On Thursday 20th October, almost 50 delegates gathered at an event hosted by Asahi UK HQ in Woking, to hear first-hand from leading figures about the importance and value of corporate social responsibility, or CSR as it is more often known.
The event, created by CMPP, brought together participants drawn from a range of organisations and sectors, including large corporates to micro businesses to learn more about the how’s and why’s of effective CSR strategy.
The key speaker was Graeme Grieve, former CEO of BMW Group UK, who’s message about the reasons why CSR should be central to all companies was clear: ‘Well planned and implemented CSR can be a real benefit for how people see your business. It’s a great motivator for your teams and a great way to explain your beliefs and ethics to your own people as well as the outside world.’
'Making profits and generating shareholder returns are clearly essential for success,’ Graeme continued, ‘but how organisations do this has become more important and come under more scrutiny. To ensure ongoing success and a sustainable business, principles and ethics have become vitally important factors.’
Graeme’s message was echoed by Matt Hill, Corporate Affairs Manager at Asahi, went further: ‘Companies which can demonstrate meaningful community engagement and ethical purpose hold a competitive edge at a time when recruitment and retention of talented staff is increasingly difficult.’
Other speakers, including broadcaster Peter ‘PG’ Gordon and former Prospect Trust CEO, Simon Jarvis encouraged those present to work together for the benefit of local communities. Tracy Jarvis, founder of CMPP, said: ‘We have a stack of brilliant projects needing volunteers – and thousands of hours of unused corporate volunteering hours paid for by caring employers.
What CMPP can do is make it easy for businesses to give back to their communities by managing the process from start to finish.’
Paul Marcus, former CEO of Eagle Radio and compere for the event, was delighted at the response from delegates: ‘I think today has inspired all those present to think more carefully about the value of CSR and how their organisations and staff can play a part in transforming communities.’
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