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Last updated: 05 August 2009
21 July 2009
Businesses, the government and third sector need to develop stronger and more innovative partnerships to provide real and practical help for communities at risk of fracture due to the recession, a report published today by an independent taskforce claims.
Led by Dame Julia Cleverdon, Business in the Community’s Vice President, the taskforce on Building Stronger Communities has focused on places and practices to develop a national framework of recommendations and examples of innovative cross-sector partnerships.
The report outlines ten recommendations to businesses, the third sector and to the Government under three key priorities for action: building closer connections between the sectors at local level, the importance of downsizing responsibly, and investment in innovative partnerships.
The taskforce worked in five areas at particular risk during the recession – Swindon, Southwark, Calderdale, Stoke and rural Lincolnshire – and consulted across sectors to identify the impact of the recession on the area. It also brought different organisations together to develop a local understanding of existing practices and to prompt opportunities for greater collaborative action.
Dame Julia Cleverdon said:
“Business needs to recognise that how it behaves locally during tough times shapes its reputation much more than national flagship programmes and corporate responsibility videos.
“Where companies who are downsizing develop innovative partnerships with the third sector, which focus on supporting real need with employee support and supplier engagement, they will build trust and a stronger legacy for the communities they need to serve.
“The third sector – more vibrant and with some strong social enterprises now in place – needs to take responsibility too,” said Julia Cleverdon. “Often businesses are confused by a sea of overlapping requests for help and the third sector must redouble their efforts to work collaboratively together and produce clearer menus for action. Hard hit communities with strong collaborative partnerships between public, private and third sector with a focus on innovative practical action locally will emerge stronger from the downturn and the Government, Companies and the Third Sector need to identify what each can do to make this a reality.”
Angela Smith, Minister of State for the Third Sector, said:
“I thank Dame Julia and the business and third sector representative who have worked so hard to produce a clear way forward for all communities to use scarce resources efficiently. The report highlights many examples of businesses having a positive impact on their communities and I hope these will inspire others to take action. It is clear that the Government has an important role too and I will work with colleagues across government to consider the report’s recommendations.”
Companies that have achieved the CommunityMark, Business in the Community’s national standard of community investment excellence, have played a key role as exemplars of effective partnerships. The nine new achievers* of the CommunityMark will also be recognised at the House of Lords by Angela Smith, Minister of State for the Third Sector, and Ian Lucas, Minister for Corporate Social Responsibility on 21 July 2009.
The report ‘Building Stronger Communities Business and the third sector: Innovation in tough times’ [PDF] is being launched on the same day as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown will hear proposals of a National Talent Bank, developed by the Council on Social Action and TimeBank and supported by Business in the Community. The National Talent Bank aims to support greater volunteering opportunities for employees who are currently underemployed or working less as a result of the economic downturn.
The Building Stronger Communities taskforce included representatives from business and the third sector. It was commissioned by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office and supported by Business in the Community (BITC) as a key element of the Office for the Third Sector’s £42.5 million Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises action plan announced in February 2009
You can download a copy of the report via the link below: