POLITICS INSIDE


CSR projects can be mutally beneficial to businesses and charities


They told how businesses can benefit from


taking part in CSR projects. In addition to increasing their reputation in the community in which they trade, companies can also use CSR opportunities for team-building and winning valuable publicity. And through that generosity, local charities and voluntary groups can benefit from a substantial funding stream. One company that has embraced this activity


is Ryley Wealth Management, of Nottingham, where founder and owner David Ryley has created the 1% Matters Fund, through which one per cent of profit, turnover or salary (net or gross) is donated to a charitable fund. Phil Bloxham, Managing Director at Ryley


Wealth Management and a trustee of Foundation Derbyshire, which distributes funds to good causes in Derbyshire and manages funds for the same purpose, said: “CSR is an increasingly important area for all businesses to be involved in. “We all have a duty to put something back


into the community in which we live and work. “We can all afford to give up one per cent of our


income and through the 1% Matters Fund we know that money is going to help local causes, whether it’s a charity of choice or a voluntary organisation. “And you can involve your whole team as well,


so it become a team-building activity which makes you feel good as well.” Chris added: “There will be rising pressure on


business to demonstrate its positive impact in local communities, but CSR can bring huge benefits in the longer-term back to the businesses. Businesses already do lots in this space, and while recognition isn’t the driver behind charitable activity, it is important that we make sure others realise the good work that is being done. “There’s a symbiotic relationship between


businesses and local communities and if things do get more difficult next year then we can’t afford to have others portray us as being part of the problem to meet their own ends.” As we go through the festive season, it may


be worth taking some time to think over the example Nikolaos gave us 1,700 years ago.


employers across a variety of sectors have made this area their home, providing good jobs and helping to create an exciting and vibrant place to live, work and do business. The Chamber, of course, should


WESTMINSTER


GLORIA DE PIERO, MP for Ashfield and Eastwood, looks at the current industrial landscape


A need to stay ahead of the curve


My constituency of Ashfield, and the wider East Midlands, have a proud industrial heritage. But they suffered greatly with the demise of the traditional industries such as mining and textiles manufacturing and many of the big factories that communities were built around. Since then, some excellent


‘I want to see more manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, digital and bio-tech companies setting up here’


take a large slice of credit for promoting and developing the region and securing this vital employment. But we would all agree that this work is not yet complete. With Brexit approaching and technology ever-advancing, the industrial landscape as


we know it is set to change again. Britain needs to seize this opportunity and use it to cement its place as one of the most


productive and competitive economies in the world. And I want the East Midlands to be at the heart of this. As a country, we have always been at the forefront of technological change and


advancement in industry, but I believe it is crucial that we not only maintain this position, but that we push forward and stay ahead of the curve. I want to see more manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, digital and bio-tech


companies setting up here, harnessing the skills that already exist in our workforce and helping to train up the next generation of engineers, scientists and IT experts. Areas like Ashfield have a desperate need for well-paid, secure jobs at companies that


value their workers and are positively involved in the communities they are part of. Workers have for too long been used and abused by employers who think it is


acceptable to hire people on zero-hours contracts as standard, pay people less than what they need to live on and who get away without paying holiday or sick leave. A 21st Century economy should not be built on 19th Century employee rights. We need to encourage good employers to the East Midlands, those who realise that


listening to their employees and ensuring their wellbeing helps individuals and businesses to grow and progress. It’s a simple win-win relationship. Britain sits at a crossroads and it is important that we


choose the right path for our economy. This path should make the most of what we have to offer outside of the bubble


surrounding London and the South East, that establishes us as a world leader in key industries and that means the UK is somewhere that countries all around the world want to trade with.


ABOUT GLORIA DE PIERO Gloria De Piero was elected to serve Ashfield at the 2010 General Election. Before being elected as an MP, Gloria was GMTV’s Political Editor. She has previously


worked as a journalist on the Politics Show at the BBC. Gloria graduated from the University of Westminster with a first class honours degree


in Social Sciences and completed an MSc at the University of London. In 2010, Gloria was appointed to a junior role in the shadow Department for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport. Between 2011 and 2013, she served as a junior minister in the shadow Department for


the Home Office before being appointed a full member of the Shadow Cabinet in October 2013 as shadow minister for women and equalities. In September 2015 Gloria became shadow minister for young people and voter registration.


business network December 2016/January 2017 21


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