognising that it's often closer to our workplaces than we realise.
We put this thinking into practice. We continued to raise funds to support the vital work Crisis undertakes across the UK, achieving a total of more than £70,000. Our colleagues also continued to volunteer their time and expertise to homelessness charities across the country.
More than this though, we have deepened our understanding about the systemic causes of homelessness and how we, and the wider property sector, can work in partnership on homelessness prevention. Working with Crisis, we hosted industry discussions in London and Birmingham, exploring how the industry can make a real difference. We will be working even harder in 2026 to bring the sector together on this critical issue.
We also deepened our commitment to supporting Homewards Sheffield – Prince William and The Royal Foundation's ambitious five-year programme to end homelessness. HBD's Executive Director Adam Brady was appointed Chair of the Strategic Steering Group, putting us at the heart of efforts to make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated in our home city.
We've extended this support beyond Sheffield too. Banner Plant selected Emmanuel House Support Centre – a charity supporting people who are homeless, rough sleeping, in crisis or at risk of homelessness in Nottingham - for funding from our Community Investment Committee, and volunteers from our Leicester depot have since been supporting their breakfast service.
This is just one example of the charity partnerships we’ve forged or enhanced in 2025. We’re proud to have supported LandAid, Foxtons, Signposts, Wakefield Street Kitchen, Pathways OF Chesterfield and Roundabout – to name a few – throughout the year.
Opening our doors
The Isaacs Building, our Sheffield headquarters, hosted a range of charitable organisations for events, meetings and networking throughout the year, including; Sheffield Women's Aid, Endeavour Youth and Community, the Yorkshire and Humber Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, South Yorkshire's Giving Network and many more. We also facilitated a responsible business gathering for Sheffield businesses to discuss shared challenges and opportunities on a regular basis.
These go beyond us just lending our space – they're valuable partnerships that strengthen our connections to the communities we serve.
Supporting our people
Of course, our communities include all Henry Boot colleagues, their families and loved ones. In 2025, we've aimed to expand the support we're offering them, taking a holistic approach to wellbeing, and even working harder to engage future colleagues.
For instance, we held a Carbon Footprint 101 session with Couch to Carbon Zero, helping colleagues discover actionable ways to reduce their environmental impact. Our Family Matters network partnered with Dementia Friends to help people understand dementia's impact and how to support those living with the condition.
Our SHEnetWORKS group hosted Professor Penny Dick from the University of Sheffield for a session on enhancing workplace support for women's skills, needs and ambitions, sparking valuable conversations about careers and inclusive environments.
We also sponsored the Primary Careers Enrichment Conference, bringing together educators and employers passionate about starting careers conversations early and supporting the outcomes recommended by the Careers & Enterprise Company's 'Start Small; Dream Big' pilot programme.
Taking action on climate
Following a successful trial at Banner Plant, we began rolling out hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel more widely across our operations. HVO is a renewable alternative to diesel that can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%. Our pilot achieved 95 tonnes of carbon savings without compromising performance – a vital step forward for a business where significant emissions come from heavy plant and transport.
This year I also co-hosted the Yorkshire Climate Action Coalition's Climate Action 2030 Dinner in Leeds and participated in an edie webinar on "Getting the Board Onboard: Changing Governance Structures to Integrate ESG," sharing insights on embedding sustainability into company culture.
There's no single solution to decarbonisation, but with initiatives like HVO, combined with continued scrutiny of our methods and investment in new technologies, we're making consistent progress toward our 2030 net zero carbon goal.
Looking ahead
And these are just a handful of the events, initiatives and partnerships we’ve delivered during the year. We're energised by the progress we've made but still remain realistic about the work that’s still to be done. 2025 showed us what's possible when purpose meets practical action, when businesses recognise their responsibility to the communities they serve, and when people come together around causes that truly matter.
As we approach 2026 and the launch of our new Responsible Business Strategy, we are more determined than ever to ensure our approach is strategic, creates real impact, and helps us deliver our purpose – to create great spaces today, to build a better tomorrow.
We're grateful to every colleague, sponsor, charity partner and organisation who contributed this year.
