OUR COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME - and our new Tread Lightly 10 point plan - Eurostar
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OUR COMMUNITY AND
ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
and our new Tread Lightly 10 point plan
CONTENTS
2 WELCOME BIENVENUE WELKOM
3 SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES
4 LANGUAGE TRAINING
4 OUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME
5 TREAD LIGHTLY
6 OUR NEW TREAD LIGHTLY 10 POINT PLAN
7 EUROSTAR VS PLANE
8 SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
9 OUR FOOD ON-BOARD
10 CUTTING EMISSIONS
10 RECYCLING AND WASTE
11 OUR TRAINS
12 OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERS
13 OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
14 CHARITIES
14 OUR PASSENGERS
15-16 OUR PEOPLE
17 REMEMBERING
eurostar.com
Eurostar International Limited, Times House, Bravingtons Walk,
Regent Quarter, London N1 9AW Tel: + 44 (0) 1233 617 991WELCOME
BIENVENUE
WELKOM
AS A BUSINESS WORKING ACROSS A RANGE
OF DESTINATIONS OVER 20 YEARS, WE
HAVE ALWAYS HAD A STRONG SENSE OF
RESPONSIBILITY TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND
THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE.
We pride ourselves on being the bridge between different As a high-speed rail operator travelling across the UK,
countries, cultures and traditions on both sides of the France and Belgium we have also worked hard to ensure
Channel. This report aims to demonstrate the values that we do not simply travel through but actively engage
that underpin our business and give you a flavour of the with our communities.
contribution that we believe we are making.
The breadth of our projects is considerable: from our
From the early days of operation, we have championed the work experience programme and our language skills
environmental benefits of high-speed rail and encouraged support to our engineering and customer service
the switch to sustainable modes of transport for short- apprenticeships, we are finding innovative ways for our
haul international travel. colleagues to integrate with our communities.
For Eurostar, reducing the impact on the environment I hope you will find this insight into our Community and
means leading by example. This commitment is embodied Environment Programme interesting and enjoyable. We
in our environmental principles known as Tread Lightly. are proud of all that we are achieving and look forward to
Over the years we have made substantial progress in building on our commitments over the coming years.
reducing our carbon footprint and promoting sustainable
travel and this remains a key priority for our teams.
Mike Cooper
Chief Executive Officer
2SUPPORTING OUR
COMMUNITIES
AS A CROSS-CHANNEL HIGH-SPEED RAIL
SERVICE PROVIDING DIRECT LINKS BETWEEN
CITY CENTRES, WE ARE VERY CONNECTED
TO THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE
OPERATE. WHILST THE ARRIVAL OF EUROSTAR
HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN HELPING TO
REGENERATE THE AREAS AROUND OUR
STATIONS, WE ARE CONSCIOUS THAT THESE
INNER CITY COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO
HAVE SIGNIFICANT NEEDS.
HELPING TO DEVELOP
YOUNG PEOPLE
Many of the young people in our communities struggle • Early in 2016 we launched the Homework Club at our
to gain the skills and confidence that enable them to find HQ offices. This initiative was created in conjunction
employment and develop a career. To help address these with other companies, Springer Nature and Argent,
issues, we have devised a programme of initiatives aimed who are part of Urban Partners, a group of local
at providing a combination of advice, support and first- businesses working together to improve the
hand experience. These include: surrounding area. The initial offering was to provide
local 6th Form students with a quiet, safe, office
• Summer work experience – a week’s programme for environment where they could study. This was very
16-year old students from state schools in the St Pancras successful and we formalised the partnership with Maria
and King’s Cross area. The students work alongside Fidelis School and 6th form college, based in Somers
colleagues in our stations and on-board Eurostar with Town between Euston and St Pancras.
Train Managers, visit our Temple Mills depot hosted by
engineering apprentices and have presentations in HR, The Homework Club rapidly expanded and developed
customer experience, digital, communications and social when the students asked for help with A level subjects,
media. They even drive a Eurostar train simulator. To in particular, French conversation and French grammar.
date over 70 students have completed this course. The offering has quickly grown and we now offer
tutorials in 16 different A level subjects including
• A year round partnership with the Lycée Jules Siegfried, Maths, Chemistry, Biology, English Literature, History,
located close to Gare du Nord in Paris. The students Applied Science, Spanish and Latin. Additional support
and a tutor shadow our Train Managers from Paris is provided with personal statements, CV and essay
to London and then complete a specific project on writing and careers advice. This support has delivered
Eurostar. excellent results and helped raise the students’ A level
grades.
