Transforming Business | Transforming Communities


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Consultation on Government’s ‘Big Society’ vision

We consulted our membership on what they see as the opportunities and barriers to increasing engagement in local communities; and businesses’ response to the Government’s ‘Big Society’ vision. Sir Stuart Rose, Chairman of BITC launched the consultation at the BITC 2010 AGM.

What we learnt

  • In summary

    Our members recognise that there is a significant amount of business-community engagement happening already. Yet they identify and support the need to increase their engagement and that of others, by growing the numbers of companies involved, making it less complicated to engage effectively at a local level and continuing to drive for best practice in cross-sector partnerships.

  • Opportunities for Business

    Every business leader we asked said there were opportunities for their business to do more in the communities in which they operate; not one, in our survey, said it was not in their interest to do so.

    Find out more on what businesses see as the primary opportunities for replicating and broadening social and economic engagement of companies in local neighbourhoods.

  • A message for Government

    Business leaders feel that a lack of understanding and awareness of best practice, particularly in local government and amongst civil society groups, stifles effective engagement of companies in cross-sector partnerships at a local level. There is also considerable support for the removal of red-tape, which holds companies back from doing more.

  • Recommendations

    To create momentum and help mobilise businesses to collaborate and increase engagement in local communities around the country, priorities for action are outlined for the Government, the business sector, voluntary and civil society organisations, and Business in the Community.

  • A clear role for BITC

    61% see the most useful role for Business in the Community is to act as a broker, bringing together the interests and needs of business, the voluntary sector and local government to match appropriate business resource

  • Methodology

    The consultation took place predominantly through regional and campaign leadership team meetings between September and November 2010, in total, we heard from 154 businesses. In addition, all senior contacts invited to Business in the Community’s AGM and Leadership Summit were also invited to participate in a quantitative survey. 170 responses were collected between 11 and 17 November 2010.

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