People

Goal 1: Foster an inclusive, connected and diverse culture

What have we done so far?

• Developed a Diversity strategy that will enable us to continue to create a diverse and inclusive environment where our employees can safely express their identities.
• Developed a Diversity and Inclusion Action plan which represents our commitment to embrace, recognise and increase the representation of diverse groups across Yates.
• Continued to provide our employees access to education, training and services to support their health and wellbeing.

Goal 2: Use our brands as a force for good in the community

We’ve been helping gardeners to grow for over 140 years, so sharing our knowledge and experience is in our DNA. Introducing people to the joys of gardening is our core purpose. This website has developed into a useful (and free) resource for gardeners, so we constantly work to update it with informative content. Yates supports many not-for-profit organisations, schools and community gardens around New Zealand; we like to help out wherever we can. Here’s a taste of what we’ve been doing:

• We’re proud to support the National Kiwi Hatchery, leading experts in kiwi husbandry, egg incubation systems, hatching techniques, and kiwi chick rearing. Our wild kiwi population continues to decline, because most kiwi chicks fall victim to introduced predators. It’s not a stretch to say the work the National Kiwi Hatchery does is essential for the survival of kiwi. The Hatchery also supports DOC and community groups in their work to protect kiwi in the wild, by incubating eggs and caring for chicks until they’ve grown big enough to be safe from predators. You can visit the National Kiwi Hatchery in person, to see conservation (and kiwi) in action. You can even book a behind-the-scenes experience, to chat with the hatchery team and observe their daily checkups, at their new purpose-built care facility at the Agrodome in Rotorua. Yates have been donating Hauraki Gold Peat Moss to the National Kiwi Hatchery for over 15 years, to make nest boxes snug and comforting for kiwi chicks. We're especially honoured to have chosen names for some of the gorgeous wee chicks through the years!

• Yates are appreciative supporters of the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust Pūrerehua Aotearoa. They work to preserve our biodiversity and ensure New Zealand’s ecosystems support thriving moth and butterfly populations. Yates supports MBNZT by donating a percentage of the proceeds from every packet of Swan Plant and Butterfly Field Mix we sell.

• We are grateful for the work of Trees for Survival and proud to support them. Trees for Survival work with over 150 schools and local communities to grow and plant native trees, along waterways and on erosion prone hillsides. Their environmental education programme lets schoolkids make a practical difference to their environment and learn about conservation, revegetation, wetland restoration and protecting water quality. We’ve been supporting Trees for Survival for over 15 years by donating potting mix and fertilisers for their growing program.

• We receive many requests for support or sponsorship for community or school events throughout the year. We love to support as many of these requests as we can, usually by donating a variety of goodies and prizes for fundraising. We’ve helped out schools, not-for-profit and healthcare organisations, community gardens and garden events all over NZ, for many years. If you’d like to request help for your school or community group, get in touch with us at yates.co.nz/contact us/

• Yates is a regular supporter of Kids Go Gardening. Go Gardening is operated by NZPPI to provide advice, guides, tips and inspiration to the gardening community. Issues of Go Gardening’s ‘Kids Go Gardening’ magazine are sent out to over 200 schools. We often support the magazine by donating seed packets for giveaways to encourage children to get gardening.