• Work experience for Travel & Tourism students from
Sir George Monoux College, Walthamstow, held at The feedback we receive from students is very
Ebbsfleet International to complement the high-speed important to us and we value the relationships that we
rail section of the syllabus. build with them over time. They keep in touch with us
so that we can continue to provide support during their
• A one-to-one mentoring programme whereby our
exams and during their transition to university or to an
colleagues at Eurostar share their skills and knowledge
apprenticeship.
with 6th Form students in the Camden area. This
regular interaction provides the young people with an
independent, professional perspective and valuable
career advice.
3LANGUAGE OUR APPRENTICESHIP
TRAINING PROGRAMME
GIVEN THE DIVERSE NATURE OF OUR WE HAVE A LONG ESTABLISHED
CUSTOMERS AND COLLEAGUES WE ARE ENGINEERING APPRENTICESHIP
ACUTELY AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PROGRAMME BASED AT OUR
LANGUAGE SKILLS. THAT IS WHY WE ARE TEMPLE MILLS DEPOT IN STRATFORD,
COMMITTED TO PROMOTING LANGUAGE EAST LONDON.
LEARNING.
Our apprentices are on a 4-year course which includes
We have three partnerships with UK state primary schools working alongside our engineers on our mixed fleet of
in and around London which started at the opening of high-speed trains as well as attending college one day
these new schools. Not only are the schools committed a week. Our apprentices are great ambassadors for
to the French language they also share our sustainability Eurostar and host our work experience students as well
and cultural values. We provide support and work on a as young people from Leigh University Technical College
range of different projects including classroom visits by (UTC). Leigh UTC is based in Dartford and they specialise
colleagues, visits by the pupils to our stations or HQ office in teaching 14 to 19 year olds in engineering and computer
and teacher exchanges. science.
LA FONTAINE ACADEMY, BROMLEY, KENT Over 60 young people have successfully completed the
Eurostar apprenticeship programme. Some have stayed
We established a partnership with La Fontaine, a bi-lingual
with Eurostar and others have forged successful careers
state primary school in Kent in 2014 and have helped
in other parts of the industry. Other apprentices have
create a special online curriculum which integrates the
both completed the engineering apprenticeship and have
French language into every activity within the school. For
then gone to university to take a degree in engineering.
both parties the goal is to develop a blue print curriculum
that other schools in the UK can adopt.
THE KING’S CROSS ACADEMY, LONDON
King’s Cross Academy is a new infant / primary school in
the regenerated King’s Cross development and is teaching OUR GRADUATE
pupils French from 3 years of age. The close proximity of PROGRAMME
the school to St Pancras station and our offices ensures
a close relationship and gives the children an important
insight into the Eurostar business.
In September 2017 we introduced a new trainee
ST. JÉRÔME SCHOOL, HARROW, MIDDLESEX manager graduate programme. This programme involves
Partnered also by Cambridge University, St. Jérôme a series of six-month placements over two years, where
opened its doors in September 2016 and in a short space graduates get to see first-hand the full spectrum of how
of time has impressed visitors and parents with the speed we work. These areas of focus include customer service,
with which the children have taken to the French language. project management, business services and a placement
The celebration of culture and diversity is at the heart of at our train depot.
its ethos along with sustainability and healthy eating.
We are also looking to build on the success of both
these programmes by introducing apprenticeships in
customer service and our head office functions.
4TREAD LIGHTLY
WE ALL DO THINGS LIKE SWITCH OFF LIGHTS,
TURN OFF TAPS AND RECYCLE RUBBISH AT
HOME, SO WHY SHOULD IT STOP WHEN WE
GET TO WORK?
Taking responsibility for our environment has always been
central to everything we do at Eurostar. Across every
aspect of the business we are committed to using less,
recycling more and sourcing responsibly.
OUR FOCUS IS ON THREE AREAS:
1 ENGAGE
We want to empower everyone – our passengers,
our teams and our local communities – to take
action and engage with the environment.
WE’RE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO
BE BACKED UP
BY OVER 60
COMMUNITY AND
2 SWITCH
ENVIRONMENT
CHAMPIONS WHO
ARE ALWAYS
The benefits of taking the train over flying are COMING UP WITH
huge when it comes to environmental impact, NEW WAYS TO
so we’re on a mission to encourage travellers to
switch from short-haul flights to high-speed rail.
