August 10, 2024

Cumbria CVS have been accredited as a Living Wage Employer.

The Living Wage commitment sees everyone working here receive a minimum hourly wage of £10.90, higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £10.42 per hour.

In the North West 12.5% of all jobs pay less than the real Living Wage – around 367,000 jobs. Despite this, we have committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 450,000 people and put over £2 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Cumbria CVS Chief Executive, David Allen said: ““Our commitment to becoming a Real Living Wage employer stemmed from 2020, when we adopted the Real Living Wage pay levels as the minimum that our colleagues would receive. As an organisation that recognises our employees as the bedrock of our success – and one which seeks to challenge the ills arising from poverty – this commitment was an easy decision to take. I hope other voluntary organisations will find ways to make the same commitment for paid staff – in the same way we recognise and value the enormous contributions made by volunteers across Cumbria – and that these commitments are reflected in the levels of grants, donations and financial support on which so many charities rely”.

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Cumbria CVS has joined the movement of over 12,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Cumbria CVS, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”