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'Collaboration

• Maintained support of Unseen - the UK modern slavery and exploitation helpline.

• Participated in the Apparel and General Merchandise

Public Private Protocol (AGM PPP) focused on exploitation of workers in the UK manufacturing sector.

• Contributed to a project focused on supporting fashion workers in Leicester' - 2

'We also work collaboratively with relevant NGOs and multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Ethical Trading Initiative and the British Retail Consortium to share knowledge of challenges and solutions. We continue to map the raw material sources of our suppliers to provide confidence that the materials used in our products are sourced responsibly in line with our 2025 Responsible Sourcing Strategy.' - 7

'TRAINING AND COLLABORATION

Collaboration

NEXT is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, Bangladesh Accord and ACT (Action, Collaboration and Transformation).

For further details of our collaborative work please refer to our latest Corporate Responsibility Report on nextplc.co.uk.

We continue to be an official partner of Unseen - the UK National Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline. This collaborative approach is essential in helping to mitigate risks and manage emerging threats. During 2021/22, Unseen took over 6,300 incoming helpline calls, over 2,100 web reports and 50 submissions via an app, indicating more than 3,000 potential victims of modern slavery. None of the reports to Unseen related to NEXT during the year.

Focus on UK manufacturing NEXT has remained an active participant in The Apparel and General Merchandise Public Private Protocol (AGM PPP), which aims to provide a framework for a coordinated approach to realise the potential of the UK Apparel and General Merchandise industry. Participating members are continuing to work together to improve employment and working conditions and eradicate slavery and exploitation in the Apparel and General Merchandise supply chain in the UK by:

• Raising awareness to prevent the exploitation of workers.

• Protecting vulnerable and exploited workers.

• Disrupting exploitative practices and bringing criminals to justice.

• Protecting the rights of all workers and promoting decent work, ensuring the inclusion of worker and community voice.

 

During the year we have supported the establishment of a community outreach project, Fashion Workers Advice Bureau Leicester (FAB-L), a free advice and support service for garment, textile and fashion-workers in Leicester. The project is led by a senior community engagement and outreach worker and a community engagement support worker.

Over and above the widely reported issues of low/under-payment and poor health and safety conditions, reports came back to the FAB-L team indicating many workers in the factories did not have access to basic welfare and benefits advice. The aim of the FAB-L project is to make a positive impact on the lives of workers by offering them free advice and signposting to other support services including:

• Workers’ Rights & Employment Law

• Health & Safety

• Benefits Advice & Welfare Advice

• Form Filling & Letter Writing

• Housing & Living Conditions

• Immigration & Legal Advice

• Financial Hardship Support

• Courses & Training

• Domestic Violence & Harassment' - 9