Responsible Business Awards Highlight Excellence in Scotland

Posted 12th June 2008 18:54pm

Scottish companies once again demonstrated their leadership in corporate responsibility at Scottish Business in the Community’s annual awards ceremony held in Glasgow on Thursday 5th June. The Awards for Excellence reward companies with a coveted ‘Big Tick’ for the positive impact their responsible business activities have in the marketplace, the workplace, the environment or in the community. They are the most rigorous awards in corporate social responsibility.

This year’s “Big Tick” winners highlight the breadth of the responsible business agenda in Scotland with categories ranging from promoting workplace health to fighting climate change. For the sixth year running, Scottish businesses were most successful in the education category. The six Award winners in this category clearly demonstrate that, by taking a strategic and long-term approach and creating partnerships which have clearly defined mutual commitments and benefits, they can have a measurable and enduring impact on school performance. It also brings business benefits beyond the ‘feel good factor’.

However, Scottish Business in the Community believes that much more needs to be done if businesses are really going to make an impact in delivering a sustainable Scotland. Commenting on the Awards, Samantha Barber, CEO of SBC said:

“Once again Scottish businesses have achieved an impressive number of ‘Big Ticks’ – a commendation that is not easy to attain. This proves that the private sector has much to offer the wider community beyond economics. Corporate responsibility - the willingness of companies to go beyond what is expected of them to contribute to building a sustainable Scotland - is powerful and can have a definite and positive impact on our society.”

She continued, “But these pockets of excellence must become more widespread if we are to achieve a far reaching impact. Scottish Business in the Community is committed to promoting corporate responsibility across all sectors. Our member companies are the leaders in this field, and working with them we can deliver corporate social responibility across the board. Corporate responsibility works for business, communities, and can make a huge difference in building a sustainable Scotland”

In addition to the 18 “Big Tick” winners announced last night, the organisation also revealed its new companies of the year. These prestigious awards are given only to companies who demonstrate outstanding leadership in corporate social responibility.

Lloyds TSB Scotland was announced as SBC’s Large Company of the Year. In the Judges’ comments Lloyds TSB Scotland “showed strategic fit between strategic objectives and CSR with clear outcomes and achievements.”

Design Links, a communications agency employing ten people, was announced as SBC’s Small Company of the Year, proving that size doesn’t matter when it comes to making a positive impact.

The title of SBC’s Social Enterprise of the Year was awarded to Spruce Carpets – the UK’s first carpet recycling social enterprise. Judges said it was “an excellent story about innovation and sustainability built on a simple business model.”

The President of SBC, HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay announced (via video) Brendan Dick, Director of BT Scotland, as his new CSR Ambassador for Scotland. He said “Brendan is a highly-regarded member of the Scottish business community and has been responsible for driving BT’s devolved corporate responsibility programme in Scotland, using technology to tackle social exclusion with a range of partners…Brendan is a natural leader who always finds time to motivate and inspire others. For his genuine commitment to partnership-working and collaboration, I am so pleased to name him my Business in the Community Ambassador for Scotland.”
 

Young IMI interns meet challenge to improve Birmingham beauty spot

Posted 20th August 2008 09:28am

Young volunteers from as far afield as USA, Poland and Germany are set to spruce up a Birmingham beauty spot this week (18-20 August), in a community challenge organised by IMI and Business in the Community. The twelve young people, aged between 16 to 24, are part of IMI's intern programme and are visiting the Birmingham-based company to see what it has to offer them. During their stay they will also have the chance to get to know each other while undertaking a variety of team building exercises.

The interns will spend three days at Plantsbrook Nature Reserve in a project organised through Cares, the national employee volunteering initiative of Business in the Community, which gives employers the chance to make a positive impact in their community.

Under the supervision of Plantsbrook's rangers, the young volunteers will carry out a number of activities to support the eleven hectare nature reserve, which features open water, wetland and meadow. Among the tasks the interns will do are cutting back trees and vegetation, rebuilding a pond dipping platform, constructing a floating island for birds and building picnic benches and bird boxes.