MAKE A POSITIVE
CHANGE.
3 DELIVER
We know that if people are going to switch
then they’ll need attractive routes and easy
connections to take them further. That’s why
we are expanding our reach across Europe.
In addition to transporting travellers between
the UK and France, Belgium, the South of
France and the French Alps, we are launching
a new route to Amsterdam and Rotterdam –
establishing a fast, comfortable, environmentally
friendly link between these key destinations.
As well as aiming to carry more passengers,
we are also taking practical action, encouraging
recycling and energy saving schemes in our
offices. Everyone from across the business
is key to the successful implementation of
these initiatives.
5OUR NEW TREAD LIGHTLY 10 POINT PLAN
SINCE 2007 WHEN WE INTRODUCED OUR
ORIGINAL TREAD LIGHTLY PLAN WE HAVE
REDUCING PLASTIC AND WASTE
CONTINUOUSLY REDUCED OUR CARBON
FOOTPRINT MAKING EUROSTAR THE
GREENEST MODE OF TRANSPORT BETWEEN 5 PREVENT WASTE FROM GOING TO
LANDFILL AND INCREASE RECYCLING
THE UK AND MAINLAND EUROPE ON THE At our stations, we will continue to prevent waste
ROUTES WE SERVE. from going to landfill and will work with our
partners to achieve more segregation
Reducing our carbon footprint has always been a key of waste and increase rates of recycling.
priority for our company and we are determined to build
on our achievements. At the start of 2018 we committed
to setting a bold new science-based target to further
increase the energy efficiency of our business.
6 REDUCE WASTE ON-BOARD AT SOURCE
We are committed to reducing waste on-board,
working with our catering suppliers to reduce
waste at source and using best industry practice
In accordance with the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement to find innovative alternatives to traditional
and the Science-Based Target Initiative we are committing packaging.
to a significant reduction in our corporate emissions,
supporting the drive to limit global warming to below
2 degrees celsius and creating a low carbon future. 7 REDUCE PLASTIC BY 50% BY 2020
We have set up a working group focused on
reducing the usage of plastic with the clear remit
ENERGY EFFICIENCY of finding new alternatives. Our aim is to reduce
our consumption of plastic by 50% by 2020.
1 A REDUCTION OF 5% OF TRAIN
ENERGY BY 2020 8 PAPER REDUCTION BY 50% BY 2020
Over the last ten years we have significantly
We will make a reduction of 5% of train reduced the amount of paper we use by
energy by 2020. Train energy represents thousands of tons. Using digital technology
the majority of the power we take from the we aim to reduce our paper tickets by a further
national grids to operate our services. 50% by 2020.
2 ENERGY METERS ON BOARD AND
ENERGY EFFICIENT DRIVING BY 2020 COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
We will reduce train energy by using energy
meters on-board our e320 trains and delivering
an energy efficient driving programme to all our 9 ELECTRIC VEHICLES BY 2020
We are committed to exchanging all the vehicles
train drivers by 2020. we own for electric alternatives by 2020. In the
meantime, we will work with our suppliers to
3 INTRODUCE ALTERNATIVES TO FOSSIL
FUEL ENERGY FOR ALL OUR JOURNEYS
accelerate the switch of their vehicles.
BY 2030
We will introduce alternatives to fossil fuel energy
10 ACHIEVE A 3-STAR SRA FOOD AND
DRINK RATING BY 2020
for all train journeys across our markets by 2030. We are determined to improve our sustainable
food credentials further by upgrading our
4 INVEST IN RENEWABLE ENERGY
AT OUR UK DEPOT
2-star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant
Association (SRA) for our on-board and business
lounge food and drink to a 3-star rating by 2020.
We will invest in renewable energy at our UK depot,
our biggest industrial facility with a substantial
footprint, by installing banks of solar panels.
6EUROSTAR VS PLANE
CARBON EMISSIONS PER PASSENGER JOURNEY.
UP TO 90% LESS EMISSIONS WITH HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
LONDON
63.6 kg CO2e
/PARIS
-90%
4.1 kg CO2e CARBON
EMISSIONS BY
EUROSTAR
LONDON
59.7 kg CO2e
/BRUSSELS
-90%
5.8 kg CO2e CARBON
EMISSIONS BY
EUROSTAR
LONDON 64.2 kg CO2e
/AMSTERDAM
10.7 kg CO2e -80%
CARBON
EMISSIONS BY
EUROSTAR
7SUSTAINABLE
TRAVEL
WE’RE ON A MISSION TO CHANGE ATTITUDES
TO SHORT-HAUL TRAVEL – WHETHER THAT
MEANS CHOOSING THE TRAIN OVER A PLANE TO
HEAD TO PARIS, OR OPTING FOR A GREEN TAXI,
A BIKE OR A WALK TO GET TO THE STATION.
