This week is Responsible Business Week, and companies will be celebrating and shouting out about what they are doing in the community and the positive change they are making to society.  And so they should! If you are a business making a social and environmental impact then get thee to Twitter I say! It has been reported that around half of the British public do not think that businesses make a positive contribution to society. This is a shame, particularly for those companies making efforts to give back and take corporate social responsibility (CSR) seriously.

A couple of months ago I attended the National CSR Awards and was enthused to see companies of all sizes participating in the event. It was fantastic to hear about exciting and progressive projects. People were buzzed, networking, learning from one another and later, spinning around Mercedes-Benz World in electric cars. 

The positive vibe of the day was coupled with a sense of urgency for more companies to realise the importance of committing to CSR programmes that do not just tick boxes, but that have a real and measurable impact. Projects should not be about simply signing a cheque, having a recycling bin or painting a school, we should have bid farewell to this stereotype a long time ago. In an engaging seminar Ed Gillespie, Co-Founder of Futerra, stated that as CSR becomes a bigger, and increasingly necessary, aspect of business that those who are not up to speed with being responsible or those communicating it poorly will be left behind in this competitive market. These words struck a chord and I agree. Gillespie cited Marks and Spencer as an exemplar of a company that ‘gets it’ and has succeeded in raising the bar among its competitors with its projects and how they are communicated. Below you can check out their short film on their award winning CSR programme - Plan A, because there is no Plan B.

CSR, responsible business, corporate citizenship, whatever you care to call it boils down to making a positive change and companies need to be embrace it and make sure it is communicated as well and as widely as possible. There is great value in talking more freely and widely about a company’s social and environmental impact. It can positively affect your bottom line, help with staff retention and recruitment, boost the company’s profile and the obvious, it feels good to give back. 

So, here’s to making a difference, shouting it from the rooftops and #RBWeek!

Click here to contact Ponte for more information about how we can help you create, develop and communicate your social impact.

Over the Summer I did a community audit of the Kentish Town area for Greene & Co., an award-winning estate agency with branches across North London. With the imminent opening of a new branch on Highgate Road, the agency was keen to know more about the area, grassroots organisations and key stakeholders. I prepared a community report with intelligence on the area including local challenges and needs, community groups and charities they could engage with, useful contacts and information on recruiting apprentices for their team. 

Greene & Co. are very engaged when it comes to charity and enjoy being involved in the community and this came across during my time working with them. I had already done some work in my previous life running a training centre for young people where Greene & Co. took their first apprentice, they have since recruited other young people as apprentices and are big advocates of the programme. It was a pleasure to be working with them again with Ponte. 

Ponte featured in the November issue of Compass, read here.