Greene King partners with International Slavery Museum

Greene King has partnered with the International Slavery Museum in an effort to ‘‘raise awareness and educate’’ about the slave trade.

The collaboration will see the pub company’s employees get the opportunity to take part in online workshops teaching them about the subject.

The museum will also work alongside the business on exploring the history of Benjamin Greene, one of the brewery’s founders, who profited from slavery and argued against its aboliton in the 1800s.

Greene King will provide financial support for the National Museum Liverpool’s Black History Month programme this month.

Back in August, the pub company partnered with The Prince’s Trust with a five-year agreement to create 1,000 job opportunities for young and BAME people.

Nick Mackenzie. Greene King’s chief executive, said: ‘‘There is no place for racism or discrimination anywhere in society and I am proud to be at the beginning of this exciting partnership.

‘‘We’re working hard to build a more inclusive and diverse workforce with increased opportunities for people from minority ethnic backgrounds, but equally we don’t want to lose sight of the past.’’

He added: ‘‘It is inexcusable that one of our founders profited from slavery and while that was nearly 200 years ago we can’t pretend it didn’t happen. We want to educate and work with the International Slavery Museum to learn more about the past and better inform our choices for the future.”

Richard Benjamin, head of the International Slavery Museum, said: ‘‘The move by Greene King to support Black History Month and commit to working with the International Slavery Museum on educational and transformative initiatives is a positive step in the right direction.

‘‘Reparative justice must acknowledge past abuses and respond to their continuing legacies.  We hope that more institutions and businesses in the UK with the same historical links to slavery can be equally as transparent about their origins.’’

He added: ‘‘We are therefore pleased to work with Greene King, to share our resources and knowledge, and to help them become a more diverse and inclusive employer, one that can be the model for best business practice.’’