Date: Friday 14 October 2022
On Friday 14th October, Chamber held its second Business & Charity partnership event, with the aim of creating stronger links and partnerships between the corporate and charitable sectors.
We were honoured to be joined by Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer, who, with his outstanding military career reflected on the similarities between the corporate and military world and how essential it is to deliver great leadership and develop new talent within our teams. An essential part of this leadership piece is supporting local charities Sir John told us. Many of these charities are small operations often created “around the Kitchen table” and it is essential that larger organisations offer their support when it comes to Governance in a climate that puts increasing pressure on smaller charities to obey the rules.
Sir John went on to talk about the current issue of donor fatigue , which in recent times and an uncertain future is only going to get worse. Perhaps smaller charities could consider merging to solve governance barriers, reduce staff costs and increase efficiencies? Sir John also explained that although financial assistance is key , small to medium charities with very few resources can really benefit from businesses offering their skills and expertise , such a legal , HR , accountancy , marketing, and media services.
Our 2nd speaker of the day was Guy Templer, former COO at Stars Group. Guy highlighted that working closely with the third sector is so much more than just fulfilling your ESG/ CSR agenda, there are some really tangible reasons including boosting your staff morale, engagement and ultimately your staff retention. Charitable work can also have a very significant impact on how your brand is viewed both as an employer and by customers and key stakeholders. Ultimately though you should always get to know your chosen charity properly and their agenda should be aligned to your brand. When you’ve found your partner, stay in it for the long term and endeavour to offer multi year funding and support. Guy also echoed the words of Sir John by affirming that offering expertise can sometimes be more effective that money.
Our sponsor, Brendon Kenny of Galtipp concluded the presentation with his expertise of ESG. For those of you not in the know ESG is the new CSR. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) is a term used to represent an organisation's corporate financial interests that focus mainly on sustainable and ethical impacts. A business should focus their messaging around any partnership to align with the three pillars of ESG:-
1. Environmental – this has to do with an organisation’s impact on the planet
2. Social – this has to do with the impact an organisation has on people, including staff and customers and the community
3. Governance – this has to do with how an organisation is governed. Is it governed transparently? Does it report honestly and clearly on its activities?
All in all, the event was great success with 20 charities showcasing their services and over 50 attendees from the corporate world engaging. As we perused the room it was clear to see great conversations were taking place, products were purchased and donations were being made, and our ultimate wish is that future long-term partnerships were formed and future charitable projects will be taking place. This is your Chamber and we are all stronger together.
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Once again, thank you to Galtipp Solutions for their very generous support.