We know we are only one part of our customers’ • Le Tour de Train in 2017... we carried nearly 12,000
journey but if we can get them directly to a city centre cyclists and their bikes across the Channel and
and stepping straight out onto public transport or that’s not including all the folding bikes which are
connecting further into continental Europe or the taken on as part of the normal luggage allocation.
UK by rail – we’re helping to drive the switch to
sustainable travel.
When it comes to choosing air versus rail there’s a lot • In 2017 we sold nearly 80,000 Oyster cards,
at stake. A Eurostar journey from London to Paris emits nearly 40,000 single Metro tickets and over
90% less greenhouse gas emissions* than the equivalent 20,000 Carnet (10 tickets each) to help travellers
short-haul flight, making it a no-brainer for the future continue their journey on public transport.
of rail travel. We have already carried over 180 million
passengers but it is up to us to boost this number and
reduce emissions by carrying more and more travellers • Ditching the car... during 2017 over 318,000
further afield or on onward connecting rail journeys. journeys were taken off Kent’s roads with our
support of the Kent Walk to School Scheme.
We will work with partners and local and national
authorities to enhance sustainability around our stations.
By supporting electric public transportation we will
contribute to reducing pollution for travellers and
local residents. Our initial focus will be on St Pancras
International which is our largest station.
* I ndependent analysis is carried out by Paul Watkiss Associates
Limited 2017, based on DEFRA methodology and on a per train,
per passenger basis.
8OUR FOOD
ON-BOARD
WE KNOW WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINS BUT WHERE OUR
FOOD’S CONCERNED, WE WORK IN CLOSE
PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PRINCIPAL SUPPLIER,
MOMENTUM SERVICES AND MICHELIN
STARRED CHEF, RAYMOND BLANC, WHO IS OUR
BUSINESS PREMIER CULINARY DIRECTOR.
Every meal is created with sustainability and responsible To share our passion for sustainable food in 2017, we
sourcing in mind – and, of course, all the flair and panache launched the “Create a Sustainable Business Premier dish”
you would expect from Monsieur Blanc. competition to aged 15-19 year old students in the UK,
France and Belgium.
All ingredients must be:
• In season, where possible This competition is designed to both engage and
challenge young people and increase their understanding
• Free from genetically modified products
of sustainability, seasonality and food miles. The first
• From sustainable sources winning dish created by Mathieu Coiffard (17), from
• Fairtrade or organic if possible Perigueux, in France, will be served on-board Eurostar in
• Not air-freighted unless absolutely necessary April 2018.
• Sourced from farmers committed to high The competition is supported by our partner NGOs – the
environmental standards GoodPIanet Foundation (France), GoodPlanet Belgium
and the Young People’s Trust for the Environment. Judges
Meat must be indigenous, naturally fed, free range
are from each of the NGOs, plus independent judges from
and easily traceable, and we never serve white veal
each of the countries, with the lead judge being Raymond
or foie gras.
Blanc OBE. Indeed, it is Raymond Blanc who works with
We try to use indigenous and underused species of the winning student to refine the dish so it can be served
fish, avoiding endangered species altogether. on-board to our business passengers.
We use fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables grown In 2012, we became the first transport operator to partner
mostly in the UK which are organic or LEAF certified with the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) and
(Linking Environment And Farming). Frozen and dried achieved a one-star rating followed by a two-star rating in
fruit and vegetables are not used unless there really is 2014. With the work we are now doing across our entire
no alternative. food and drink operation and in conjunction with all our
suppliers we are keen to achieve a third star by 2020.
We are a supporter of the “Taste of Kent Awards” and
sponsor the beer category. In 2017 we featured a Kent
beer or cider of the month in our UK business lounges.
It proved so popular that in 2018 we now feature a beer
of the month, sourced locally, in all our lounges.
“As a chef, I’m always searching for the purest
ingredients, striving to ensure that everything I use is
traceable and responsibly sourced. I’m delighted to
have worked with Eurostar for the past 6 years, who
not only share the same values but deliver on them.”
