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Corps Security Achieves Platinum Status From Neutral Carbon Zone

Corps Security Achieves Platinum Status From Neutral Carbon Zone

Corps Security has been awarded Platinum certification by Neutral Carbon Zone (NCZ), upgrading from Gold status in its third year of working with the independent carbon assessment body. The security services provider recorded a total carbon footprint of 6,184.85 tCO₂e for the 2025 calendar year, representing a 19% reduction from its 2024 figures and a significant step forward in its long-term sustainability journey.

Between 2024 and 2025, Corps’ Scope one direct emissions fell by 35%, driven by the ongoing transition of the company fleet to electric vehicles, which saw company car emissions drop by nearly 39%. Scope two emissions from electricity reduced by more than 94% following the incorporation of renewable energy sources. Scope three indirect emissions, which account for the vast majority of Corps Security’s total footprint, fell by 18%, reflecting reductions across employee commuting and homeworking, purchased goods and services, and well-to-tank emissions.

When measured against revenue, the total carbon footprint per £1 million of turnover fell by over 29% between 2024 and 2025, from 65,919 kgCO₂e to 46,678 kgCO₂e, even as the business grew its revenue by more than 14%.

Achieving Platinum status represents the highest tier of NCZ certification, reflecting Corps Security’s high-detail carbon measurement and continued progress in reducing emissions year-on-year.

NCZ’s carbon footprint reporting recognises organisations that measure their full organisational and operational footprint in line with internationally recognised standards, including the WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard and ISO 14064-1:2018. The assessment covers Scope one, two and three emissions.

Sharon McLaren, Quality and Compliance Manager at Corps Security, said: “This Platinum certification from Neutral Carbon Zone reflects the sustained decarbonisation effort from people across our organisation. Progress like this shows that our colleagues are equally committed to our sustainability journey, and our efforts are translating into clear results. We will continue building our sustainable practices aligned with our People, Planet, Purpose philosophy.”

NCZ identified several priorities for the next reporting period. These included further developing staff participation in commuting surveys to strengthen data quality, conducting more in-depth supply chain analysis to identify further efficiencies, and standardising energy and fuel data collection processes across the organisation.

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Corps Security Wins Double At 2025 Security And Fire Excellence Awards

Corps Security Wins Double At 2025 Security And Fire Excellence Awards

Corps Security celebrated a double win at the 2025 Security and Fire Excellence Awards, held on Monday, 1 December at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London. The social enterprise was recognised in two categories: Inspiration in HR, and Security or Fire ESG Initiative of the Year. In both categories, Corps was praised for its people-focused strategy that directly supports business success and profitability.

Corps Security Wins Double At 2025 Security And Fire Excellence Awards

The Inspiration in HR award praised key initiatives, including the management development programme, the £45,000 investment in its internal colleague portal, along with a further £20,000 in colleague reward and recognition, and the online Talos 360 recruitment platform. The organisation’s 5.11% attrition rate was praised for being well below the industry average, along with 59% of colleagues having over five years’ service. The judges noted how the team’s use of technology and data-driven approach has a measurable impact, with 70% of colleagues strongly agreeing that HR keeps them informed and involved.

The ESG Initiative of the Year award recognised Corps Security’s comprehensive approach to environmental, social and governance priorities, underpinned by its people, planet and purpose values. Judges commended the organisation’s ambitious net zero targets and meaningful social impact. Achievements celebrated include a 7.15% reduction in carbon emissions, with 36% of its vehicle fleet now electric or hybrid, Neutral Carbon Zone gold certification and EcoVadis silver accreditation. The judges also recognised Corps’ commitment to the Real Living Wage, with 98.8% of colleagues now paid at or above this level, and its partnerships with veteran charities, including a £100,000 donation to Combat Stress in the last financial year.

Paul Lotter, Managing Director of Corps Security, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to receive these two awards, which recognise the hard work and dedication of our teams across the business. Our HR colleagues, led by HR Director Magda Jablonska El-Aasar, work tirelessly to create an environment where people feel valued and supported. Our commitment to ESG, led by Quality and Compliance Manager Sharon McLaren, also reflects our purpose as a social enterprise: to support the communities and environment we operate within. These awards demonstrate that we’re doing right by our people and our planet.”

