Building Stronger Communities

Recognising innovative partnerships between business and the third sector which have built the resilience of community based charities, community groups or social enterprises and contributed to the regeneration of neighbourhoods.

This new award replaces the Power in Partnership Award and the Active Communities Award which were last run in 2009. Companies who entered these other two awards in 2009 have the option to Re-accreditation for previous winners in either or both of these categories.

Additionally, if a company meets the eligibility criteria for this new award they can also enter a brand new entry into the new Building Stronger Communities award.

The closing date for this category has now passed.

Introduction to the award: 

The Building Stronger Communities award contains the collaborative element of Power in Partnership, but requires this collaboration to be with either voluntary/community organisations, social enterprises, public bodies or a combination of the above.

The award also requires the company to demonstrate how they are working with local communities to identify issues or areas of need, how they are targeting disadvantage and developing sustainable programmes that will make a lasting impact on the organisations that they are collaborating with and the community that they are working in.

Relevant business action may include the giving of significant employee time or skills, including supporting the take up of civic roles, and/or the giving of considerable business resource, such as the provision of premises and materials. This in turn should enable the delivery of positive outcomes for local communities.

Evaluation should demonstrate genuine partnership working with the community. We are looking in particular for examples of businesses working with local communities to identify issues or areas of need, targeting disadvantage and developing sustainable programmes that will make a lasting impact on the organisations that you are collaborating with and the community that you are working in.

Entries should be able to demonstrate the five principles of good community investment:

• Identify the social issues that are most relevant to your business and most pressing to the communities you work with
• Work in partnership with your communities leveraging your combined expertise for mutual benefit
• Plan and manage your community investment using the most appropriate resources to deliver against your targets
• Inspire and engage your employees, customers and suppliers to support your community programmes
• Measure and evaluate the difference that your investment has in the community and on your business. Strive for continual improvement

Applications could include all aspects of community collaboration programmes – companies investing time, skills, money or gifts in kind.

Exceptions: programmes that are focused on education/school partnerships which should be entered into our Education Award and programmes that are focused on helping people who face barriers to employment getting into work and/or increasing their employability skills which should be entered into our Employability Award.