Corporate Social Responsibility

GEM… Going the Extra Mile

Regardless of the journey we are on, one thing we all have in common when we get on the road is our aim of getting from A to B. With that in mind, our aim is to keep our members on the move… whether that’s through our breakdown recovery service or our motoring and road safety expertise.

In 1932, our founders set a very clear mission - to help keep everyone safe on the roads. Encouraging members to set an example to others by driving with care, courtesy and concentration, they felt they could reduce the growing numbers of people killed or seriously injured on the roads. This founding mission remains at the heart of everything we do. Since then, times have changed, but our values remain untouched. We still pride ourselves on going the extra mile to look after our members and keep them safe on the roads.

Since we began in 1932, we have operated as an Association which is based on clear principles and rules. As we approach our 90th anniversary, we have taken a step back to reflect on how we operate, and our road safety ethos remains strong.

Our founding road safety ethos

Our road safety ethos encompasses driver wellbeing, vehicle wellbeing and all the motoring essentials that come with being a driver…. after all, these things all need to be taken care of to keep you safe and legal on the roads.

We established the GEM Road Safety Charity to enable us to continue to champion road safety, donating to worthwhile causes and initiatives to support projects across the UK that all have one thing in common – keeping people safe on the roads. We support national and local road safety campaigns, as well as produce free leaflets on motoring advice and road safety.

Becoming a GEM member goes beyond award-winning breakdown cover, expert motoring advice, personal service and great value membership benefits… part of the GEM membership subscription goes towards funding valuable road safety initiatives, which means each member is really making a difference - just by joining us.

Our environment

We are a relatively small organisation, with a big focus on our commitment to responsible, ethical and sustainable business practices. We consider how we operate and the impact this has on the environment, for example we constantly monitor how we produce our quarterly members magazine, using sustainable energy and resources.

Greener driving is high on our agenda. We minimise business travel and encourage the use of electric vehicles, providing electric charging points for staff at our office. For our members and the general public, we provide information through our website and other resources to encourage drivers to consider their impact on the environment through vehicle maintenance tips and information about the emerging electric vehicle market.

And as we use a nationwide network of approved local independent recovery operators, we’re proud to support local businesses too.

Our culture

Over the years we’ve grown as an organisation, and along the way we’ve encouraged a culture based on openness, honesty, integrity and fairness, empowering our team to go above and beyond for our members and each other.

Doing the right thing is at the heart of everything we do and this is reflected in our brand values which have been developed by, and encompass the ethos of, the whole team at GEM.

Heritage - Established 1932. Times have changed, our values have not

Trustworthy - Award-winning and highly recommended by experts and members

Value - The complete breakdown recovery and membership benefits package

Expertise - Knowledgeable source of motoring and road safety advice

Personal service - Looking after our members with compassion, whenever they need us