The Archdiocese of Birmingham (Birmingham Diocesan Trust) is delighted to be accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Our Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the Archdiocese receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.50. This rate is significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £8.91 per hour.

The Archdiocese is largely based in West Midlands, a region with one of the highest proportions of non-Living Wage jobs in the country (21%), with around 442,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. Despite this, the Archdiocese has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 250,000 people and put over £1.3 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Gerry Dryden, Human Resources and Communications Director at Archdiocese of Birmingham said: “It is extremely important to the Archdiocese that those who work for us are paid a fair wage.

“We value the work of all our employees and I hope this accreditation reflects that adequately. The Living Wage is not just about money, but about the wellbeing and security of all who work for the Archdiocese.”

Graham Griffiths, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that the Archdiocese of Birmingham has joined the movement of over 8,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like the Archdiocese, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."