Ark Modern Slavery Act Statement

Organisation

This statement applies to Ark Wildlife Ltd and refers to the financial year ending 30th September 2023.

Organisational structure

Ark Wildlife Ltd operates from one location at Dog Kennel Farm, Charlton Road, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 2AB. The business is owned and managed by our founder, Sean McMenemy. Our work is carried out wholly in the United Kingdom.

As one of the UK’s leading wildlife food suppliers, we are an ethical business that believes that all our stakeholders should be treated in a fair and equitable manner.

Aims of this policy

This statement supports our commitment to limiting the risk of modern slavery occurring within our own business or infiltrating our supply chains or any other business relationship.

The policy applies to all persons working for or on our behalf in any capacity, including employees, directors, officers, agency workers, contractors, consultants and any other third party representative. This policy does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment and we may amend it at any time.

Definitions

Modern slavery can take many forms. It is a complex and multi-faceted problem. Ark Wildlife Ltd considers that modern slavery encompasses:

• human trafficking
• forced work, through mental or physical threat
• being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse
• being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property
• being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement

All forms of modern slavery have in common the deprivation of a person’s liberty by another in order to exploit them for commercial or personal gain and amount to a violation of an individual’s fundamental human rights.

Commitment

Ark Wildlife Ltd acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Company understands that this requires an ongoing review of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.
Ark Wildlife Ltd does not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

No labour provided to the Organisation in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking.

Supply chains

In order to fulfil its activities, the Company sources its products from suppliers in the United Kingdom. From time to time, Senior Managers may visit those suppliers and is satisfied that those suppliers comply with their obligations regarding modern slavery.

The Company uses contractors in the warehousing and distribution of its products. Senior Managers have visited the contractor and is satisfied that the contractor complies with their legal obligations regarding modern slavery. The carriers used are large corporate organisations which are required to comply with modern slavery regulations.

Potential exposure

In general, Ark Wildlife Ltd considers its exposure to slavery/human trafficking to be relatively limited. Nevertheless, it has taken steps to ensure that such practices do not take place in its business nor the business of any organisation that supplies goods and/or services to it.

Steps

Ark Wildlife Ltd carries out due diligence processes in relation to ensuring slavery and/or human trafficking does not take place in its organisation or supply chains, including conducting a review of the controls of its suppliers. This includes personal visits to the premises of suppliers and contractors to assess their working practices.

The Company has not, to its knowledge, conducted any business with another organisation which has been found to have involved itself with modern slavery.

Status of this policy

This Modern slavery policy will be reviewed by the Company’s Senior Managers on a regular basis.

This policy does not give contractual rights to company employees, suppliers or customers and we reserve the right to alter any of its terms at any time. The latest version of this policy will be available on the company website.

This statement is made in pursuance of Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and will be reviewed for each financial year.