Parcel delivery company Evri has announced a new company quarterly listening panel initiative called Evri Body Collective.
This initiative official launched at the parcel company’s largest Hub in Barnsley with Lucy Edwards, TikTok star and the first ever blind BBC Radio 1 presenter.
Alos in attendance were representatives from disability charity, Scope, disabled colleagues and couriers and Evri’s Chief HR Officer Lyn Warren.
Evri said this new initiative is part its long-term ambition to become the most accessible parcel delivery company.
It estimates one in four deliveries go to disabled consumers, and for the community, deliveries can be a constant source of anxiety, stress and difficulty.
The Collective is a group formed to hold the company accountable for accessibility improvements, amplify the voices of the disabled community and provide direct feedback on new features.
Members who have faced accessibility challenges can engage with key decision-makers to drive meaningful change.
Lucy Edwards, BBC Radio One Presenter and TikTok star said: “Having people with lived experience, like me, with a seat at the table, understanding that we have a valuable voice and such resilience is key.
“Conversations like these are helping to stop that elephant in the room and move us towards a more equitable future.”
Evri plans to expand the Collective over time, incorporating a broader range of perspectives, including stakeholders from major retail clients.
Evri said this will help it listen better, understand more deeply and push the company to make real change in the way it serves its communities.
The company is also celebrating reaching a £150,000 milestone for Scope since the start of their three-year partnership in 2024.
Amanda Mitchell, Executive Director of Fundraising at disability equality charity Scope, said: “The launch of the Evri Body Collective was a fantastic day and the role of the members to hold Evri accountable for change, will have such a positive impact for their disabled colleagues, couriers and customers.”
Lyn Warren, Chief HR Officer at Evri, added: “We need to set everybody up to be at their best and to be successful, which means different things to everyone. We need to start at a place of how we can, rather than why we can’t, and we’ll start to think creatively about what every individual needs to be their best self.
“I’d love us to be able to create greater access to jobs. And for our customers, it’s really understanding their needs by using our wonderful courier network.”