It was great catching up with community partners and colleagues from the East Midlands Chambers network at the Shama women’s centre to discuss how we can support local firms to give back to the local community.
In a far reaching discussion, participants shared:
- Businesses want help knowing how to give back.
- Like idea of being offered easy options.
- Businesses are keen to see outcomes and impact of CSR work they participate in.
- Lots of small business who do not have policies or huge pots of money but want to help.
- Family businesses very keen on leaving a legacy in their communities.
- More could be done to encourage council, business, and community partnerships.
- Businesses present were aware they need to learn from communities and not assume they know best.
- Businesses are businesses, but a “purposeful” approach integrates giving back into mission, so it becomes part of what a business does , not an add on.
Reflecting on the session Kieran our CEO felt:
There is clearly an appetite amongst the local business community to give back to the community in a purposeful, way and Leicestershire cares has a key role to play in brokering and supporting relationships and partnerships between business and community
We look forward to developing this work with the East Midlands Chambers.
Useful Links
East Midlands Chambers Thttps://www.emc-dnl.co.uk/
Leicestershire Cares supporting purposeful engagement https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/get-help/get-businesses/csr-and-purposeful-engagement/