Gardening Soho - Modern Slavery Statement

Gardening Soho is committed to preventing all forms of modern slavery and human trafficking in our operations and supply chains. This Modern Slavery Statement explains our approach, reflecting our anti-slavery policy and the steps we take to ensure ethical sourcing across the business. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards forced labour, bonded labour, child exploitation and any form of human trafficking.

We regard this modern slavery and human trafficking statement as central to our corporate responsibility. All employees and contractors are required to adhere to our zero tolerance stance and to report any concerns. Our leadership team endorses continual improvement in practices that reduce the risk of slavery modern practices within our procurement, labour and logistic processes.

Our anti-slavery statement for Gardening Soho sets out clear obligations for suppliers and partners. We require contractual commitments that align with our values and perform risk-based due diligence to identify areas where the risk of modern slavery is highest. Suppliers are expected to comply with legal standards and industry best practices and to cooperate with our verification efforts.

We have implemented a zero-tolerance policy on slavery and human trafficking that applies across our operations. The policy requires that all staff and suppliers understand that any breach will lead to immediate action, which may include termination of contracts and referral to appropriate authorities. This anti-slavery policy is embedded in our procurement terms and staff codes of conduct.

To uphold our standards we conduct supplier audits and verification checks, focusing on high-risk suppliers and regions. These supplier audits include document reviews, site visits and interviews with workers where appropriate. We use a combination of internal audit teams and independent third-party auditors to validate compliance with our modern slavery policy and to identify opportunities for remediation.

Our supplier due diligence process also uses a tiered approach to prioritise audits. Key factors include country risk, sector risk, the nature of goods or services, and the supplier's labour practices. We demand clear remediation plans from suppliers when issues are identified and monitor progress until satisfactory closure.

We provide multiple reporting channels for employees, contractors and third parties to raise concerns about suspected slavery or trafficking. These reporting channels are confidential and can be used without fear of reprisal. Reports are investigated promptly by our compliance team, and appropriate action is taken where evidence of wrongdoing is found.

To support awareness we deliver regular training on modern slavery, ethical sourcing and safeguarding for staff with procurement and managerial responsibilities. Training materials include case studies, red-flag indicators and instructions on how to use our reporting channels. We encourage a culture of vigilance and responsibility so that staff can recognise and escalate issues.

Our approach to combating modern slavery includes clear remediation procedures: when exploitation is discovered we act to protect victims, require corrective action from suppliers, and, where necessary, terminate relationships with non-compliant partners. We also cooperate with law enforcement and welfare agencies when investigations indicate criminal activity.

We publish this modern slavery statement to be transparent about our efforts and progress. As part of governance, senior management regularly reviews the effectiveness of our policies and actions. We maintain records of audits, findings and remedial measures to ensure accountability and to inform continuous improvement.

Key elements of our compliance programme include:

• Supplier audits: planned and risk-based audits across our supply chain;
• Reporting channels: confidential mechanisms for speaking up;
• Training and awareness: targeted learning for staff and suppliers;
• Remediation: victim-centred responses and corrective action plans.

We commit to an annual review of this statement and our policies. The annual review evaluates the outcomes of supplier audits, the volume and quality of reports received through our reporting channels, training uptake and remediation progress. Where necessary, we will update our procedures and controls to strengthen prevention and response measures against modern slavery risks.

Gardening Soho will continue to develop robust anti-slavery measures and to work collaboratively with suppliers, civil society and enforcement agencies to eliminate exploitation. Our modern slavery statement demonstrates our strong commitment to ethical practices in gardening supply and services, ensuring that human rights are respected throughout our business activities.

By keeping this modern slavery and human trafficking statement under active review and by embedding a culture of responsibility across all teams, we aim to minimise risk and contribute to the eradication of forced labour in all its forms.