An update from the Wales Director - December 2011

In the lead up to Christmas and as the New Year fast approaches, I wanted to thank members’ for their support in 2011 and to reflect on some of Business in the Community’s key achievements and highlights over the year.   

These are both challenging and exciting times and I very much look forward to working with you closely during 2012.

Our members continue to make a tangible impact on the ground within communities across Wales.  This year we recruited over 680 employee volunteers from more than 100 businesses, and collectively impacted on almost 6,000 beneficiaries in a wide variety of community focussed activities from supporting numeracy and literacy in schools, mentoring social enterprises, to the odd ‘ground-force style’ makeover.  These figures, whilst impressive are not representative of the entire range of volunteering activity that goes on through our network in Wales, and I’d like to express my thanks to the many thousands of volunteers who have supported community activity in Wales this year. 

Working with our members, we continue to break new ground in supporting the employability of those furthest from the labour market, including the homeless, young people and ex-offenders.  I want to particularly thank the members’ who have supported work experience placements and given their skills and time to employability workshops, and career mentoring this year – these initiatives do really make a difference to these vulnerable groups. 

In June, the Wales Award for Excellence celebrated the best examples of responsible business in action.  It was great to see a growing interest in these awards with 18 shortlisted companies and more than 350 guests.  I want to make particular mention to Wates, our winner of our Responsible Company of the Year 2011, and to Bluestone Resorts who achieved national recognition being named the Overall Example of Excellence at the Royal Albert Hall. 

Our Seeing is Believing Programme remains an important element to our work inspiring business leaders to both learn from best practice and to reflect on, and take action in response to the issues our communities face.  This year, four Seeing is Believing visits engaged more than 80 business leaders from 60 different companies, many of whom reported back to HRH The Prince of Wales in Newport last month on the outcomes of their visits. 

The Prince’s Mayday Summits were a great success bringing in excellent speakers, focusing on action and leading to increased commitment from businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.  The annual Prince’s Mayday Network Carbon Impact Survey in Wales will be coming to a close on the 31st January, so if you haven’t already reported your carbon footprint to the project, you can still do so via the Mayday Network Website at www.maydaynetwork.com

None of this work could be achieved without the support from members who continue to lead and demonstrate the key role business can play in tackling some of society’s big issues.  I thank you for the valuable contribution that you have made and for the support you’ve given us in 2011. 

There remain significant challenges for us all in the year ahead.  We enter 2012 in a period of continued economic uncertainty and slow growth, rising youth unemployment, broadening skills gaps.  Business has a critical role to play in generating jobs, growth and entrepreneurship – we want to ensure this is achieved, and achieved with responsibility at its heart.  We will continue to inspire, support and challenge our growing membership to make a meaningful contribution, unleashing the creativity and enthusiasm that we already know exists in companies operating in Wales.

My aim for 2012 is to recognise our economic climate as challenging, but to advocate strongly that it is more important now than ever for businesses to show leadership on this agenda.  Our strategic vision focuses on Education and Young People, Environmental Sustainability and Employment and for us to work with clarity, applied expertise and in collaboration.

As with this time last year, these are both challenging and exciting times for Business in the Community and I very much look forward to working with you closely during 2012.