The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 2: Winter 2016/17 | Page 13

POSITIVE BUSINESS

Corporate social responsibility or CSR has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years , losing its true meaning and the real benefit of embracing it in your business . Research shows that firms who make a positive contribution to society see multiple benefits .

With company time being so precious , it ’ s OK to think ‘ what ’ s in it for me ?’, especially for sole-traders and start-up businesses , the thought of giving up precious time in the office can be a worrying thought , as much as you might want to help society and give something back .

Five reasons to do good things in your business :

1 ) Increased social awareness , brand authority and trust

2 ) Greater productivity – CSR is great for team building

3 ) Helps recruitment and employee retention – people want to be associated with an ethical employer

Royds Withy King cycled from London to Paris for Dorothy House Hospice Care

4 ) Strengthens professional network- a great way of meeting with other likeminded companies

5 ) Increases profitability-through brand recognition and customer loyalty

There are many ways you can give something back in 2017 , from organising a cake sale at work , to dress down or dress up days , competing in the Bath Half Marathon or doing something fearless like skydiving .

Bath Volunteer Centre is always looking for new volunteers if you have some spare time too . Visit : www . vol-centre . org . uk

From March 2016 - March 2017 , Dorothy House Hospice Care is celebrating providing 40 years of care in the region .

The Hospice , based in Winsley near Bradford on Avon was set up as a charity by Prue Dufour in her Bath home to care for patients living with a life-limiting illness and their community rather than in hospital . Dorothy House Hospice Care ( DHHC ) has since grown to offer a wide range of services in specialist palliative and end of life care .

Some of their funding comes from the NHS locally . The remainder comes from fundraising events , voluntary donations , legacies , DHHC shops and income from their educational programmes . The result is that their services are available free of charge to patients , families and carers .

Dorothy House covers an area of 700sq miles and the majority of their care is provided in the home and in the community . Alongside this , they have an inpatient unit in Winsley and also offer many services via two Outreach Centres , one in Trowbridge and the other in Peasedown St John .

Over 1,000 volunteers work together to achieve the best experience for everyone . The work of their volunteers is vital to the services they provide for patients , families and carers .

For every £ 1 donated from the NHS , Dorothy House has to raise £ 4 . It costs £ 1m a month to run the charity and it wouldn ’ t exist without the support of their fundraising , shops , income from their educational programmes and corporate donations .

Dorothy House is always looking for local businesses to get behind the charity in a number of ways . Through their planned fundraising events and challenges or choosing

them as their Charity of the Year . The Bath office of law firm Royds Withy King took an internal vote and chose Dorothy House as their designated charity for a twoyear period . Earlier this year as part of their fundraising activities they cycled from London to Paris . Talking about the importance of CSR , Royds Withy King , managing partner Graham Street said :

“ CSR has become an integral part of our culture , bringing people together and uniting teams and offices with a shared sense of purpose . It has also given us a point of difference and helped to make us an employer of choice , with many new recruits citing our commitment to community engagement as a key reason for wanting to join us . Our CSR is also a talking point among clients and contacts and gives us a distinct competitive advantage .” Things you can do to help : -Run for team Dotty ! Dorothy House is the official Vitality Bath Half Marathon 2017 local charity taking place on Sunday March 12 , 2017

• Bath Moonlight Walk

• Bubble Rush

• Cycle from London to Paris

• Swim the channel ( or in a pool )

• Trek to Machu Picchu

• Create your own unique event

To see a full list of challenges viit : www . dorothyhouse . org . uk or contact Henrietta Beard by email : henrietta . beard @ dorothyhouse-hospice . org . uk or call : 01225 721 480

Business against Poverty member profile :

Business against Poverty ( BaP ) is a local community of business people who care about the issues of poverty and ethical standards . They are taking action through their charity People against Poverty , based in Trowbridge .