Modern Slavery Statement 2022

This statement sets out the steps taken by Funkin Limited to ensure that our business and supply chain are free from slavery and human trafficking. This statement covers Funkin Limited's financial year ended 30 January 2022.

Summary

We are committed to ensuring that we supply high quality products that are sourced and manufactured in a fair, ethical and environmentally responsible way. We have a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery of any kind within our operations and supply chain. Our workers are encouraged to report any concerns they may have and management are required to act upon them.  

We have taken and will continue to take a number of steps to ensure that slavery and human trafficking do not take place in any part of our business or supply chain. We are proud of the steps we have taken to date which include:

  • implementing a formal supplier approval process across our supply base, which includes a focus upon human rights and labour standards policies;
  • directly auditing our key primary materials supply base on a periodic basis taking a risk-based approach; and
  • obtaining UK Living Wage employer accreditation, which shows our commitment to ensure workers and contractors receive at least the minimum appropriate living wage rate set by the Living Wage Foundation.   

Our business

At our core, we are a branded soft drinks business operating in the food and drink sector. We also operate within the cocktail mixer market through our Funkin brand. We are a business operating across the UK and with a growing international presence. We have around 900 employees and operate from 10 locations in the UK.

Our supply chain

Our supply chain is global and includes over 40 direct material suppliers across the UK, Western Europe, Southeast Asia and South America. We buy from these suppliers on a direct basis and also through UK based supply agencies. In addition, we have several hundred indirect material and service providers.

Our policies on slavery and human trafficking

We operate a Supplier Code of Conduct that reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships. Our Supplier Code of Conduct is an important part of our framework for controlling slavery and human trafficking risk. It sets out our standards in relation to our suppliers’ treatment of workers, child labour, legal compliance, discrimination and health & safety. We monitor and measure supplier compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct through our supplier approval and audit processes.

Last year, we updated our supplier on-boarding processes to make our Supplier Code of Conduct a mandatory trading requirement with our new direct suppliers.

Our policy on employee whistle-blowing

We operate a Speaking Up Policy which allows our employees to confidentially raise concerns about the activities of the company on a wide range of areas, including any failure of the company to comply with any legal obligation. Employees who raise concerns in good faith under the policy are protected from repercussions.

Due diligence processes for slavery and human trafficking

We understand the risk of modern slavery taking place in our supply chain. We take a risk-based approach to our selection of suppliers and ethical trading is an important part of our risk assessment processes. In order to identify, monitor and mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking taking place within our supply chain we take the following steps:

  • Our contract tender process requires the completion of a formal supplier approval questionnaire which includes an assessment of our suppliers’ human rights and labour standards status; and
  • Our supplier audit programme allows us to periodically assess the working conditions at key materials suppliers’ production sites taking a risk-based approach and to verify that relevant policies are being adhered to.

Training

Our Procurement team are qualified to understand the importance of ethical trading and the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking.

This statement is made in line with the requirements of section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and was approved by the A.G. Barr p.l.c. board of directors on 27 May 2022.