The government has called on business to help make its new Connexions service for young people a success. The scheme, launched June 5, will start nationally in Autumn 2001 and aims to reward 16-19 year-olds for staying in education. One feature will be a new Connexions ‘smart card’, offering discounts on train and bus fares, beef-burgers, driving lessons and haircuts for those in post-16 education or training. WH Smith, McDonalds, Coca-Cola and National Express are already said to be in negotiations about the scheme. The government also hopes to recruit more than 15,000 advisors to provide one-on-one mentoring for young people. Contact DfEE on 020 7925 5555 (http://www.connexions.gov.uk)
Liquid launch – by the British Soft Drinks Association
The British Soft Drinks Association has launched a liquids mean life educational website aimed at 11-16 year olds. The site, launched July 7, stresses the importance of fluids in diet and covers all aspects of producing, marketing and distributing soft drinks, including legislation and good practice which UK soft drinks manufacturers must meet. The site meets the needs of the national curriculum in areas such as food and design technology and aims to dispel myths about the industry. Contact Christine Milburn, BSDA, on 020 7430 0356
A-Z: The Alcohol Education Resource Directory is a new resource published on June 9 by the Portman Group, an industry organisation, to help teachers respond to the revised National Curriculum. The pack was researched and compiled with the help of teachers and health promotion specialists and includes useful contacts. It will also be made available on the Group’s website, with a facility for teachers to provide feedback on its value.
Efforts to target sensible drinking messages received a further boost on June 23, when the Group published the first tranche of its biggest ever survey of public attitudes to alcohol in the UK, carried out by MORI. Interviews with over 1,500 members of the public found that schools and parents are the most important sources of information about sensible drinking, 91% of people think that ID cards would help tackle underage drinking, and shock tactics are likely to be more effective than health warnings, particularly among the young. The Portman Group’s member companies include Diageo, Whitbread, Bass and Scottish & Newcastle. Contact Margaret Michie, Portman Group, on 020 7907 3709 (http://www.portman-group.org.uk)
New HSBC Education Trust
HSBC will develop its focus on education by creating a new £1 million HSBC Education Trust early in 2001. A chief executive was appointed on June 26 – Mary Richardson, principal of the convent of Jesus and Mary language college in Willesden. She will develop HSBC’s strategy and profile on business and finance education, and add language to the portfolio. Contact Richard Beck, HSBC, on 020 7260 6757 (http://www.hsbc.com)
Over the oceans, with Volvo
Volvo Ocean Adventure, a global internet-based environmental education programme for young people, has been launched as a tie-in to the Volvo Ocean Race, formerly known as the Whitbread Round the World Race. Volvo intends to provide school children with insights into environmental issues, especially those related to oceans and climates around the world. Contact Lis Williams, Volvo, on 01628 534 006 (http://www.volvo.com)
Community
Award winners for positive community impact
Business in the Community announced the winners of its annual Awards for Excellence on July 19, in association with the Financial Times. United Utilities won recognition for its overall impact on society, particularly for improving reliability of water supply and sea and river water quality, and for job creation and debt counselling. B&Q managed a double win, for environmental excellence (the first time this award has been presented) and for innovation in working with people with disabilities.
The increasing importance of cause-related marketing was highlighted by an award sponsored by Tesco: joint winners were Avon Cosmetics and Walkers Snacks with News International. The Avon Crusade against Breast Cancer raised over £6.5 million and has been replicated in 30 countries. Meanwhile the Walkers/News International promotion enabled 2.3 million books to be given to schools in 1999. Both Walkers and the Sun newspaper increased market share during the campaign. Other winners include BT for community investment, Lloyds TSB for diversity, ICL for partnership, Tate & Lyle for young people, BG for focused action on training for young offenders, and charity Merseyside ProHelp for social and economic regeneration.
Beyond the award-winners, BITC awarded an Impact Endorsement Mark to 21 corporate community investment programmes on June 28. The endorsement mark is given to programmes which have demonstrated real, effective impact for both business and community. Programmes recognised include initiatives from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Scottish Power, Asda, Diageo, Iceland and Centrica. A further fifteen companies were recognised for their commitment to social responsibility across core business areas. All were finalists in BITC’s Awards for Excellence. Contact BITC on 0870 600 2482 (http://www.business-impact.org)
Environment
Iceland / National Trust to strengthen organic farming
Supermarket chain Iceland announced that it will invest £1 million in the National Trust’s Whole Farm Planning programme, which helps tenant farmers develop organic and other environmentally friendly farming practices. The move, announced June 14, reinforces the company’s recent commitment to switch its own-brand frozen vegetable range to organic at no extra cost to the consumer. Iceland’s aim is to make organic food available to everyone, rather than a niche market for higher income groups. The move follows research among customers, over three quarters of whom said they would buy organic food if it cost the same. Currently less than three percent of British agricultural land is committed to organic production.
On June 16, campaigner Friends of the Earth published a survey ranking British supermarkets on affordable organic food, use of pesticides and GM-free meat and dairy products. Waitrose came top, followed closely by Iceland and Asda. Contact Jeanette Riley, Iceland, on 01224 842941 (http://www.iceland.co.uk); FOE on 020 7490 1555 (http://www.foe.co.uk)
PVC waste reduction commitment
Asda, CWS, Tesco and Waitrose joined with UK PVC manufacturers and Forum for the Future to produce an eco-efficiency code setting targets for continuous improvement in PVC manufacturing. Launched in April, the code was joined in June by an EU-wide industry commitment to a 10 year voluntary programme to reduce waste. The programme is expected to cost £250 million. Contact Mike Snell, PVC Information Council, on 01295 272288 (http://www.ramsay.co.uk/pvc/pvclinks.htm)
COMMENTS