Raymond Blanc OBE
9CUTTING RECYCLING
EMISSIONS AND WASTE
AS A TRANSPORT OPERATOR, CUTTING WE BELIEVE IN SCRUTINISING EVERY PART OF
CARBON EMISSIONS IS AT THE HEART OF OUR OUR BUSINESS TO MAXIMISE EFFICIENCIES
PLANS TO REDUCE OUR OVERALL IMPACT ON AND MINIMISE WASTE.
THE ENVIRONMENT.
As well as making sure our trains are carrying passengers THIS MEANS THAT WE...
as efficiently as possible, this also means measuring
the carbon footprint of our entire operation, from our • Send less than 1% of waste from our UK offices,
engineering depot, contact centre, to our stations and stations and depot to landfill.
offices.
• Recycle around 90% of the water used to wash
Since setting out to reduce our business CO2 emissions, our trains.
we’ve been carefully tracking our results through the
Greenstone carbon data management system. This gives
• Give our blankets from our direct overnight ski trains
to the Red Cross in France and to animal sanctuaries
us a valuable baseline to work from and ensures our
in London and Kent in the UK.
tracking and measurement is robust. We’re also gaining
more visibility of our supply chain emissions, which • Donate used items of uniform to innovative charities
means we can work with our business partners to identify such as “Suited & Booted” and “Smart Works” – who
even more opportunities to reduce our impact on the provide business dress for people who need suitable
environment. clothing for interviews.
These software initiatives have put us in a strong position • Give redundant or older computer equipment to
to measure and manage our own emissions and those of “Computers4Africa”.
our suppliers. This enabled us to become certified to the
Certified Emissions Measurements and Reduction Scheme • During 2018, in partnership with Kringwinkel,
(CEMARS). Belgium, one of our environmental partners,
we are donating around 1,000 items of luggage
CEMARS from wheelie bags to rucksacks. These will be
up-cycled in their workshop and then sold in their
This certification covers the CO2 emissions associated
140 shops across Belgium.
with our UK operations and provides reassurance that we
have measured our greenhouse gas emissions correctly, • Over the last couple of years we have introduced
understood their impact on the global climate and have a new fleet of state-of-the art e320 trains. As part
committed to reducing these emissions still further. of this fleet transformation we have been able to
donate a number of power cars from our original
ISO14001:2015 trains to the National Colleges for High-Speed Rail
We have certification of ISO4001:2015 for all our UK in Birmingham and Doncaster. A further two power
operations. This means our environmental management cars have also been put on display at the National
system has been independently audited and the plans and Railway Museum in York and Train World in Brussels.
tools we have in place to measure and control our impact Our original trains which are no longer required have
on the environment follow best international practice. been recycled into steel to be used for other purposes.
ISO50001:2011
We also achieved certification to 1SO50001:2011 for our
UK operations. We’ve developed an energy management
system, which is helping us to monitor, measure and reduce
our energy consumption. This, like our environmental
management system, has been independently audited and
meets the international standard.
10OUR TRAINS
AFTER OVER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE WE OUR e320 TRAINS CARRY
900
HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST
£1 BILLION IN PURCHASING NEW TRAINS
AND COMPLETELY REFURBISHING OUR
ORIGINAL FLEET.
PASSENGERS GIVING US A 20% INCREASE
IN CAPACITY
Our new trains, called the e320 on account of their ability
to travel at 320kph, carry 900 passengers – giving us
a 20% increase in capacity. Our e320 trains are also OUR 17 NEW e320 TRAINS FEATURE A WIDE
‘interoperable’ which means that they are capable of
operating across the European high-speed rail network RANGE OF ENERGY-SAVING AND ECO-FRIENDLY
and can go to new destinations, most notably, Amsterdam FEATURES TO HELP US KEEP REDUCING OUR
and Rotterdam. IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
LIGHTBULB MOMENT
We’ve redesigned and re-engineered our trains so we
have more control over lighting, saving energy and letting
daylight do the work while we’re above ground. DWARFING A JUMBO
Our e320 trains carry nearly 900 passengers which is 150
FOLLOWING OUR NOSES more than our original trains and twice as many as a jumbo
All of our trains’ noses are super sleek and aerodynamic, jet. This means they’re 17% more efficient per seat than
helping reduce energy consumption. our existing fleet.
GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK RETIRE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Our new trains have been smartened up with a new livery We’re already thinking ahead and have made sure that
created using water-based and eco-friendly paints and fixtures and fittings like seat frames will be recyclable in
lacquers. the future.