Sarah Jackson, IMI's Manager of Trainees and Students said, "Our interns come from all over the UK as well as from abroad. This community challenge at Plantsbrook Nature Reserve is a great way of bringing the young people together to work as a team. It's also a great way of doing something positive for the community, which is important to IMI."

David Darlaston, Regional Director of Business in the Community commented, "Plantsbrook Nature Reserve is a beautiful location and a fantastic resource for the people of Birmingham. I'm sure the local community will appreciate the hard work of IMI's young employee volunteers in improving Plantsbrook and I hope the interns enjoy their stay in the city."

The Culture of Youth Communities

Posted 11th August 2008 10:20am

A lack of parent and adult role models is driving young people to turn to gangs and other peers for support, according to a report published by youth charity The Prince’s Trust.

The Culture of Youth Communities reveals that a third (34%) of young people do not have a parent who they consider to be a role model.

Fifty-eight per cent of young people claim that finding a sense of identity is a key reason for joining a gang, and almost a quarter (22%) say young people are looking for role models in gangs. More than half (55%) already cite friends and peers as role models.

Martina Milburn, Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust comments: “All the threads that hold a community together – a common identity, role models, a sense of safety – were given by young people as motivations to join gangs.

“Our research suggests that young people are creating their own ‘youth communities’ and gangs in search of the influences that could once have been found in traditional communities.”

The survey of 1,754 14 to 25-year-olds also highlights how young people are twice as likely to turn to a peer (60%) with a problem as they are to turn to a parent (31%). The issue most likely to hold young people back is low self-confidence (32%) according to the research. This was followed by more tangible things such as lack of job opportunities (28%) and lack of training (14%).

Long-term supporter of The Prince’s Trust, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) has funded a £1m Trust-led project to help disadvantaged young people develop their confidence and skills by running community projects. The RBS Community Cash Awards encourage young people to interact with a range of people in their local area and employees from the bank volunteer on the projects, offering support and guidance.

Stephen Moir, Head of Community Investment at RBS comments: "The research shows that low self confidence can be a key factor in holding young people back. The impact of this can be significant with young people lacking the ambition or confidence to enter further education or apply for the job they really want.”

Milburn adds: “The RBS Community Cash Awards have brought about some life-changing projects, from drugs education classes to anti-knife crime workshops. Young people are incredibly passionate about their communities.”

The report also puts into context recent alarm over knife crime and youth crime generally. Only nine per cent of young people have spent time as part of a gang, three per cent “regularly” take drugs, and just two per cent carry a knife.

This month, The Prince’s Trust launched its Change the record campaign to help change perceptions of young people having discovered that 60% of media coverage about young people was negative. See princes-trust.org.uk/changetherecord

New project from In Kind Direct and RockCorps helping charities

Posted 15th August 2008 16:29pm

In Kind Direct has teamed up with Orange RockCorps to create a unique volunteer experience. The project will involve 150 young people aged 16-26 sorting and repacking some of In Kind Direct’s donated products into packs ready for In Kind Direct to distribute to needy charities across the UK and abroad. The event will take place in North London on 16 August 2008. It is the first time In Kind Direct has used such a large number of volunteers to pack donations. In return for just four hours of volunteering the participants will receive a ticket for an exclusive gig at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 September.

The volunteers will sort and repack toiletries and sports clothes. Steve Murray, Head of Logistics at In Kind Direct, comments: "We are delighted to be working with Orange RockCorps to prepare items for the charities in our network to receive. Our charities need a good range of products for use in their work. It is fantastic that Orange RockCorps has given us the opportunity to get a large quantity of packages ready in a short space of time. Making sure charities access the goods we receive as soon as possible is always a key priority for In Kind Direct. This project will contribute to that goal. We want to thank our donor companies for giving quality products to us, and Orange RockCorps for getting the volunteers to help us support those charities faster."

It is free for charities to join the In Kind Direct network. Register online at www.inkinddirect.org