A TRANSLATION business which strives to show that all sectors can be ethical is in the running for the Socially Responsible Business Award.

Lucy Pembayun founded LEaF Translations in 2017 and has built it around the ethical values of sustainability, fairness, transparency and integrity.

Its goals include being the best translation company around and a force for good, and supporting the next generation.

In 2020, LEaF Translations began working with Ecologi to offset its carbon emissions and become a carbon-neutral company. Since then, LEaF has offset almost 26 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to saving 78 square metres of sea ice. Lucy, managing director, has also encouraged other business owners to sign up to Ecologi.

At the start of 2021, LEaF became the UK's first translation company to join the Good Business Charter and pledge to treat people fairly, to pay a fair wage, act sustainably, pay taxes and encourage ethical business practices.

During the past year, LEaF Translations has also sought to play a wider role through supporting the next generation, with a paid internship for a second-year university student and fairly paid work experience to another student.

Lucy hopes to be able to provide internships and work experience to provide skills and experience to students in higher education.

Earlier this year, LEaF Translations published a Covid Language Hub which provides free resources to tourism businesses and holidaymakers, covering the vocabulary now commonplace in various languages as a result of the pandemic.

Free downloads - available for Spanish, French, Greek, Portuguese, German, Chinese and Japanese - include phrases such as 'I have forgotten my face mask' and 'Where's the hand sanitiser?'

Lucy said: "Businesses are in a unique position to change consumer habits, to encourage more ethical practices and to fund measures to help combat climate change. It is up to business owners to step up and fight to do right by society, their customers and their employees."

To enter The Press Business Awards 2021, visit www.yorkpress.co.uk/business/awards The deadline is August 15.