The Living Wage Champion Awards celebrate the individuals and organisations who have made an outstanding contribution to the Living Wage movement.
The awards recognise the efforts of those across different sectors – from Health and Social care to Cultural and Creative – who have created real change and gone above and beyond to champion the Living Wage and grow the movement.
Each year they welcome submissions from their network of more than 14,000 accredited businesses, from which they announce a shortlist, and the winners at an awards ceremony in July.
Norwich Theatre has been a Real Living Wage employer since April 2023, as part of its strategic commitment to making the organisation an outstanding place to work. It is also actively supports the alliance of local businesses, charities and public sector organisations in the area, to substantially increase Living Wage jobs and ultimately make Norwich a Living Wage City.
Stephen Crocker, Chief Executive and Creative Director of Norwich Theatre said: “We are absolutely delighted to be on this shortlist among other Living Wage champions. I can honestly say that few achievements have brought me more joy than being able to achieve Real Living Wage status for our dedicated staff in an economic climate when, as a major employer, the financial wellbeing of our people has never been more important.”
Head of People and Culture at Norwich Theatre, Teresa Baker said: “The Living Wage is proven to not only be good for the recipients of uplifted pay, but also for their families, communities, and for the businesses they work for. Employers benefit from improved staff recruitment and retention, strengthened reputation, and improved relations between staff and management. We are committed to supporting our employees in this way, and to being part of the Living Wage movement in Norwich to encourage other employers to become accredited.”
Norwich is a success story with an active Living Wage movement including Living Wage accredited employers across all sectors of the Norwich economy. But there is more to do, and now is the right time to take things to the next stage.
Daniel Childerhouse, CEO of Future Projects and Member of Norwich Living Wage Action Group said: “Huge congratulations to Norwich Theatre on making the shortlist for this national award. It is fantastic to see Norwich and Norfolk represented at the national scale, adding momentum to our collective campaign to significantly expand the number of employers recognising the importance of fair pay in our fine city.”
David Powles, Chief Executive Officer at Norfolk Community Law Service, and Member of Norwich Living Wage Action Group said: “Congratulations to Norwich Theatre! It is excellent news that Norwich Theatre, one of our key cultural institutions, is on the shortlist for this national award and it is a significant boost to the campaign to ensure everyone across Norwich gets a decent wage.”
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “The Champion Awards are always a special night and a great opportunity to celebrate the work being done by our network of employers to promote the real Living Wage across the country.”
The other nominations in the Cultural and Creative Champion category are Creative Mentor Network, Youth Music and Freshwater. This year’s ceremony will be held at the Techniquest Science Discovery Centre in Cardiff Bay on Thursday, 11 July 2024.