Community and Contributions News Round-Up (Issue 95)
October 03, 2007
Strategy for youth
The government announced its Strategy for Youth Services, part of the policy review for children and young people, on July 26. The announcement coincided with a meeting between prime minister, Gordon Brown, and a group of teenagers from Make Space, a campaign run by 4Children, the charity dedicated to creating opportunities for children. During the hour-long specially convened ‘youth cabinet’, which was supported by Nestlé, matters such as crime and anti-social behaviour, youth activities and community relations were discussed.
Data, collected by the Make Space Youth Review, showed 7 out of 10 of the 16,000 teenagers interviewed believed young people got involved in crime because of boredom and/or lack of something better to do. Funded by unclaimed bank assets, the Strategy for Youth Services review is aimed at ensuring better facilities are available for young people and that in future they have more of a say in how money is spent on them.
The Corporate Responsibility Group has signed up its 100th member – InterfaceFLOR, a company specialising in carpet tile for homes and businesses. CRG is a UK-based corporate responsibility networking group and provides a platform for corporate responsibility practitioners to share information and ideas with their counterparts in different business sectors. It was started in 1987 and is this year celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Accenture, the global management consultancy firm, has provided $1.5m to Enablis Entrepreneurial Network – a Canadian not-for-profit organisation that supports entrepreneurs in the developing world. The money will help Enablis to support entrepreneurs in Africa with the view to extend the NGO’s work in South Africa to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Enablis aims to help entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses that support their local communities. The firm continues to provide consulting services to Enablis.
Coca-Cola Enterprises has become a principle supporter of the International Business Leaders Forum. Coca-Cola Enterprises is the world’s largest marketer, producer and distributor of Coca-Cola products.
Corporations can either be principal, council or programme supporters. Principal supporters play a higher profile role in the IBLF communications programme and can play a more direct role in the organisational governance.
The Vodafone UK Foundation announced on August 10 that it is encouraging giving at a local level by donating £500,000 through Vodafone retail stores over the next three years. The money will be used by each store in their local community to promote fundraising and charitable giving with the goal of ‘unlocking the potential in young people’. Each of Vodafone’s 15 retail regions are being invited to apply for grants in January 2008.
According to a survey published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy on August 20, total corporate giving from over 80 of the top US businesses has risen from $3.5bn in 2005 to $3.8bn in 2006. Despite being a 6% increase it falls short of the previous year’s growth. However, most of the companies surveyed said they were planning to raise the amount they give to charity by more than 3%.
The Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland is contributing £1.4m to 95 charities across Scotland including £400,000 to support Scottish charities working overseas in countries such as Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria and Peru. www.ltsbfoundationforscotland.org.uk
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