BREATHING EASY GETTING EVERYONE INVOLVED
To keep passengers cool without heating up the Our new trains have more recycling bins, making it
atmosphere, we’ve replaced our onboard air conditioning easier for passengers to play their part in looking after
refrigerants with more environmentally-friendly coolants. the environment.
HOW’S MY DRIVING?
As well as giving our drivers special eco-driving training,
our new trains are all fitted with high-tech energy meters
to help manage energy consumption en route.
SAY SALUT TO OUR e320…
11OUR ENVIRONMENTAL
PARTNERS
WORKING ON OUR OWN INITIATIVES IS
IMPORTANT BUT FINDING PARTNERS WHO
ARE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH CAN
TURN A GREAT IDEA INTO A WONDERFUL
OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE CHANGE WITHIN
OUR BUSINESS AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
At Eurostar we are proud to have environmental
partners in the UK, France and Belgium.
YOUNG PEOPLE’S TRUST GOODPLANET
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT FOUNDATION, FRANCE
(YPTE) A recognised public interest foundation which aims to
A registered charity that aims to create a better future raise awareness of the importance of ecology through
by inspiring young people to look after the environment. artistic and educational projects worldwide. The Paris
YPTE provides a huge range of free environmental City Council entrusted the Domaine de Longchamp
information on its website, which is written for young to the Foundation for a 30 year period to establish a
people and teachers, but also useful to adults wanting centre dedicated to ecology and humanism which is
to find out more about key issues. Materials include an open to everyone. www.goodplanet.org
expanding range of educational videos, lesson plans
and presentations for use in classrooms or by individual
students. www.ypte.org.uk
GOODPLANET BELGIUM
Goodplanet Belgium inspires people to help create
a sustainable society by sharing expertise and taking
positive action. It develops and supports projects,
training and teaching packages on all sustainability
themes. It is also the Belgian partner of the
GoodPlanet Foundation. www.goodplanet.be
12OUR COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS
TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING GLOBAL GENERATION
SUPPORT WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED WE A local charity that runs the ‘Skip Garden’ made from
recycled construction skips from the ongoing King’s
HAVE FORGED PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE Cross development where young people learn about
FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS IN OUR sustainability, grow fruit and vegetables, learn to cook and
COMMUNITIES. sell their products through the Skip Garden café.
Global Generation runs the ‘Honey Club’ which works with
URBAN PARTNERS local businesses to expand the network of bee-keeping
communities and to provide bee-friendly planting. The
Urban Partners (UP) is a voluntary business partnership
team has also developed an app with a bee-friendly trail to
comprising organisations from the King’s Cross, Euston
demonstrate the small but important changes which can
and St Pancras locality who are committed to improving
help the health and survival of urban bees.
the local area for residents and young people. Its members
include Google, HS1, the Guardian, Argent, Green &
Fortune, Ted Baker, Virgin East Coast, St Pancras Hotels OUR BEES AND OUR HONEY
Group, Springer Nature and Crosstree. As part of our collaboration with Global Generation and
the Honey Club we decided to invest and establish our
UP HAS DELIVERED A NUMBER OF own bee colony at Mersham, near Ashford in Kent.
IMPORTANT INITIATIVES: Our ten bee hives are located alongside HS1, the UK’s first
• The ‘Wellbeing Walk’ linking Euston, St Pancras high-speed line which provides an important corridor of
and King’s Cross stations. This provides an easily biodiversity. With large areas of arable land surrounding
navigable but green and attractive route which is the colony it is perfect for our bees as they produce our
60% less polluted than the Euston Road alternative. own ‘Eurostar Honey’.
The ‘Wellbeing Walk’ will not only benefit users but Our Head Apiarist is a Eurostar train driver, and he is
also help increase footfall to Chalton Street market supported by colleagues from our contact centre at
and other local businesses including shops, pubs, Ashford and our depot. We take advice from local experts
restaurants and cafes. and of course, buy locally.
