Company accredited against the Investors in People Standard for commitment to realising the potential of its people.

The family-owned business based in Sutton, Surrey, was founded in 1919 by the managing director Kate Gibson’s great-grandfather, Harry Percy Gibson. Building and nurturing strong relationships between employees, customers and suppliers has always been at the heart of the business, and is one of the many reasons why Gibsons is viewed as a great place to work.

The Gibsons team and product offering may have grown over the past 100 years, but its values remain the same; ‘Bringing People Together’ underpins everything the company does, influencing its strategy, product, culture and working environment.

Gibsons’ Wellbeing Strategy includes training and development, flexible working, health & wellness and buddy schemes, as well as lunchtime Pilates classes and meditation. The team is encouraged to focus on each other’s strengths and believe in a continual cycle of learning and development, and is also encouraged to take a break and play a quick game when things get hectic.

Additionally, Gibsons provides work experience to those who need the opportunity, via Sutton Youth Offending Scheme and the children’s charity Jigsaw4U, giving adults and young people the chance to work as part of a team and to develop key skills that can help them get back into the workplace.

Paul Devoy, head of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Gibsons; Investors in People accreditation is the sign of a great employer, and an organisation committed to achieving success by realising the potential of their people. Gibsons should be extremely proud of its achievement.”

Commenting on the award, Kate Gibson, managing director, said: “We are over the moon to receive this accreditation. It is testament to the hard work of the entire team and the Gibsons culture that is embedded in everything we do here. I look forward to building on this in the future.”