Ann Summers has been a landmark business in Surrey for more than 50 years. And during that time they have used the region as a base to garner international notoriety. Discover more about this landmark Surrey business and the opportunities they have by watching our video.
About Ann Summers
Ann Summers has a global reputation with an annual turnover of more than £100 million – and it’s all forged from a HQ in Surrey.
As chief executive officer Maria Hollins says: “We are known for being trailblazers, for breaking taboos and pushing boundaries. I think we literally are one-of-a-kind.”
The business started out in 1971 as two stores. The Gold family bought it in 1972. Under their leadership it has grown to be an established, iconic British brand.
But its head office and warehouse is very local – next to the A22 in Whyteleafe, just north of Caterham.
Working at Ann Summers
“When you speak to people in our business and you ask them why they joined and why they stay with Ann Summers, it is because of our culture.”
As Talent Acquisition and Engagement Lead at Ann Summers, Lauren Simmons knows the reasons why people love working at the business.
With 360 colleagues working at their Whyteleafe HQ there is lots of scope for progression. And many of those who work for the business have been with the company for many years. This is in part down to the culture, its reputation for innovation and the where it is based.
But why did Ann Summers base itself in Surrey back in the early 1970s?
Melinda Louis, Operations Manager at Ann Summers, says:
“We have been here for more than 50 years. The family were based in Surrey so it kind of made sense for the business to be here.”
Surrey – a great place to do business
So, what are the advantages of a major retail business being anchored in Surrey?
Well, for those at Ann Summers it’s all about location, location, location.
With two international airports, the M25 just minutes away and excellent connections to London and Dover, there’s nowhere better.
Melinda Louis, Operations Manager at Ann Summers, says: “We always talk about the Midlands for logistics. Well, let me tell you, Surrey is the place to be. It’s kind of that feeling of having everything London has, but with additional benefits.”
“We’ve got great transport links. We’re very close to the M25, pretty close to some of the ports and obviously we bring in a lot of product inbound from overseas.”
Tens of thousands of people see the building every day thanks to its position next to the A22.
Lauren Simmons, Talent Acquisition and Engagement Lead at Ann Summers, says: “We’ve almost become a bit of a landmark actually. The roundabout that is right by our office is now known as the Ann Summers roundabout, which we’re really proud of.”
Inspiring Surrey’s future workforce is a passion for Georgina Angele, Strategic Hub Lead for Surrey Careers Hub. She has almost two decades of experience working to connect schools and colleges with employers. In our latest blog, she explains how Surrey businesses can play their part in equipping young people with future skills. And why it will benefit them and the wider economy down the line.
In today’s rapidly evolving job market, the importance of equipping young people with relevant employment skills whilst still in school or college cannot be overstated.
As we navigate the 21st century, the landscape of work is being reshaped by continual changes in technology, national policy and globalisation.
To support future economic growth and help young people achieve their potential, it is imperative we prepare them with the skills they will need to thrive.
As Strategic Hub Lead for the Surrey Careers Hub, it’s my role to directly work with employers and education providers to unlock opportunities. I bring them closer together, so we can ensure young people have a range of meaningful careers experiences while they are still in school and college.
Read on to find out more, or if you’re ready to involved sign up now to become a strategic Enterprise Advisor working with a local school.
Bridging the Skills Gap
One of the most pressing challenges facing economies across the UK is the skills gap, even in an economy as diverse and large as Surrey.
Employers across a range of sectors often report difficulties in finding candidates coming out of education with the skills required for the positions available.
This gap not only hampers business growth but also limits economic development.
This is why the creation of the Surrey Careers Hub just over a year ago has been so important to our regional economy.
We work with more than 97% of secondary schools, colleges, special schools and alternative provisions, in Surrey. We help connect them to employers in all sectors.
The aim is to ensure young people have an awareness of the opportunities available to them. We also make sure education providers know which skills their young people need to succeed once they finish their education.
The Surrey Careers Hub ensures there is a single approach for the whole county. And we can tailor this work to the key sectors which are crucial to our future economy. Such as Artificial Intelligence, gaming, creative industries and infrastructure.
By integrating careers provision into the education system, we can bridge the skills gap. This helps create an engaged workforce that is ready to meet the demands of the modern economy.
Enhancing Employability
Equipping students with relevant skills enhances their employability, giving them a competitive edge in the job market.
Skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, oracy (the ability to express yourself fluently and coherently), adaptability, resilience, and digital literacy are increasingly valued by employers.
By fostering these skills early on, we can ensure that young people are not only prepared for their first job, but also have the adaptability to navigate multiple career changes throughout their lives.
Seeing how these skills can be applied to the ‘real word’ is also crucial.
One way we do this is by supporting schools and colleges to provide regular engagement points for their students with employers.
These can range from mock interviews and workplace experiences to big events, such as the recent Transitions Fair.
We also look to level the field for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, as part of our wider No One Left Behind mission. So, we target our funding and interventions to support those young people who face multiple barriers to engaging in education, have additional needs and disabilities and experience socio-economic disadvantage.
By creating opportunities for all, we’re providing young people with the awareness and confidence to explore the range of opportunities that employers in Surrey can offer.
Aligning Education with Industry Needs
To effectively equip young people with relevant employment skills, it is essential to align the things taught in the classroom with industry needs.
This requires collaboration between educational institutions, businesses, and policymakers at both a national and regional level.
While we work strategically across Surrey, our work is guided and majority funded by The Careers & Enterprise Company, This is a national body funded by the Department for Education.
It oversees the provision of quality careers education in schools and colleges across the UK. It ensures all activities are aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks. And has resources so that young people receive the guidance and support they need to make informed career choices.
One way we are doing this is by reinventing work experience. We’re acknowledging that a shift to hybrid working makes intensive weekly or fortnightly programmes during the summer challenging for many employers.
Instead, we are encouraging a shift for students to gain regular experiences of the workplace throughout their time in secondary education. This will include short, targeted workplace visits; one-day project-based experiences; and longer structured placements.
We are also working directly with employers to help them assess, monitor and improve their educational outreach. This helps achieve social value commitments, create a diverse workforce, and recruit local talent into their business.
Promoting Lifelong Learning
Promoting opportunity does not stop as soon as people enter the workplace.
The concept of lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important in today’s world of accelerated change.
By instilling a love for learning and a commitment to continuous skills development, we can ensure that young people remain adaptable and resilient in the face of change.
This mindset not only benefits their personal and professional growth. It also contributes to the overall economic health of the nation.
One way we’re doing that as a team is by running a programme of Teacher Encounters.
This takes subject teachers out of their classrooms and into the workplace. We piloted it last year with the gaming and cybersecurity sectors in Surrey (see our LinkedIn post here).
They learned how their subjects connect to the world of work and which skills employers need in their future workforce.
We are scaling Teacher Encounters this academic year to include a wider range of industries. This includes construction, highways, creative & cultural industries, engineering and the NHS. If you want to get involved, then please contact us.
How You Can Help
These are just some ways we are focused on equipping our young people with the skills to support future business growth. But we cannot do it alone.
The role of employers across the region is crucial to planning how we do this, and also in the delivery.
There are several ways you can support this work.
We’re currently looking for people with business experience to volunteer as Enterprise Advisers. This is a strategic role, working with Careers Leaders in schools to help them develop impactful careers programmes.
It’s a hugely rewarding role. You will have direct influence on the direction of the careers programme in the school you’re matched to. And you’ll help improve the prospects of the young people who attend that school.
