Why ‘buying social’ is much more than just a nice thing to do

At Australia Post the work we do is all about helping communities connect; helping make them stronger and more inclusive. And more than a ‘nice thing to do’, this community-minded ethos is integral to our business being successful.

The opportunities that exist for Australian businesses and social enterprises to work together to return social dividends to the community, just by carrying out normal business activity, is immense. Australia Post has a presence in every community around Australia – whether via Post Offices or the mail contractors whom we engage.

Our community involvement is part of the fabric of who we are as an organisation. We currently engage around 16 social enterprises in our supply chain, with these businesses providing services as varied as mail delivery to catering. For example, we engage Bindi Lifestyle Solutions, who provide employment for people with a disability, for mail delivery to 17 rural and remote Indigenous town camps in the Northern Territory.

In 2015, for the third Christmas running, we worked with The Big Issue Women’s Subscription Enterprise to sort and process the thousands of letters to Santa sent in by children around the country. This project provides employment for homeless women.

We are aided in our commitment to social procurement by our national community partner