About us
The Devonshire Group comprises charities and businesses throughout the UK and Ireland, including Chatsworth, which sits within the Derbyshire Estate, the Bolton Abbey Estate in North Yorkshire, the Lismore Estate in County Waterford, and the Compton Estate in Sussex.
The businesses include heritage attractions, shops, restaurants and luxury accommodation at Chatsworth, Bolton Abbey and in Lismore Castle in Ireland. The estates include tenanted businesses and residential property, a property development business with a pipeline of 2000 homes, sustainable forestry and farming businesses and an estate farm shop at Chatsworth.
The vision of the Devonshire Group is to benefit our heritage, our people and our shared future. Each generation of the Devonshire Family is guardian of the fundamental values that enable our enterprises and charities to prosper.
We believe in:
Always improving
Whatever we do, we strive in our own ways, big and small, to improve how we do things.
Decency
Decency is at the heart of the way every one of us behaves and acts – we understand the importance of doing the right thing.
Being inclusive
The best decisions are the ones that are inclusive; strengthening the relationships we have with both our colleagues and people outside our enterprises.
Our core purpose was created based on the premise that the future of every part of the Devonshire Group is intrinsically linked to the future of our local communities, employees, visitors, suppliers, and partners.
If these groups thrive, then so will the Devonshire Group, and vice-versa. By working together towards a prosperous shared future, we will all benefit.
Our purpose is broken down in to three areas:
- To preserve, restore and enhance our heritage assets for future generations.
- To be a significant contributor to the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of our community and the communities around us, enhancing the lives of those that live and work on or around the estates and delighting those that visit these inspiring places.
- To be seen as a leader, nationally and internationally, in the way we go about what we do, look after our people and our visitors and contribute to our local communities.
Our commitment to our shared future
We are lucky to work with the many wonderful people who are committed to helping preserve our places for the long-term benefit of the public.
This commitment to a shared future extends beyond the estates, into local communities, counties, and the environment, and is embodied in our core values of always improving, decency, and being inclusive.
The following explains our 10 goals we have set for the next 10 years to help us fulfil our core purpose.
Improve the quality of life and wellbeing of our local communities
By providing accessible green spaces, reducing car journeys to our estates and supporting our local communities
Help create 1000 homes and 1000 jobs
By investing in the regeneration of areas around our estates
Double the benefit to local economies from our organisations
As measured by the value of the direct and indirect goods and services we buy
Buy at least 50% of our supplies and services locally
Within 30 miles by road of our estates
Invest £50m in our heritage properties and landscapes
Specifically in their repair, restoration, improvement and development
Enable every child in local schools to experience our estates
As part of their primary education, reaching every school through physical visits onsite or our virtual presence in schools
Achieve excellence in our visitor feedback scores
By scoring 90%+ for value for money, overall enjoyment and liklihood to recommend in our customer feedback surveys
Be recognised as an excellent employer
Achieving scores of 80%+ for all measures of satisfaction and engagement in our staff and volunteer survey
Create 500 work opportunities for those in and just out of education
Working with local education and training providers to create these opportunieies to benefit young people
Reduce our impact on the environment
Through improved management of waste and emissions
Sustainability
Sustainability is a way of thinking, adopted at all levels of the Devonshire Group. As with our vision and values, sustainability can be seen in the actions and ideas of our people. It is our colleagues and volunteers who are the driving force behind delivering meaningful change.
We are proud to say that these values are also shared by our customers, suppliers and local communities. We acknowledge the value of collaboration, and seek opportunities to work with others to achieve shared goals.
Our triple bottom line
To keep the organisation moving in the right direction, we evaluate performance in terms of our triple bottom line: our social, economic and environmental contributions. The TBL Steering Committee drives progress within from within and produces an annual Triple Bottom Line Report. Among other measures, the report includes metrics for greenhouse gas emissions, land stewardship, recycling rates, employment opportunities and benefits to the local economy. The steering committee also oversees separate forums that focus on specific areas of interest: community support, sustainable transport and making more space for nature.
By thinking in terms of our triple bottom line, we can ensure we benefit the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of those around us, both now and for years to come. Our triple bottom line and sustainability underpin the Devonshire Group core purpose and long term goals – they are at the heart of everything we do.
Stephen Vickers
Chief Executive
Andrew Lavery
Chief Financial Officer
Katie Saunders
Group People Director
Jennifer Callahan Packer
Group Marketing Director
Nick Wood
Estates Director, Derbyshire
Ben Heyes
Estates Director, Yorkshire & Ireland
Andrew Byrne
Property Development Director
Jane Marriott
Director, Chatsworth House Trust
Ted Cadogan
Chief Operating Officer, Chatsworth House Trust
Richard Palmer
Managing Director, Devonshire Hotels & Restaurants