Companies have a key role in regenerating deprived communities. Dr Kim Howells outlines some practical ways in which they can become involved
Last
March I was appointed as UK minister for corporate social
responsibility (CSR). Very quickly, I started to receive a host of
invitations from businesses who wanted to tell me about their CSR
activities. Meeting them has made two things clear to me.
First, that there is a tremendous enthusiasm within businesses to work
with their local communities, but that this energy and creativity often
goes unrecognised and unappreciated. Second, these meetings have shown
me that CSR must be a business-led agenda. If Government adopts an
overly prescriptive approach, it could easily stifle the enthusiasm and
variety that business can bring to CSR.
There are,
however, two key themes that I am particularly keen to promote. First
of these is the role businesses can play in education, especially in
improving adult basic skills and in addressing the specific skills gaps
which are stifling growth and development in some key sectors.
Many businesses are already involved in education partnerships.
Business can provide a wide range of support to enhance the links
between themselves and our schools, colleges and universities. By
improving the quality of education and training they will be helping
themselves and the wider community. The whole economy will benefit and
individuals will find their employment prospects greatly improved.
Businesses can provide support to educational projects in many
different ways. One of these is staff volunteering. The Government
attaches great importance to the role which volunteers play in the
community. Last year, for example, the prime minister launched the
Active Communities Challenge. He challenged employers to give employees
the equivalent of a day’s paid time to volunteer.
Businesses can sign up to the Challenge, either via Business in the Community, or by visiting the web site at www.corpcommunityinvestment.org.uk.
Involvement in promoting basic skills and improving life-long learning
and training is also central to the regeneration and development of
enterprise in deprived communities. This is my second key theme. Many
businesses in the US have invested in deprived communities and actively
sought employees from socially excluded groups. They have benefited
commercially from this engagement and I would be very pleased to see
more UK businesses follow their example.
Later this year,
I intend to publish a report which will illustrate some of what
Government is doing to promote CSR. It will celebrate examples of
business action that has benefited both society at large and the
companies involved. All of this will underline that CSR is a key
component of mainstream business competitiveness.
