Grimsby Town’s commitment to paying ‘real living wage’ highlights owners’ generosity

Grimsby Town’s commitment to paying ‘real living wage’ highlights owners’ generosity

Grimsby Town has been revealed to be just one of two clubs in the English Football League to be paying its staff the “real living wage”.

The Living Wage Foundation launched the scheme in 2011 to ensure employees are paid the real living wage, which is more than the legal minimum wage and reflects what the charity thinks people need to earn to cover everyday needs.

Town owners Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit have made it their mission to create a real sense of community and togetherness since taking over the Mariners last year.

And the commitment to paying staff the real living wage, particularly during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, is another clear indication that they are delivering on those promises.

The club told BBC Sport that becoming a Living Wage Foundation-accredited employer cost £30,000.

On Thursday, in response to rising costs, the UK’s real living wage rose to £10.90 per hour, which is considerably more than the compulsory national minimum wage of £9.50 an hour for anyone over 23.

That increase is expected to cost the club, which employs about 140 staff, a further £30,000.

Town’s chief executive Debbie Cook told BBC Sport that it was a price worth paying.

“The real living wage and becoming a real living wage employer impacted on our cleaning staff, our matchday staff, some of our administrators, people that were in the club shop, so people that are right at the sharp end of our supporter experience,” she added.

“If we’re true to our values in our mission around continuing to improve everything we do at the football club and making sure that we’ve got good people that feel valued and therefore are productive, it’s really important. Hopefully, our supporters feel the impact of that.”

Following promotion back to the Football League last season, the Mariners froze ticket prices and experienced record season ticket and shirt sales, which has helped the club get off to a strong start to the campaign and create a positive atmosphere around the place.

And chairman Jason Stockwood displayed a further act of kindness at the game against Swindon Town on Saturday.

A young Town fan, who was sat behind the directors with his grandad, was wearing shorts and was visibly freezing.

Seeing this, Stockwood spoke to the child and offered to go and get a blanket out of his car to make the boy feel better.

Acts of generosity such as this, as well as freezing ticket prices and paying staff the real living wage, shows the club is in the safe hands of people that genuinely care for the community.