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Chairman's Network Lunch - 23 Sept 09

Date: 23 September 2009

Time: 12.00 - 15.00 pm

Venue: St. James & Kensington Rooms, 6th Floor, Claridge's, London

Speaker: Paul Barry-Walsh, ex Chairman of Netstore and Founder of The Fredericks Foundation. Advisor on social entrepreneurship and building businesses. This year's Winner of the CNBC European Business Leader of the Year philanthropy award.

Event Review:

Why we should take the lead in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

The media portray business men as greedy bullies - this is not a picture I recognize. Eg JR Dallas to Brian Aldridge in the Archers, Alan Sugar to Dragons den.

Those companies that have good ethos tend to be admired an successful eg John Lewis, Google  Cadburys.

Graduates, indeed all of us,  need to believe in a company especially if not on front line of exciting developments. CSR provides the opportunity to build strong allegiance

This can change them from employees to ambassadors.

A number of actions can be taken to facilitate this:

1. Ask your employees and facilitate a company agenda on CSR

2. Work with a small and appropriate charity

3. Provide small amount of funds to pump prime

4. Publish your results, tell your customers and prospects, get PR! 

What is CSR though?

When an organization takes responsibility for the impact of its activities on employment, customers, community and the environment.

Why do we need to do CSR?

UK has the highest inmates in gaol per 1,000, worst drugs, drunkenness and teenage pregnancies in Europe . There are solutions such as Wisconsin experiment but ..

Our government is very poor on delivery - cannot plan on infrastructure let alone help start small business  2,300 agencies costing £4.3 billion but no money to help unemployed. This Fredericks Foundation does, starting two businesses a week - this directly saves £ 3 million per 100 helped in benefits

We have helped over 600 companies start about 1000 people at a cost of £ 7 million - seems to me to be pretty cost effective.

CSR can be great to help not just your employees but also your customers and hence profitability. This symbiotic trade off is fine. Eg dealers in City  have a charity day which raises £4 million and helps the image of the company.

But with global warning tracking even more dangerously it will be smaller companies that can provide leadership. They can make the difference because we cannot leave this to Government or 'the big boys'.

Finally CSR is not just good for employees but good for you. You can put on your grave stone not just that your tried to make the world a better place but that you succeeded in making it a better place.

View photos of the event

View delegates' list

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