Supporters
BT, Dairy Crest, Everything Everywhere, Greggs, Royal Mail and Sainsbury’s are amongst the range of companies that have joined the initiative, committing to second 20 members of staff to work with community and voluntary organisations in the areas of greatest need.
With support from Fujitsu, BITC has created ‘BITCConnect’, a new social networking site supporting Business Connectors. The site will create a new national movement in the UK of individuals and groups working at local level matching local need to resources and offers of support.
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Gwyn Burrcustomer service and colleague director at Sainsbury’sWe know that the business connector model works because it is something that our stores are already doing – we work with local people and organisations to provide our expertise and resource, while gaining a greater understanding of the communities we serve.
The programme has support from a number of businesses and voluntary sector organisations.
- Sir Tony Hawkhead, Chief Executive, Groundwork UK (right) said:
"Business Connectors have the priceless capability of being neutral intermediaries who can get local people together and get them talking about how they can make the best use of resources. It would fit beautifully with the community budgeting thinking, it would fit beautifully with the idea that we should encourage people to take back more power, more responsibility for changing things by themselves."
- Gwyn Burr, Customer Service and Colleague Director at Sainsbury’s which has seconded four people, said:
“We know that the business connector model works because it is something that our stores are already doing – we work with local people and organisations to provide our expertise and resource, while gaining a greater understanding of the communities we serve. Our Local Charity Partnerships are a great example of this, with each store working with a charity to provide ideas and volunteering as well as fund raising. The business connector project will enable us to share our knowledge of working with communities with other businesses. This will be of great benefit to business and communities alike.”
Business Connecting has already had phenomenal results across the UK. Greggs Head of Retail (South East) and BBC Apprentice runner up Helen Milligan undertook a Business Connector role in Redcar, Teeside, where she was instrumental in kick-starting local enterprise by transforming vacant retail space into a thriving entrepreneurial hub for local businesses.
- Ken McMeikan, Greggs Chief Executive, said:
"Having Helen work as a Business Connector directly alongside the local community gave us incredible insight into the depth of the challenges facing that community, which in turn enabled us to focus our support on helping address the specific needs of the local people. Helen thrived as a Business Connector and her experience is testament to the benefits to the both the community and the company. It really is an excellent initiative and I would urge others to get involved."
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