An employee-owned Cumbrian business has been rated as one of the UK’s best places to work.
WCF has been named in the top 100 for large businesses in the Best Workplaces list following independent analysis of anonymous employee feedback.
The achievement places the firm among the UK’s leading employers of its size.
Headquartered in Brampton, WCF spans retail, logistics and leisure, with nearly 400 employees working across more than 25 locations nationwide.
Its operations range from national mail order shopping brands, three five-star camping and glamping sites, oil distribution, WCF Pet & Equestrian retail stores, and e-commerce businesses which offer garden and landscaping products.
Phil Murray, chief executive officer of WCF, said the achievement was rooted in the firm’s employee-owned model, which gives staff a direct stake in the business and a genuine voice in how it develops.
“This recognition matters because it comes directly from our people,” he said. “It tells us that the way we listen, involve and invest in our teams is making a real difference to their working lives.
“Being part employee-owned shapes how we think and act every day. People don’t just work at WCF – they help shape its future and that creates a stronger sense of pride, responsibility and shared purpose across the business.”
Employees taking part in the Great Place to Work survey are asked to share their experiences of workplace culture including trust, leadership effectiveness and employee experience.
The findings are evaluated to understand how consistently employees across different roles, locations and seniority levels experience the workplace.
Phil added: “When people feel informed, supported and encouraged to grow, they bring more energy and ideas into the business. That long-term engagement is what drives innovation and helps us continue to evolve across such a broad range of sectors.”
The latest recognition by Great Place to Work follows WCF being named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sector, as well as being among the Best Workplaces for Women in the large business category last year.
WCF’s Cumbrian operations include five of its eight WCF Pet & Equestrian stores in Carlisle, Penrith, Wigton, Cockermouth and Ulverston; its Brampton-based Home Shopping brands Country Collection, James Meade and The Classic Boutique; and Allan Stobart Lubricants & Fuels, which supplies customers across the county and the North West.
