In good company
Nicole Curnow
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
Strapped for cash and time poor? Nicole Curnow looks at how large corporations can come to your rescue If your nursery is in dire need of a makeover but you don't have the money or the manpower to make it happen, it's worth approaching local businesses for support. UK companies are increasingly looking at how they can get involved with and help their local community.
If your nursery is in dire need of a makeover but you don't have the money or the manpower to make it happen, it's worth approaching local businesses for support. UK companies are increasingly looking at how they can get involved with and help their local community.
MORI's public attitude survey on Corporate Social Responsibility (2003) found that 80 per cent of people thought a company's activity in the community was important.
Many corporations work in partnership with brokers, who find out about community projects. Nicki Della-Porta, national ProHelp manager from the charity Business in the Community, says, 'Many firms prefer to channel their free professional support through brokers instead of responding to requests from the community. This means that the legwork is done for them.'
Companies do not encourage their employees to take part in community projects purely through altruism. Ms Della-Porta says, 'Many companies find that their work with local community groups offers a great opportunity for raising their profile in the local media.'
Outside help
Julie Preece, nursery manager at Cardiff's Just Learning nursery, heard about Barclays' involvement in the community through a child's parent and was inspired to ask for help to create a child-friendly nursery garden. She contacted her local Barclays and followed up her enquiry with a letter to the bank's head office. Barclays agreed to donate 500, and to provide a team of 'ground force' volunteers. Local Blooms Garden Centre contributed 30 worth of plants.
Nine employees from the Rumney branch transformed the nursery's boring patch of lawn into a garden where children could play hide and seek in the bushes, seek refuge from the sun in hot weather and learn how to cross the road in an area dedicated to road safety.
Rumney branch manager Kath Davies says, 'We finished the garden in a day, but we had to plan beforehand to make sure the plants turned up on time.'
Ms Preece was delighted that Barclays was helping them not only financially, but also with the garden work. She says, 'The ground was hard and without the manpower we wouldn't have been able to dig a hole to plant the tree.'
Getting involved
Whitehawk nursery in Brighton also benefited from a garden makeover, thanks to 15 volunteers from American Express who chopped down overgrown bushes.
With the help of a landscape gardener they created a wildlife garden to attract butterflies and insects.
Tara Dutton, executive assistant in interactive technologies at American Express, believes getting involved in community projects can benefit both parties. 'The nursery benefits from our skills and manpower and we gain because it stretches us in ways not possible in the office, helping us be more rounded individuals,' she says.
'It's also good for the children to meet new people and see that people care about their nursery.'
Companies such as American Express and Barclays place a huge corporate value on being ethical. Staff are encouraged to volunteer for community projects - often during paid work time. Ms Davies says, 'It is satisfying to give something back to the community in which we live.' And Ms Dutton adds, 'It's a smart business that contributes to the community in which it operates.'
How to get help
Do
* Research local businesses - read local newspapers and websites.
* Be professional and approach organisations in a business-like manner.
* Be clear about what you are asking. Identify specific areas where you need assistance.
* Find the right person to talk to - make enquiries.
* If the manager is interested when you call, suggest a meeting.
* A polite e-mail or letter will help speed up the process.
* Look at developing relationships with other local organisations.
Don't
* Presume companies have time and money to help. Find out how you can work together.
* Go it alone. Seek assistance from a broker.
* Just ask for money. Most companies assist best when they bring their own skills to a partnership, rather than just cash.
Information provided by Business in the Community.
More information
* Contact BITC on 0870 600 2482 or visit www.bitc.org.uk.
* For free professional advice and a database of brokers in your area, log on to www.professionals4free.org.