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Corps Security Achieves Silver EcoVadis Award

Corps Security Achieves Silver EcoVadis Award

Corps Security has received a silver award from EcoVadis, the independent provider of business sustainability ratings for over 150,000 companies. The rating places it among the top 15% of companies assessed by the organisation in the past year.

EcoVadis provides dynamic scorecards for organisations so procurement teams can monitor the sustainability performance of their organisations and trading partners. It scores organisations against four themes: environment, labour and human rights, sustainable procurement, and ethics. These themes cover the whole life cycle of a business under 21 subgroups, from the impact of product use and end-of-life, employee health and safety, diversity and discrimination, to anti-corruption policies and supplier environmental practices.

Corps gained two points from the previous year’s assessment and scored highly across all areas, achieving advanced weightings in environment, labour, and ethics, and a good weighting for sustainable procurement. To celebrate the improvement, EcoVadis planted a tree on behalf of Corps, through its partner One Tree Planted.

Sharon McLaren, quality and compliance manager at Corps Security, said: “Our improved score is testament to our ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible business practice. As a social enterprise, our mission is to balance commercial success with positive social and environmental impact, and this recognition from EcoVadis demonstrates that we are on the right path.”

Corps recently demonstrated its wider sustainable impact in its 2025 Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) report. The report detailed its Gold certification from independent sustainability reporting accreditor Neutral Carbon Zone, how 99% of all colleagues earn at or above the Real Living Wage, its ESG Scrutiny Group’s work, and its growing spend with social enterprises. The full ESG report can be read here.

About Corps Security:

The Corps of Commissionaires Management Limited (Corps Security), is a certified social enterprise that was initially created to provide employment for ex-servicemen on return from the Crimean War. Corps Security is the only major social enterprise security provider in the UK and has been providing dedicated security services for over 160 years. Services include security guarding, state-of-the-art monitoring, electronic solutions and security risk management reviews incorporating specialised consultancy services to deliver effective asset protection to organisations.

Corps Security is a Living Wage Recognised Service Provider and Corps Security’s CEO Mike Bullock is a member of the Living Wage Foundation’s Recognised Service Provider Leadership Group.

Corps Security supports military charities in particular Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health, The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA), the UK’s oldest national tri-service military charity and BLESSMA, the limbless veterans charity. In 2021, Corps was awarded Gold status in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for outstanding support towards the Armed Forces community.

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5 Minutes With Sharon McLaren

5 Minutes with Sharon McLaren

We’re continuing our 5-minute series, where we celebrate our talented colleagues behind the scenes at Corps Security. This month, we have quality and compliance manager Sharon McLaren.

What does your role entail?  

I manage compliance at Corps Security. This involves maintaining our accreditations, undertaking internal and external audits, and producing action plans to ensure statutory and regulatory rules are followed. My role is varied, one day I could be writing or updating processes as part of our Integrated Management System, the next I could be engaging with stakeholders. I also manage our carbon footprint and other environmental controls, to help us work towards our sustainability goals.

What roles have you worked in prior to joining Corps Security?

Stepping into this industry has been an exciting shift for me, as my career was in banking and finance. I honed my skills in some of the sector’s leading firms, serving as a mortgage adviser, financial adviser, and managing a team of 15 financial advisors as a regional sales manager.

My most recent position as a management information manager challenged me to craft detailed reports, implement effective controls to maintain oversight of global standards, and identify risks or shortfalls in service delivery. These roles demanded a sharp eye for detail, an invaluable skill that I carry with me into my current role.

Tell us about your journey within the company

I started working for Corps Security in March 2022 after leaving banking. I started in our Bristol office as compliance supervisor, ensuring legal compliance to BS7858 security screening for new starters. I managed the compliance administration team across the South, developed process and procedure improvements, and wrote systems guides. In October 2022, I was promoted to my current role of quality and compliance manager.

What steps has your development taken and how has Corps supported you in this?

Corps has been completely supportive in both the roles. In this role particularly, the company has funded two qualifications: one in internal auditing and the other in managing safely (an IOSH qualification).

I’ve always felt supported in my learning journey. In the early days, I had the support of an external consultant to help me understand the international standards, auditing, and environmental controls. As I progressed, I developed my knowledge in various sectors of sustainability. This led me to become an EcoVadis practitioner.

What’s been your biggest highlight/moment in your role?

