First Trust Bank Supporting Economic Growth
First Trust is in the business of banking and so
economic growth of the region is vitally important to them. First Trust’s staff
very
actively involved in the community with most of them involved in over 500 local
organisations, with both a social and economic perspective, outside the Bank.
It also encourages and financially supports staff to develop their educational
skills so that they in turn can help customers develop their business potential
to the full.
What they did
Brendan Dowdall, Senior Manager in Derry has been a member
of the North West Leadership Team of Business in the Community for a long
number of years attending the quarterly meetings to help provide strategic
direction and guidance on the North West Economic Growth agenda and also to
develop SME support and social economy initiatives.
First Trust actively encourages managers and staff to look
out beyond the business of the Bank to explore and identify ways in which they
can have a positive impact on the economy of the community in which they live
and the Bank operates.
Management and staff are encouraged to interact and be
involved with organisations such as Chambers of Commerce, Junior Chambers and
local community groups. The fact that such activities are related to
performance review is a demonstration of how committed to the scheme First
Trust is.
The Bank supports various groups through mentoring and
educational programmes. Managers are frequently sent out to meet businesses to
provide support under various business initiatives. The unifying principle of
all these initiatives has been to provide business support to SME’s and
ultimately to enable economic growth within Northern Ireland.
The
social economy has been another area where First Trust Bank has demonstrated
its support for economic growth. It has undertaken a variety of initiatives
including offering mentoring to Business Bees - this
is a group of adults with learning disabilities who provide office support to
businesses. First Trust has worked closely with Mid Tyrone Community Transport
group and helped it develop a business plan and staff appraisal system.
Impact
- Various businesses and community groups have received invaluable support which will enable them to survive and grow.
- Various organisations have received financial support through sponsorship and promotional spending.
Finalists in the NI Supporting Economic Growth Award 2008
