1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024

Introduction

This statement has been written in accordance with the requirements of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and shows the progress the Writtle group has made during the last financial year. Published June 2025.

Our Values and Ethics

We have core business values developed over time as our group has grown.  One of these is that we have a zero tolerance to slavery and human trafficking.  We expect the same standards from all our contractors, suppliers and business partners and our supplier engagement and supplier due diligence procedures are designed to enforce this. Our standard supplier contracts require our suppliers to comply with the Modern Slavery Act.

Another core business value is to be responsible. That means we expect everyone working in our group companies, as well as everyone in our supply chain, to consider carefully about how they do business on our behalf. We want to contribute to a world where successful businesses care about more than profit. That’s why the majority of our group companies have become B Corp Certified. By becoming B Corps, they have joined a global movement of companies that believe in using business as a force for good.

Organisation’s Structure and Supply Chains

Writtle is an international marketing services group.  The group directly employs over 700 people across 9 operating companies in the UK, USA and Hong Kong.

Our creative and implementation companies supply chains consist largely of software and hardware providers, professional services, insurance and benefit providers, office facilities and maintenance service providers.  Our manufacturing businesses also engage agency labour and source raw materials, principally related to the provision of point of purchase retail displays.

Our Policies on Slavery and Human Trafficking

We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chain or in any part of our business, and we make our position on this clear.  Our Anti-Slavery Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains. The group does not knowingly enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour. No labour provided to the group in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking.

Due Diligence Processes

In order to identify and mitigate risk, we aim to:

• build long-standing relationships with trusted suppliers and make clear our expectation of business behaviour.
• have in place systems to encourage the reporting of concerns and the protection of whistle-blowers.
• continually review and carry out due diligence on our supply chain paying attention to higher risk suppliers, who use low skilled workers or trade in raw materials outside the UK and EEA.

Risk Assessment and Management

The majority of our supply chain is considered low risk. In general, we consider the group’s exposure to slavery and human trafficking to be relatively limited. Nonetheless, it has taken steps to ensure that such practices do not take place in its business nor the business of any organisation that supplies goods and/or services to it.

Key Performance Indicators to measure effectiveness of steps taken

We comply with all relevant UK laws and have internal policies in place to prevent slavery and human trafficking. We use the following key performance indicators to measure how effective we have been to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any part of our business or supply chains:

• Periodically review supply chain policies, codes of conduct and our working practices to show continued commitment.
• Aim to sign all suppliers up to our standard terms and code of conduct. including confirmation of compliance, and continually review high risk suppliers.
• Use of labour monitoring, right to work documentation and payroll systems.
• Ensure minimum employment age is adhered to, in line with legislation.
• Always apply national minimum wage thresholds, in line with legislation.
• Act swiftly and appropriately if we become aware of any instances of actual of suspected slavery or human trafficking affecting our business.

Training

To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, training has been made available to relevant members of staff. Posters to increase staff understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking have been put on display at Arken Pop International, one of our manufacturing group companies, in March 2024. The Management Team are responsible for compliance within their respective departments and in their supplier relationships and have been trained accordingly. New staff are issued with an induction handbook where our policies, procedures and expectations are outlined.

This statement is made in pursuance of Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2010 and approved by the Board of Directors on 30 May 2025 and will be reviewed for each calendar year.

Robert Essex

Chairman