An online event to help family businesses explore how corporate social responsibility can affect them will be held next Thursday.
Sue Howorth and Dave Clarkson, co-directors of The Family Business Network and Philip Webb, chief executive of Investors in Community will present Exploring the Social Impact of Purpose-driven Family Businesses.
Speakers will include Tom McGinness, global leader of family business at KPMG Private Enterprise UK; Phil Wild, chief executive of James Cropper, Ivan Baldwin, marketing and business development at Bechtel Corporation and Rayner Davies, award-winning family business entrepreneur and co-founder of A&R Cleaning and Security Services.
The speakers will bring insight and personal experience to look at how family businesses can approach CSR, how to embed it within the purpose and values of a company, and how it can be effectively co-ordinated and communicated in order to benefit a business.
Mr Webb said: “Many family businesses naturally incline towards supporting the local communities in which they operate.
“However, being able to effectively manage, track and verify this activity is no longer simply a ‘nice to do’ but a ‘must do’ exercise.
“We look forward to exploring the various means to achieve this during our event.”
Mr Davies added: “As a family business owner, I was never really aware of what corporate social responsibility was, yet even so we had a clear purpose; we were created and built on a foundation of giving back and supporting our workforce right from the very start.
“We have continuously sought ways for the business to provide a more sustainable, economical service for our customers and for the community. When you have a business that is built upon people, communities and each of your employees work from the company’s core values and purpose, that’s where the magic really starts to happen within your business”.
Mrs Howorth added: “Family businesses contact us every week with questions regarding their social impact and how they can measure and communicate this effectively.
“Often, they are required to provide detail as part of a competitive supply chain tendering process, or sometimes in relation to positioning themselves as an attractive proposition to the recruitment market, from entry level to leadership roles. We also know that consumers and society in general are calling for businesses to demonstrate CSR.
“As a community for learning and a voice for family businesses, we identified the need to share these changing expectations and knowledge and offer the right resources and platforms for our family businesses to call on.”
The event will also feature a next generation discussion group, providing a chance to hear the opinions and aspirations of the millennial workforce and how this may influence businesses.
To find out more or to book a place, visit https://fambiznet.co.uk/socialimpactevent/
Tickets cost £20+vat with £10 from every ticket sold being donated to charity.
