LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Jun 12, 2013) - Nationwide has been recognised with a 'Big Tick' at the regional stage of the prestigious 2013 Responsible Business Awards, which are run by charity Business in the Community, and has been shortlisted for a national award in the same category.

The Big Tick is the first level of accolade in the Responsible Business Awards, the UK's longest-running and most respected corporate responsibility awards. The scheme was set up to champion and raise awareness of the best examples from across the UK of business making a positive difference and genuinely tackling key social and environmental issues with award-winning corporate responsibility programmes.

Winning companies are awarded for initiatives across the spectrum of responsible business behaviour: from improving the health and wellbeing of employees, to helping disadvantaged people into employment or building long term partnerships with schools.

Nationwide achieved the Big Tick in the Education Award category for its Living on your side education programme. The award recognises those businesses that are building sustainable partnerships with schools in the UK, raising aspirations of young people to enable them to build successful working lives.

Commenting, Stephen Uden from Nationwide said: "We are delighted to receive this award and hope that the spotlight on such activities encourages more businesses to get involved. Nationwide's programme supports young people by increasing their financial skills, thereby improving their prospects for employment.

"Our education programme is a core part of our five year citizenship strategy. We are seeking to address three key issues; a lack of engaging financial and employability resources for young people, a need for more practical support from businesses in schools, and the need for broader support of financial education in schools. Through our Nationwide Education resources, our SchoolsLink volunteering scheme and our campaigning activities with partners such as National Numeracy, we hope to make a significant impact on money skills and employability in the UK."

Nationwide will be presented with the Big Tick Award at the South West Responsible Business Awards dinner on 19^th June. The best of the Big Tick companies from across the UK will go forward to judging panels to identify an overall winner in each category. The overall winners will be announced in London at Business in the Community's National Gala Dinner on 2nd July 2013.

Commenting Stephen Howard, Business in the Community's Chief Executive said: "The Responsible Business Awards shine the spotlight on an aspect of business that very rarely gets much public recognition - and that is its ability and willingness to truly transform lives, communities and society for the better. I congratulate Nationwide for its Big Tick today, which recognises that it is part of a movement of companies creating value by living their values. We hope their example will inspire many more businesses to put responsible behaviour at the heart of how they do business."

This accolade follows hot on the heels of previous success in May, when Nationwide was awarded Business in the Community's Corporate Responsibility Index Platinum status, the highest new entrant. This demonstrates that we are on our way to becoming one of the leading responsible companies in the UK. Nationwide has also been shortlisted for the 'BITC Employee Volunteering Company of the Year - South West' award, with the winner due to be announced on 19^th June.

For further information about the 2013 Awards categories including the full list of Big Tick winners and their case studies visit www.bitc.org.uk/awards.

For information about Business in the Community or the Responsible Business Awards contact: Ochuko Adekoya, 020 7566 9758 ochuko.adekoya@bitc.org.uk

About Business in the Community

Business in the Community stands for responsible business. We are a unique business movement of 850 member companies - the largest business-led charity of its kind - committed to building resilient communities, diverse workplaces and a more sustainable future. We work locally, nationally and internationally with members to transform businesses and transform communities. We believe that responsible leadership is the ability to balance doing both.

We ask our members to work with us on specific campaigns that make a difference in the workplace, marketplace and community. And we offer a range of services that challenge, support and inspire members and help transform their businesses.

Business in the Community is one of The Prince's Charities, a group of not-for-profit organisations of which The Prince of Wales is President. www.bitc.org.uk

The Responsible Business Awards

Business in the Community's Responsible Business Awards identify responsible business from companies who are transforming communities and in turn transforming their businesses to create a more sustainable future for all.

In numbers:

In 2013 BITC received 267 entries and awarded 106 Big Ticks.