From investing in renewable energy to supporting environmental projects across Staffordshire, TopCashback is showing how businesses can turn sustainability ambitions into practical action. We spoke to Olly Ragg, Executive Chairman at TopCashback, about why the Staffordshire-founded company is returning as a headline sponsor of this year’s Climate Expo.
TopCashback may now be a global brand, with more than 25 million members worldwide, but its connection to Staffordshire remains central to the business.
Founded in the county more than 21 years ago, the cashback company has grown to work with more than 6,000 retailers, helping its members save money on everyday purchases, utility switching and insurance renewals.
For TopCashback, supporting Climate Expo is an opportunity to invest in the region that helped shape its success.
“Staffordshire has played a huge part in our journey,” says Olly Ragg, Executive Chairman at TopCashback. “Supporting a major climate and sustainability event here is an opportunity to give something back to the community that has supported us from the very beginning.”
TopCashback has been a familiar contributor to Climate Expo over several years, with Olly previously taking part as a panellist. After sponsoring the event last year, the company has chosen to return as a headline sponsor in 2026.
TopCashback’s decision to return was shaped by its experience of the conversations, organisations and ideas brought together at last year’s Expo.
“Our experience confirmed that Climate Expo is much more than just an event,” Olly explains. “It is a place where people, businesses and communities come together to turn ideas into action. We met organisations doing incredible work, had meaningful conversations and saw first-hand how much passion there is across Staffordshire for creating positive change.”
That experience closely reflected TopCashback’s own ambitions: to make a positive contribution beyond its core commercial activity and support collaboration across the communities in which it operates.
“Coming back as a headline sponsor was an easy decision,” says Olly. “We see it as an investment in our local community, and we are proud to help create opportunities for collaboration, learning and innovation.”
One of the clearest lessons from TopCashback’s sustainability work is that there is no single route every organisation must follow.
“Every business will have different tools at its disposal,” Olly says.
For TopCashback, one of those tools was its retained business savings. Through a joint venture with Thrive Renewables, the company has invested in the development of new renewable energy projects.
Its largest individual investment to date is helping to complete Whitelaw Brae wind farm, which is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 53,000 homes.
The investment is designed to deliver both environmental and commercial benefits. It puts business savings to productive use, supports the development of affordable UK-generated electricity and helps reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.
It is an example of how sustainability can form part of sound long-term business decision-making, rather than sitting separately from it.
TopCashback’s work is not limited to major investments. At its offices, the company has installed solar panels and electric vehicle charging points, introduced an electric vehicle salary-sacrifice scheme and achieved zero waste to landfill. It has also committed to reaching net zero.
Locally, the TopCashback Sustainability Fund, delivered in partnership with the Staffordshire Community Foundation, provides grants to projects that protect the natural environment and encourage healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate how organisations can combine larger strategic commitments with practical changes to their everyday operations. TopCashback believes businesses also have an important role in making sustainability feel achievable.
“People are balancing lots of priorities, and affordability is often at the top of the list,” Olly says. “Businesses can help by making sustainable choices simpler, more accessible and, where possible, more affordable.”
That might mean improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, repairing rather than replacing, or helping customers make better-informed purchasing decisions.
“Affordability and sustainability are often seen as competing priorities, but we believe they can go hand in hand,” he adds. “When doing the right thing is also good for your wallet, it is much easier for positive habits to stick.”
This year’s Climate Expo will again bring together businesses, public bodies, academics, community organisations and sustainability professionals from across Staffordshire and beyond. For TopCashback, the value lies in the range of perspectives represented and the opportunities that emerge when those different voices meet.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the conversations and collaborations that come out of the day,” Olly says. “That is where some of the best ideas are born.”
Alongside hearing from speakers and discovering projects taking place across the region, TopCashback is looking forward to reconnecting with previous delegates and building new relationships.
“Whether you are just starting your sustainability journey or already have an established strategy, there is something valuable to take away from Climate Expo,” Olly says.
Climate Expo takes place on Friday 25 September 2026 at Uttoxeter Racecourse. TopCashback’s return as a headline sponsor reflects the value it places on the relationships, learning and practical action created through the event.
There are still opportunities for other organisations to become part of the day — as a sponsor, exhibitor or delegate.
TopCashback’s return demonstrates that sponsorship is more than event-day branding. It offers organisations the opportunity to build visibility before and during the Expo, engage directly with decision-makers and demonstrate practical environmental and social leadership. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities remain, offering a combination of marketing exposure, event branding, exhibition space and opportunities to contribute to the programme, depending on the package selected.
Showcase your work and meet businesses, public bodies, sustainability professionals, academics and community organisations looking for practical solutions, specialist expertise and new partnerships. An exhibition stand gives your organisation a visible base from which to demonstrate what you do, start conversations and build relationships throughout the day.
Discover how organisations across the region are responding to emerging risks and opportunities, explore practical solutions and build connections that can help your organisation move forward with confidence. Delegate tickets are free, giving you access to the speaker programme, exhibitors and networking opportunities throughout the Expo.
