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2023
Business as a force for good
At Burgess we believe in what we do. And we believe in doing it to the best of our abilities. Best practice pervades every aspect of our business, and how we approach our impact is no different.
Our company was founded by Nigel Burgess, a renowned solo ocean sailor with an obsessive eye for detail and a love for the sea. We, both collectively and as individuals, are passionate about what we do and seek to share this enthusiasm with our clients and the wider maritime community.
In 2018 a group of us came together to look at the impact of our business and industry, and to put a framework around mitigating that impact – put simply, how we use our business as a force for good. Burgess Blue Oceans was conceived, and we launched into 2020 with our ESG policy.
Our aims? To start the conversation with colleagues, clients and crew on the impact of yachting, and to deliver programmes that have a positive effect on the world around us.
This is our first annual Impact Report. And we are excited to highlight how we, as a business, are working towards a better future. We have a long way to go, but we are proud of these first steps.
Explore
London
138
Monaco
55
New York
10
Australia
1
Asia
4
Italy
1
Palma
4
Athens
8
Los Angeles
4
Miami
19
Dubai
2
Burgess
office
locations
AND STAFF
THE TEAM
Burgess Blue Oceans is a ground-up initiative run by a core team of Burgess staff across 14 locations worldwide. The team is made up of volunteers with a genuine passion for people and planet, and for leaving the world a better place. The experience and interests of our team are fortunately as diverse as the challenges we face and the solutions we need. From technology and innovation to marine biology and ecology; from regulation and compliance to community outreach and education. Each of us brings our own enthusiasm and area of expertise to the group effort, plus a desire to drive change from within.
ESG IN NUMBERS
Burgess global
Charity work
the Burgess global clean up
global impact
volunteer projects
ESG
OVERVIEW
£125K+
2,000+
46
300+
6
25
2
40
35
2
1
2
raised for ocean conservation
listens on crew sustainability & wellness poDcast
staff through
the mentorship programme
£58K+
37,575
36
volunteers at
the Burgess global clean up
staff
volunteers
charities
impacted
locatIons at
the Burgess global clean up
locatons
worldwide
staff volunteering with charities
DURATIOn
(weeks)
DURATIOn
(weeks)
world
records
donated through
our charity policy
KG of Co2 emissions saved by partner Ethereal Blooms
Burgess
PARTNERS
AREAS OF IMPACT
Burgess x Blue MARINE FOUNDATION
Burgess is a proud Major Partner of Blue Marine.
Our partnership leverages our business to fund marine conservation projects in key yachting destinations, raise awareness of the fragility of our oceans, and engage our own staff, clients and crew in a collective effort to protect and restore vital ocean habitats.
We contribute funds to Blue Marine as a proportion of the business we do each year and we invite our clients to join us. 100 percent of funds raised goes directly to Blue Marine’s projects in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
As a global business we always aim to conduct meetings virtually, but when face-to-face is needed we pay a fee to mitigate the impact of our travel. Burgess Partners and several of our employees also proudly counteract their personal travel in the same way. This all goes to Blue Marine’s core funding, which keeps the organisation running.
Since the launch, we have raised over £100,000 for ocean conservation. We are very proud of this programme, which has huge potential to deliver lasting change as engagement grows.
Yacht Operations and Partnerships
Helping the yachts we manage to reduce their environmental impact is a priority. Changes we can make on board, such as measures to reduce energy consumption, use marine-friendly products and cut waste quickly add up to cleaner, more conscious yacht operations.
We share environmental, marine-friendly best practices each month with our managed fleet and source lower impact products with ethical partners to recommend to Burgess crews. From reef-friendly sunscreen to cleaning agents that help prevent harmful products spilling into the ocean; from microplastic filters to biologically preserved flowers. Across the whole fleet, the sum of these marginal gains is potentially enormous. Every small step can create big change.
Company Operations
We audit the suppliers that we use in each of our offices against a set of established criteria, and review these annually, making a conscious decision to use companies and products that reduce our environmental and social footprint.
SOCIAL Programmes
The Burgess Charity Policy
Each year we offer our staff either two paid days to volunteer at a charity they choose or match their own fundraising efforts up to a set amount.
Burgess Global Clean up
One world. One week. 40 locations. 300 people. In May, we launched our first Global Clean Up, gathering crew, employees and industry colleagues to collect plastic and other rubbish from oceans, rivers, beaches and lakes worldwide. The second edition, with plans for greater impact, comes in 2024.
Podcasts
The Burgess Crew Podcast opens up in-depth conversations about life at sea, discussing important social and environmental subjects within the industry, as well as offering mental health support and promoting well-being for yacht crew.
The Happiness Factory and Happy World
The Happiness Factory is a staff-led initiative that reinforces our team values and culture, brings our people together with a common purpose and rewards our workplace heroes.
Through one element of this, our Happy World Employee Volunteer Programme, we make a real difference to communities and projects around the world. We have been working with All Hands and Hearts for two years now, sending teams to The Philippines in 2022 to assist in the Hurricane Relief Programme and to Poland in 2023 to join the Ukraine Crisis Relief Mission.
