Companies in Wales still committed to responsible business

Six businesses from Wales have received Big Ticks in the Business in the Community Awards for Excellence for their commitment to responsible business practice. GE Healthcare, Cadbury, Rhondda Housing Association, Wiltan, BHP Billiton and DangerPoint were recognised for their positive impact on society at the event in Cardiff last night, sponsored by Wales and West Utilities and Royal Mail Group.

Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence help to showcase the efforts of those companies that have demonstrated they are doing their utmost to help the communities where they do business.

The results reveal that despite the recession, businesses in Wales are still focused on the impact they have on people and the planet.

This year 358 organisations from across the UK entered the awards, with 106 achieving a Big Tick. The Big Tick is awarded to businesses able to demonstrate significant impact and high quality management of their responsible business practices and who can show a positive impact both on society and on the business.

The largest amount of new entries was received this year, with nearly 80% of award entries being for newly established company programmes. The decision to award the Big Tick is made by a panel of independent, experienced practitioners, and as such is both hard won and highly prestigious - only 38% of new applicants were successful in 2009.

More than 250 delegates attended the event at the Glamorgan Cricket SWALEC Stadium, which also saw ScottishPower collect the Wales Skills and Employment Award, sponsored by Working Links. It also saw Legal and General recognised in the Cares Team of the Year category, sponsored by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

Cadbury scooped the Company of the Year award, sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government, for demonstrating responsible business practice in the marketplace, workplace, community and environment.

Individual awards were also presented to Guy Jefferson, Director of Field Operations at ScottishPower, who becomes this year’s Prince’s Ambassador for Business in the Community in Wales and Kay Hughes-Jones, Business Manager at The Hollies School in Cardiff, who was presented with the Sieff Award for her collaboration with business to benefit the local community.

Rhondda Housing Association has also been shortlisted for an Example for Excellence, the award given out to the overall winner of each category, which will be presented by HRH The Prince of Wales, President of Business in the Community, at a celebration in Central London on 6 July.

Owen Evans, Director, Business in the Community Wales said: “It’s heartening to know that so many businesses in Wales remain committed to their social, ethical and environmental goals and I congratulate all of the Big Tick winners on having achieved this standard.

“Now, more than ever, businesses need to demonstrate that to be a leading company is to be a responsible one.  The award winners in Wales are certainly flying the flag for responsible business here and I hope will prove valuable inspiration for others to follow in their footsteps.”

Graham Edwards, Chief Executive of event sponsor, Wales & West Utilities added: “By recognising these efforts, the awards not only encourage other like-minded businesses to put responsible business practice at the heart of what they do, but also highlight the importance of measuring positive impact as part of business planning.”