ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance)
As an equal opportunities employer, Tuscan Capital is committed to ensuring that an employee's age, gender, race, religion, or sex are never factors that adversely influence our treatment of employees, clients, or any individual involved with our business activities.
As a responsible lender, Tuscan Capital adheres to the highest ethical standards when providing our uniquely tailored service to clients.
Amongst lending professionals, the fact that borrowers must be treated fairly is a given. However, our stringent responsible lending standards go even further to ensure that we only ever lend to individuals or businesses that can demonstrate both the ability and willingness to repay their loans in full and on time.
TUSCAN TREES INITIATIVE:
We are delighted to announce the launch of Tuscan Trees, an initiative made in partnership with Trees for Life.
Tuscan Capital has committed to planting a tree for every £100,000 of capital lent as a part of a scheme that we hope can have a long-lasting positive impact within Glen Affric, a National Nature Reserve set deep within the Scottish Highlands close to the fabled Loch Ness.
The trees planted will contribute to 153 tons of carbon being offset for every acre of woodland (https://treesforlife.org.uk/about-us/affric-highlands/ - 153 hectares = 50,000 tons).
Whilst the benefits of carbon offsetting from the trees planted are clear, we hope that the revitalisation of the surrounding areas can continue to bring far-reaching positives to the area.
Our chosen mix of species native to the area encourages natural processes and promotes both biodiversity and the movement of wildlife, leading to a local ecosystem that is balanced and diverse.
Chosen Charity – StrongMen
Tuscan Capital is proud to have partnered with ‘StrongMen’, our chosen supported charity.
Close to all our hearts, StrongMen offers services, peer support, counselling, and a wider network of help dedicated to men struggling with bereavement.
They take direct action, with volunteers and employees working tirelessly to help struggling men and their families rebuild their lives following personal tragedy.
Link to the website- https://www.strongmen.org.uk/
In September 2021, the ever-energetic Tuscan Capital team undertook a 25km “Across the Thames Bridges” walk in central London in support of StrongMen.
We are delighted to have raised over £3,000 in donations and sponsorships through this event and have since lined up a number of future endeavours in support of this commendable charity.
Also in 2021, Tuscan Capital supported StrongMen’s inaugural black-tie Gala Dinner held aboard HMS Belfast, the battle-honoured WW2 Royal Navy cruiser now permanently moored between London Bridge and Tower Bridge as a floating museum.
The Gala Dinner is to become an annual fundraising event and our representation and support in 2021 helped raise a further £1,500 for the charity - a feat of which we’re very proud but which we nonetheless aim to improve on considerably in the coming years.
MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
At Tuscan Capital, we take the issue of mental health very seriously.
As a small team of 15 people, we work closely together and as work friends, and colleagues, we are sensitive to emotional and mental struggles and recognise some of the signs when one of the team is having a tough time mentally.
We all feel anxious from time to time. Anxiety is a natural response to the uncertain world around us. For example, in the current cost-of-living crisis, more than a third of adults feel anxious about their financial situation.
As a company, we are committed to promoting a culture that priorities the mental and emotional wellbeing of our team. Some of the initiatives we have already implemented include:
- Flexible working to help improve work/life balance.
- Wellbeing Champion - In addition to her role as Underwriting Manager, Jade Arnold-Brown has taken the voluntary, but crucially important position as our Wellbeing Champion. We hope to help our team - especially when they need it the most, by providing resources and arranging activities that help to improve health and wellbeing.
- MHFA Training – We already have one employee who is a qualified Mental Health First Aider, but we are planning to increase the number of qualified Mental Health First Aiders.
If you would like to learn more about anxiety or feel you need any support, please visit the Mental Health Foundation.