GOVERNANCE
We leverage our wide range of experience and expertise in the luxury, service and commercial sectors to drive strategic direction for our ESG programme, both from the Board down, and, led by our own staff, from the bottom up. Leaders across all levels of the business collaborate on environmental and social projects and are actively committed to the success of our programme. A core ESG team, led by a Partner, reports quarterly to the Board on plans and progress and manages our environmental and social working groups.
Burgess Partners
The Burgess Partnership Scheme, which started in 2019, has grown from strength to strength with 36 Partners and Senior Partners based worldwide across the business. We pride ourselves on our commitment to teamwork, intercompany communication and long-term staff retention where employees with the highest professional standards are valued and recognised as integral to the success of the business.
The strength of the Burgess Partnership enables us to form and deliver further success through groups such Burgess Blue Oceans.
The Next Generation
An exciting and dynamic group of young Burgess professionals is currently shaping a new forum for 2024 that will engage and give greater voice to the next generation of our company’s leaders.
Charities impacted
Red Cross Moroccan Earthquake
Appeal
City of Ventimiglia Musical Band
Cancer Research (worldwide)
UKSA
Hands Up Foundation, Syria
Breast Cancer
Shake-A-Leg Miami
Prostate Cancer UK
Blue Marine Foundation
All Hands and Hearts,
Philippines Typhoon Relief
All Hands and Hearts,
Ukraine Crisis Relief
Caudwell Children
HODL (Hold On for Dear Life)
and The Ocean Clean Up
No Finish Line
Man Down Cornwall
Cogs4Cancer
Mimosa: A Community Against Cancer
Greenwich Ecological Park
Lymington Harbour Commission
Ecology Centre
Birmingham Friends of the Earth
Trinity House Maritime Charity
The Need Project
Kermesse Oecuménique Monaco
Eastbourne Foodbank
The Salvation Army
Happy World, All Hands and Hearts
Poland, November 2023
'When a draw was announced inviting volunteers to join the All Hands and Hearts Ukraine Crisis Relief programme in Krakow for week, I didn’t hesitate.
'The All Hands and Hearts Ukraine Relief programme originally started in Przemysl close to the border with Ukraine and focussed initially on providing immediate support to refugees crossing the border in the form of aid packages and building or converting accommodation for them. As the flow of refugees crossing the border slowed the programme moved to Krakow where there is now a large Ukrainian community generally living in very difficult conditions.
'I consider the week I just spent with All Hands and Hearts just an introduction. I am planning to volunteer with them in the future with a primary focus on, but not necessarily limited to, programmes supporting Ukraine.'
CASE STUDY 1:
CASE STUDY 2:
CASE STUDY 3:
Happy World
TEAM HODL
Charity Days
Team HODL (Hold On for Dear Life)
June/July 2023
'Team HODL is an ocean rowing team who in July 2023 rowed from California to Hawaii, setting two World Records. Cutu Serruys, Matt Siely and I rowed 2,800 miles in 38 days 16 hours and 18 minutes, becoming the first ever male trio, and the fastest, to cross the Pacific. Our mission was to set World Records to raise awareness of the Ocean Cleanup's work. The Ocean Cleanup Charity is on a mission to rid the world's oceans of plastic. Burgess is integral to this mission by supporting and promoting Team HODL's message. 71 percent of the world's surface is covered by our oceans. Ocean health is vital to the future of our planet. This is a strong belief that Team HODL and Burgess share and we are passionate about safeguarding them. Going forward, Team HODL will be rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in 2025.'
Charity Days: Greenwich Ecological Park
January 2023
'I volunteered at Greenwich Peninsula Ecological Park in London this year, which was a fantastic experience. The park is a biodiverse urban wetland, which is carefully managed by park wardens and a team of dedicated volunteers to maintain its delicate balance of habitats, which play host to many different wildlife species. The park is open to the public, so not only does it help the environment it also provides a green social space for local communities. During my time with the charity, I was put to work coppicing, snedding and processing brash – all essential tasks to prepare the park for the season ahead. I learnt some fantastic new skills, met some amazing people and learnt more about the city I call home – plus I left with a great sense of achievement, like I really gave back to the planet. Volunteer days at the park only take place during the week, so if it wasn’t for the Burgess Charity Policy, I would never have been able to give my time to such a worthwhile cause!'
partners & useful links
Discover more about some of the groups and causes we are supporting, together with in-house projects and programmes and Burgess Blue Oceans itself.
Burgess Blue Oceans
Burgess Partnership Scheme
Blue Marine Foundation
Oceana
Spotify – Burgess Yacht Crew podcasts
ISWAN – International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network
She of the Sea
All Hands and Hearts
Caudwell Children
UKSA
London2Monaco bike ride
HODL
Ethereal Blooms
OeShun – Marine Safe Sunscreen
Download the full report
Download
Impact Report 2023
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL PDF