About us
The Business Community Partnerships programme was set up in July 2020 and it now has an active membership of 175 responsible businesses. These businesses represent Great Estates, Commercial Landlords, FTSE 100 companies, Developers and the council’s supply chain.
What we do
Our role is that of a connector who creates beneficial and meaningful relationships for both our business and Volunteer Community Sector (VCS) partners. We take time to understand the needs and requirements of our service end users and to identify suitable projects. We match the needs to the resources of local businesses that can support them or we promote a project through our extensive business network to find solutions. By encouraging businesses to support vital projects we can help them to be valued and engaged in their communities.
We can help businesses to develop CSR policies and Social Value strategies and by putting into practice agreed aims and objectives businesses can instantly profit from establishing a CSR agenda. We are able to provide opportunities to help projects, offer support, time and expertise whilst giving staff the opportunity to develop their skills whilst benefitting the community.
Our dedicated team
Tom Harding, Head of Responsible Economy
Tom oversees the team’s strategy and key programmes including Social Value, Jobs and Training and the council’s Anchor Alliance.
Isabelle Benard, Senior Programme Manager, Business Community Partnerships
Izzy leads on the council’s Responsible Business Network, the CSR programme, the development of the Community Investment Portfolio platform and our bi-monthly CIP Bulletin. She is the first point of contact for responsible businesses on matters of CSR/ESG, including putting together tailored community activities, matching businesses with charity partners and fundraising for emergency campaigns.
Contact us
Please get in touch with our Business Community Partnerships team if you have questions or want to find out more about our programme.