Now that’s a difficult one to answer! There have been so many highlights, not only in how I have grown but how much I have learnt in the role. I still remember my first external audit, meeting our site-based colleagues and clients, representing Corps at award events, and even getting to meet Wolverine and Captain Marvel (if you know, you know!). Ultimately, they all involve working with a team of genuinely lovely people that want you to succeed.

What do you love most about working at Corps?

I love the opportunities available to support our charity partners. In April, I was part of a wonderful team who completed the London Landmarks Half Marathon for Combat Stress. I trained for the race over 3 months. 

As my training runs gradually got longer, I began to struggle. I had to dig deep and remember my “why” for running in the first place. It was for a greater purpose, raising money for a charity that does essential work to support our veterans. Eventually, I came through the other side, and I knew I had achieved something incredible. It’s amazing what you can overcome with a challenge.

What helps you create a good work/life balance?

Although I work nationally, and can be travelling around the country, I can also work remotely from home. On the days I’m at home, I can take my youngest child to Sixth Form or go to the gym.

I’d have to say my dog gives me a good work/life balance. He will sit by my chair and nudge me, until I take him for a walk. It certainly motivates me to increase my daily steps on an app we’ve recently integrated across the business named Treekly –

What are the key ingredients to finding happiness at work?

To have a passion and purpose in what you do, and to see every day as a new chance to do your best.

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5 Minutes With... Hayley Page

5 Minutes With… Hayley Page

We’re bringing back our blog series ‘5 minutes with’ to highlight the important members of our team and the wonderful work they do. First up is senior bid manager, Hayley Page.

Tell us a bit about your role.

I manage the Corps bid team, where we oversee the bid cycle from start to finish. I also assist in creating the bid strategy and process. However, I also have links with other marketing and internal communications teams to make sure important Corps messages are circulated. I absolutely love bids, and Corps gives me a wide variety of bids to work on every day.

Where did you work before joining Corps Security?

I’ve worked in FM for 17 years. Before joining Corps, I was at Mitie for over 11 years where I worked my way up from sales administrator up to national bid manager.

Tell us a bit about your journey at Corps?

I joined Corps in May 2017, when my little boy was 10 months old. My first win was Tata Steel, the largest steel producer in the UK. I’ll always be immensely proud of such a monumental win. I have also worked on some significant social value projects since I joined the business, including Corps being recognised as a real living wage employer and becoming a social enterprise.

What steps has your development taken and how has Corps supported you in this?

In 2021, Corps promoted me to Senior Bid Manager to manage the bid team. But our team is so much more than bids. We have a vast array of tasks that come to our team, including design work, award submissions, project work, and many other marketing tasks. It’s such a varied role and our team gets involved in a lot of different areas of the business, which means there’s no such thing as a quiet day!

What’s been the biggest highlight of your role?

I received the Environmental Champion award at our conference in 2024. It was such a special moment to be recognised for the work I did to assist Sharon McLaren on the EcoVadis assessment process and for being a member the Environmental Steering Group. Because of our efforts, we gained silver status through EcoVadis.

What are the key ingredients to finding happiness at work?

Happiness comes from working in a great team where you feel supported and share the same goals. That is exactly what we have at Corps.

What helps you create a good work/life balance?

Having the option to working remotely gives me the flexibility to create the perfect balance between work and home. Because I can work from home, I’m able to take my son to school and attend sports days and class assemblies. It means that I can manage my work hours without missing out on important personal life activities.

What do you love most about working at Corps?

Without exception, everyone in our business is amazing. If you have an interest in a topic, and it aligns with Corps, then no doubt you will incorporate this into your role. I had a passion for people earning a real living wage, so I worked on this project. Not only did we get recognised as a service provider, we then won a Living Wage Champion award in 2022.

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Our Social Values

We protect more than you think

There’s a lot more to Corps Security than you might expect. Yes, we are experts in security and we have over 166 years of experience. But we’re also experts in how to put sustainability and diversity at the heart of everything we do.

We are a Social Enterprise

>> ESG Report

>> Carbon Reduction Plan

>> Equal Employment Opportunities Policy

>> EDI Survey 24-25 Action Plan Report

More Information

Accreditations

Corps Security Accreditations

About Corps Security

Built on over 166 years of experience and a clear social mission, we provide specialist security services tailored to ensure the safety of people and property.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do, through the people we work with, the people we employ, the people we help and the planet we protect. Together we protect the things that matter.

Registered Office at 85 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6PF.  Registered in England No. 03473589

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