5 Minutes with our Social Compliance Coordinator
Last week we received our Fair Wear Leader result for the fourth year running, following our 2025 Brand Performance Check.
We sat down with our Social Compliance Coordinator, Bethan Jones, to understand what that means for our business, and how we continuously strive to improve year on year.
Tell us a little about yourself?
I have been with Equip for two and a half years as a member of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team. I started as CSR Data Support Assistant where I worked over both environmental and social topics, and in the last year I transitioned into a newly created role of Social Compliance Coordinator.
Since leaving university, I’m fortunate enough that my career has led me to the outdoor industry, beginning with the Merchandising team at Regatta, and now here at Equip. This aligns with my personal interests outside of work, as I’m usually found trail running and cycling in the Peak District where I live, and overseas. Last year, I went bike-packing through France, and this August I took part in the ETC race at UTMB in Chamonix.
What does a ‘typical’ day look like for you at Equip?
I regularly liaise with our Tier 1 Suppliers in Asia on social audits and supporting our social priorities, such as Living Wage projects and risk identification, but also managing our Fair Wear membership and our annual audits.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
The constant learning from our suppliers about the countries we source from, but also getting to work closely with different internal teams at Equip to make sure we continue to do business responsibly.
You recently visited one of our supplier partners in Asia, how was it?
I had the chance to visit our key supplier in Bangladesh to see their ongoing projects and gain a firsthand insight into the production process for our products, something that has enhanced my own understanding and enabled me to embed these key learnings into my own processes.
It was a great opportunity to meet the contacts in person who I frequently email and to tour the factories we often discuss, rather than simply viewing them through a screen!
You’re approaching your first full year in this role, what have been your priorities?
Understanding our gaps and opportunities to remain a leading brand in Environmental Social Governance. For me, this means shaping strategies for myself and the CSR team for our supply chain, so far looking at our workforce demographic and wages, but also starting to create more structured procedures for our team to make sure nothing goes unnoticed or unchallenged.
Tell us a little bit more about the Fair Wear Brand Performance Check (BPC)?
The Fair Wear BPC is a two-day review of our business, focusing on how we monitor and address risks in our Tier 1 supply chain from the previous financial year. But also looking at how we collaborate and support the relationships with our suppliers. This process involves around 40 assessment questions and requires involvement from the CSR, Buying, Development, and Finance teams.
What do you think are our future opportunities within Social Compliance?
The future opportunities I foresee include developing a comprehensive gender strategy to collaborate with suppliers in promoting equal opportunities. Additionally, it is beginning to extend our focus beyond Tier 1 suppliers to assess social compliance further down the supply chain.
What does being a Fair Wear Leader brand mean to you?
It’s the reassurance and recognition that we are doing the right thing, with continued industry leadership and support for others. It also highlights the amazing partnerships we have with our suppliers, where long-standing relationships have been built over decades on the basis of regular communication, trust, and shared values.
Personally, I love getting to steer social compliance within an industry-leading brand, and to drive meaningful change throughout our supply chain and the communities we reach.
You can find more information on our 2025 Brand Performance Check here: https://www.fairwear.org/brands/rab and https://www.fairwear.org/brands/lowe-alpine.