The Very Group

What happens when our brilliant people lab chairs and colleague-led network chairs come together for a super session on diversity and inclusion?   You get powerful collaboration, inspiring conversations and a whole lot of positive energy! 💡   The group took a deep dive into our D&I ambitions, explored ways to enhance our collective impact through cross-network initiatives and came up with actionable steps to drive our strategy forward.   A big thank you to everyone who participated, shared insights and brought their passion to the table. Together, we're making Very a place where everyone feels welcomed, represented and valued. 🙌   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

Meet Nichola Cook, customer excellence superstar and the new Voice of Very! 🎙️   Nichola’s warm and engaging voice captured the judges' hearts in our internal competition and has already been heard by over 10,000 of our customers.   As she continues to lend her voice to our customer care videos and interactive voice response phone system, hundreds of thousands more will be greeted by her friendly tone in the coming months. 📱   Nichola’s professionalism and talent shone through in the recording booth, making a challenging task look effortless.   A huge thank you to everyone in our customer care team who participated in the competition. Our judges were blown away by the standard of entries.   Let’s give Nichola a big round of applause! 👏   (Also shown in pic: our senior programme manager Bilal Miah. 📸)   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

We’re excited to partner with Multiverse to launch an advanced training programme for 11 talented members of our data team (including this smiley bunch). 😀   Over the next three years, the team will complete a degree-level journey through our new data academy. The scheme is designed to: 📊 Elevate their existing skills with in-depth data analysis training 👍 Drive even better decision-making 📱 Enhance our customers’ experience of shopping with Very   Good luck to everyone involved, you’ll be brilliant! Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/e2nWQUBj   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

What an incredible weekend at the Very Pink Run with Breast Cancer Ireland! 🩷   We’re so proud to be the headline sponsor of this amazing event for the second year running (pardon the pun).   A huge thank you to our colleagues, partners and everyone else who donned their pink gear and took part in Dublin and Kilkenny. And good luck to those getting ready to run in Cork this weekend! 👟   Catherine O'Toole, Head of Marketing at Very Ireland, shared: “We know the important work that Breast Cancer Ireland does will touch many of our customers, colleagues and their families during their lifetime. We’re proud to support the charity in increasing awareness and raising vital funds for life-saving research and breast health education. Thank you to everyone who is getting involved or has donated. You’ve made a real difference!”   There’s still time to join us by running in Cork or taking part virtually: https://lnkd.in/e6rCM3UW   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup #VeryPinkRun #VPR2024

We’re incredibly proud to have three of our amazing teammates shortlisted for WeAreTechWomen's Tech Women 100 Individual Award! 🏆   (And the best news is, you can vote for them to win via the link below until 6 September.)   Meet our tech superstars:   🌟 Bunty Banik, Principal QA Engineer – a brilliant leader and mentor, Bunty spearheads improvements in testing efficiency, delivering higher quality software for Very’s website and app.   🌟Eleanor Firth, QA Engineering Manager – from graduate warehouse manager to business owner, Eleanor now leads a team of 18 QA engineers at Very, showcasing the power of ‘squiggly careers.’   🌟 Harriet Bridge, Digital Collaboration Lead – Harriet connects us all with digital tools, blending training and development with tech support to ensure everyone at Very is set up for success.   Good luck Bunty, Eleanor, and Harriet!   Cast your vote here: https://lnkd.in/esMuQVr8   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup #TechWomen100 #WomenInTech

Very's ‘Haus of Flamingo’ is making a bold comeback for autumn with our first fashion broadcast TV ad in SEVEN years. 📺  🦩 Once again, our amazing marketing and creative teams have worked with our partners The Gate London to serve up even more confidence, swagger and sass, as a group of friends transform a manor house with an abundance of pink, sparkle, and of course flamingo flourishes. Our superb category teams have curated outstanding product for autumn, which we know our customers will love. It's fashion's hottest destination, and everyone's invited! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/exv98hfB

In a recent episode of hackajob's podcast, our very own Paul Hornby, Director of Digital Customer Experience (DCX), sheds light on the driving factors behind our ongoing tech transformation. Paul talks about how his team is keeping pace with trends, tackling transformation challenges, and making accessibility a priority for our customers. 🎧 Why not give it a go? Listen: https://lnkd.in/e3JgKGa3  Watch: https://lnkd.in/edXA__CR 

We're happy to share that we've been shortlisted for the Workforce Planning Award at The Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2024! 🏆 This recognises the fantastic work of Maisie Gallears, our talent and development manager, and Darren Gallop, our learning and development manager. They’ve been instrumental in supporting our fulfilment teams in the East Midlands and Wrexham to do a brilliant job today whilst also getting future-ready. Through strategic partnerships with learning providers, early careers specialists and charities, we've cultivated an environment where our amazing fulfilment team can grow and new talent is welcomed into the industry. Some standout achievements along the way: ⭐ Promoting many of our fulfilment leaders from within Very, fostering a strong culture of growth and opportunity. ⭐ Empowering 35 fulfilment colleagues through leadership or technical apprenticeships. ⭐ Supporting 180 fulfilment colleagues to gain NVQ qualifications. ⭐ Launching an in-house development programme, specifically tailored for fulfilment colleagues. Fingers crossed for a win at the awards ceremony in October! 🤞 #SCEA24 #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

We’re committed to creating a sustainable future for our customers, our business and the communities we operate in. 🌍 Supporting workers in our supply chain, and their families, is one of the ways we’re making that happen. This summer, we’re proud to have teamed up with the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI) to create a family friendly space at one of the factories we work with in Zhejiang Huaxing, China. 🇨🇳 Francesca White, our head of ESG, said: “Lots of parents in China travel to other cities for employment. When their children visit during the school holidays, there are rarely facilities for them to learn and play while their parents are working. “This scheme meets that need brilliantly, with great teachers and fun educational activities like music, reading and art. The families involved have given us some fantastic feedback, and we’re looking forward to rolling similar schemes out at other factories in our supply chain in China.” Shout out to our amazing ESG team in China, 王峰, Sally Mo and Leo Li, for all their hard work bringing this project to life! #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

Supporting open and honest conversations about mental health is a crucial part of our commitment to making Very a place where everyone feels welcomed, represented and valued. 🧠 Last week, teammates at our Wrexham fulfilment site hosted a great interactive workshop on this topic with some of our managers, mental health first aiders and members of our colleague-led mental health network, Mind. Facilitated by Sean Liddell, an external trainer with a passion for mental health, the session provided practical tools and strategies to help us all have meaningful discussions and support our teammates' well-being. A big thank you to everyone who joined and helped make the day a success! Let’s keep the conversation going. 💬 #LifeAtTheVeryGroup