• The upgrading of the Euston Road underpass which is We expect to be sustainable in honey by 2018 which not
located between St Pancras and King’s Cross stations. only goes into our specially created ‘Toujours 21’ gin but
Identified as an under-used, badly sign-posted, north- is also used in Business Premier desserts on board.
south pedestrian route, this match-funded project has
been designed to ease congestion and provide a safe KRINGWINKEL, BELGIUM
and pleasant route under Euston Road. In Belgium we work with Kringwinkel a Flanders
Other UP projects we are helping to deliver include the sustainability organisation with over 140 shops which
Homework Club (page 3) and initiatives focussed on the employs 5,400 people. The workforce comprises those
education, skills and employability of young people in the who may have a disability or have limited language ability
area. These include Masterclasses, Careers Expos, office so it is a valuable first step in employment.
visits and hosting meetings for youth councils. During 2017 we supported a specific initiative to
encourage more recycling in Belgium. This was very
KENT WALK TO SCHOOL successful and we are going to run a similar initiative in
A charitable programme which encourages walking in 2018. We are also working on a major recycling project
the county’s schools. In 2017 over 318,000 road journeys for the renewal of the luggage elements of the Eurostar
were taken off Kent’s roads due to this initiative. It is not uniform, including all the crew bags – wheelies, rucksacks
only important to the environment but promotes exercise and shoulder bags.
and wellbeing in young people.
WE PRODUCE EUROSTAR HONEY
FROM OUR OWN BEES IN KENT
13CHARITIES OUR PASSENGERS
SINCE WE STARTED SERVICES, WE HAVE WE’RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUALLY
BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK OF MANY IMPROVING OUR SERVICE FOR THOSE
CHARITIES IN THE UK, FRANCE AND BELGIUM, PASSENGERS WITH SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS.
PARTICULARLY THOSE BASED IN OUR LOCAL
Whilst we are committed to improving our services for all
COMMUNITIES.
our passengers we know that those with reduced mobility
and disability face particular challenges and it is important
From 1994, we have supported charities in the countries that we are able to advise, help and reassure when
we serve. We hold a monthly draw for Eurostar tickets necessary. To that end, we established a centre of
which can be used directly or raffled. Over the years we excellence team at our contact centre during 2017. This
have given hundreds of tickets and helped many different specialist team is not only able to advise passengers,
charities in the UK, France and Belgium. carers or members of their families but also provides
additional expert support to our Special Assistance teams
Our policy is based on the premise that there is a small
at our stations.
number of charities which are a natural fit for our business
and these we support directly. They are partnerships
We closely monitor the service we provide for these
based on collaboration and delivering joint initiatives. We
passengers and are committed to acting on feedback. We
believe that the benefits are maximised when the
provide training and coaching for frontline teams and are
partnerships meet the objectives of both Eurostar and the
always looking for ways to make it easier for those
charities. The focus therefore is on minimising our impact
customers with reduced mobility or disability. After
on the environment through our new Tread Lightly
face-to-face interviews and research with our passengers
programme, helping young people particularly with their
we have recently introduced a new wheelchair space
education and employability skills and working with other
booking path on eurostar.com.
businesses and local authorities to benefit our
communities.
14OUR PEOPLE
OPENNESS AND DIVERSITY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS*
We’re committed to creating and developing an inclusive Health and happiness go hand in hand, so we offer a range
and diverse culture. We have an Inclusion and Diversity of benefits including discounted gym membership, eye
committee which supports the business in recruiting, tests and glasses, the opportunity to join the Ride2Work
developing and retaining a diverse employee population scheme and health plans to help cover the cost of
and we have partnerships with several external healthcare. We also have 24 hour access to an Employee
organisations focused on Gender and LGBTQ equality. Assistance Programme for support.
As an organisation we want to ensure that all of our
employees are treated fairly and we carry out regular We are one of the few remaining companies to offer a final
equal pay audits to ensure that our female employees are salary pension scheme to employees. In addition to this
paid the same as their male counterparts. we also provide financial support for our employees
to travel to work to help ease the financial cost of the
commute. This includes a contribution to season tickets
FLEXIBILITY AND RESPECT and underground travel.
As well as ensuring that everyone feels valued and
respected, we have policies in place to help expectant Working in the travel industry has always had its perks, so
parents, colleagues with families, and carers balance home we also ensure our employees have the opportunity to
and work commitments. enjoy vouchers for free travel on Eurostar and a range of
discounts on national and European rail travel as well as
Many of our employees choose to work compressed hours discounted entry to museums and exhibitions.
and we offer flexible working and flexible shift patterns
to all employees in addition to a generous maternity, WELLBEING
paternity and shared parental leave allowance.
Our teams’ health and wellbeing is very important to us
and we want to inspire and support everyday healthy living.
DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH We have therefore tailored initiatives and campaigns which
We only recruit based on skill, ability and development encourage colleagues to take responsibility for their own
potential, always aiming to find the best person for the wellbeing by making small changes which can often make
job. And when we find talent we nurture it. a big impact. We want to encourage our people to have a
good work-life balance, take exercise, to eat healthily and
From business and language courses to job shadowing
to have the best possible mental wellbeing.
and mentoring, we offer a wide range of training
opportunities to people at all levels of the company.
COACHING CULTURE
At Eurostar we’re committed to developing and
maintaining a high performing culture. We see coaching
as key to delivering excellent service and performance
and we have a community of trained internal coaches to
support our colleagues.
REWARD AND RECOGNITION
Achievements and efforts by members of the Eurostar
team are recognised with online voucher rewards and
through our “Étoile” recognition scheme.
Each quarter our 16 Étoile winners are offered a choice
of experiences to enjoy. Whether they go for a spa day in
Brussels, a river cruise in London, or a shopping spree in
their favourite high-street store, it’s just our way of saying
thank you for going the extra mile.
In addition to Étoile we also recognise our employees’
long service with celebrations being held when our
employees meet 10 and 25 year milestones.
* There are small contractual differences in benefits
due to the countries in which we operate.
15OUR PEOPLE
GENDER
34%
PERCENTAGE
OF MALE
& FEMALE
EMPLOYEES IN
EUROSTAR
66%
AGES
Unknown
above 16-25
55
26-35
46-55
36-45
16-25 = 5%, 26-35 = 21%, 36-45 = 30%, 46-55 = 33%, above 55 = 10%, unknown = 1%
AGE BY GRADE
Grade Average Age
A
B 36
C 41
D 40
E 42
F 42
Senior Manager 45
Director 52
16REMEMBERING
11 NOVEMBER
2013
ALTHOUGH EUROSTAR IS A RELATIVELY Eurostar carries over 60 school
children from around the UK
YOUNG BUSINESS WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN and guards from 6 regiments
to the soil blessing ceremony
PROUD OF OUR RAILWAY HERITAGE. WITH – part of the Armistice Day
OUR ROUTES FOLLOWING THE WESTERN ceremony at Menin Gate, Ypres.
FRONT, WE’RE PROUD TO HAVE SUPPORTED
A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES OVER THE YEARS
5 JUNE
TO COMMEMORATE THOSE WHO WERE 2014
HM The Queen, accompanied
INJURED OR LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE TWO by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh,
WORLD WARS AND TO SUPPORT HISTORIC unveils a plaque at St Pancras
International station to
EVENTS WHICH CEMENT THE CONNECTIONS commemorate 20 years of the
Channel Tunnel and high-speed
BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES. rail, before boarding a Eurostar
train on a State Visit to Paris for
the 70th anniversary of the WW2
D-Day Landings.
KEY MILESTONES 6 NOVEMBER
2014
HM The Queen
accompanied by HRH
5 APRIL The Duke of Edinburgh
2004
opens the Flanders Fields
HM The Queen names a Eurostar
Memorial Garden 1914-
train ‘Entente Cordiale’ to mark 100
2014. Eurostar has been
years of the special relationship
involved in supporting
between the UK and France.
the project from the
outset and has carried
stakeholders and VIPs to
27 APRIL support the wonderful 5 JULY
2004 new garden which is just 2016
a stone’s throw from On the occasion of the centenary
A Eurostar train is named
Buckingham Palace. anniversary of the Battle of the
‘Michel Hollard’ after
Somme, a special Eurostar train
the courageous French
travels from London, via Ebbsfleet
Resistance fighter who
to Haute Picardie with 700
Churchill credited with saving
passengers including VIPs and
London from devastation
members of the public to join
during the Second World War.
the commemoration ceremony
attended by Heads of State from
27 SEPTEMBER around the world.
2004
The ‘Entente Cordiale’ takes HRH The
Duke of Kent, supporters and veterans
to Haute Picardie for the opening of
a new visitor centre at the Thiepval
Memorial, the largest Commonwealth
War Graves Commission monument.
18 JUNE
2010
A Eurostar train, decorated
with a commemorative
livery featuring five figures
central to the French
Resistance, takes 750
veterans and dignitaries
from Paris to London to
mark the 70th anniversary
of De Gaulle’s famous
‘London Calling’ radio
broadcast.
19 JULY
2010
HRH The Duke of Kent names
a Eurostar train ‘Remembering
Fromelles’ to mark the 94th
anniversary of the Battle of
Fromelles and the dedication of the
new Commonwealth War Graves
Commission cemetery near Lille.
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