Veolia, Brent Council’s recycling and waste collections and street cleansing partner, is proud to celebrate its partnership with Big Issue Recruit, providing employment opportunities to people facing homelessness.
> This work is part of Veolia’s Inclusive Pathways recruitment initiative helping to create meaningful employment routes for underrepresented groups.
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Earlier this year, Veolia Brent worked with Big Issue Recruit on a programme aimed at supporting people at risk of homelessness or long-term unemployment. The scheme, delivered in collaboration with Big Issue Recruit, focused on providing tailored training, mentoring, and stable employment for participants, with 22 people supported to reintegrate into the workforce with confidence and dignity. Six of these participants are now in full-time employment with Veolia Brent, demonstrating the powerful outcomes that inclusive recruitment and targeted support can deliver.
To mark the success of the Big Issue Recruit partnership, representatives from Veolia Brent were honoured to attend a reception at the House of Lords hosted by Lord John Bird MBE, Founder and Editor in Chief of The Big Issue. The event celebrated the Big Issue Group’s mission to tackle poverty through opportunity and emphasised the importance of creating sustainable employment pathways for those facing disadvantages.
Veolia Brent has previously delivered a dedicated project to help Ukrainian refugees rebuild their lives in the UK, and collaborated with Recycling Lives and Autism at Work to support those with barriers to employment into full-time work. These efforts have resulted in nine people accepting positions: six Ukrainian nationals, two ex-offenders, and one apprentice.
Collectively, these projects demonstrate how targeted recruitment efforts delivered with local partners can open up new pathways into employment, support underrepresented groups, and strengthen services. By combining practical support with long-term opportunities, Veolia Brent is helping to build a more inclusive workforce that reflects and serves the wider community.
Gisela Endres, Senior Contract Manager for Veolia Brent, said: “Delivering targeted employment initiatives like these allows us to strengthen our diverse workforce and invest directly into the local community we serve. Our efforts in Brent reflect Veolia’s broader commitment to making a lasting and positive impact on society while contributing to a more sustainable future. It has also been incredibly rewarding to see individuals grow in confidence and develop new skills, and I am looking forward to seeing the initiatives develop further to support even more people into meaningful work delivering essential services for communities.”
