1. Connect Dacorum Corporate Social Responsibility Presented by Jeoff Colls

2. Tips on getting help from Businesses Nominate a person who will be a contact for the business Prepare a brief and easily handleable literature about what you want to do and how you want to do it. Be clear about what you want from the business i.e. support, funding, freebies, people to help you etc When writing to a business always address to a named person. Follow up your letter with a phone call a few days later. Attend as many networking meetings as possible. Contact the Corporate Social Responsibility project in your area; Connect Dacorum for the Dacorum area. There are similar projects in Stevenage, Waltham Cross and St Albans. Business in the Community may be able to help. Good luck and keep trying!

3. Ways You Can Help Give a Gift – Raffle prizes, redundant office equipment and furniture, use of meeting rooms, etc.

5. More Examples of giving a gift Ashridge College gives office furniture and equipment to 12 local charities Premier Travel Inn donates a weekend for two as a raffle prize for Woodfield School PSA. Grass Roots Group gives office chairs and tables to 3 local charities.

6. Giving Financial Donations Sponsorship, events, social evenings, employee and company donations. DCT will even take over your annual company donation workload.

8. More Examples of Financial Donations Grass Roots Group sponsors the Paradise Furniture van. BSI raise money through a dress down day to sponsor Woodfield School. Dacorum Chamber of Commerce raise £500 from a raffle at their golf day tournament and donate it to Connect Dacorum.

9. Volunteering Volunteering – Individual and company based volunteering opportunities. Team Building Challenges

11. More Examples of Volunteering Travis Perkins, Premier Travel Inn, and Wicks take up team build challenges with local charities. Several Dacorum companies give their staff 1 to 5 days off per year to volunteer. Senior employees of Pickworths, DSG International and Blue Touch Technologies become trustees of 3 local charities.

12. Employ a Disabled or Disadvantaged Person Employ a disabled or disadvantaged person either full time, part time or on work experience.

14. More Examples of Employment of Disadvantaged persons Blue Touch Technologies offer work experience to disadvantaged persons. Job Centre Plus offers companies a 15 day work trial. Apollo London give two apprenticeships to local lads.

15. Become More Environmentally Friendly Recycle your office paper through the Apsley Paper Trail. Be aware of savings to your companies utility bills and the environment.

16. More Environmental Opportunities RES in Kings Langley promotes the ultimate in environmental efficiency. Several Dacorum companies have achieved ISO14001 status. Dacorum Green Business Club is there to help you become more environmentally friendly.

17. Offer Technical Support Be proud of your excellence, offer your expertise in Marketing, IT, Law, Finance, etc to a start up company or to a local charity.

19. More Technical Support. M & V Ltd of Boxmoor refurbish old IT equipment and then donate it to local charities.

20. What’s in it for You Invitation to 4 free networking conferences per year. 4 Newsletters per year. Free promotion of your CSR activities. Possible financial help for employing disadvantaged persons. Improved staff moral, enhanced reputation and positive PR. Offered first team build free plus others at £250. Regular list of CSR opportunities within the community. An opportunity to offer gifts and services to local charities. Savings on Environmental issues.

21. Membership The first year is free The second and subsequent years are based on the number of full time employees that the company has working in the Dacorum area. Subscriptions are paid to Community Action Dacorum (formerly DCVS) and hence are free of corporation tax.

22. Example: A company with 11 to 50 full time employees would pay £250 per year, which is £175 after tax and equivalent to just £15 per month.

23. Finally Think about your social contribution Would you like to do more ? If the answer is yes, then join Connect Dacorum Contact Jeoff Colls on 01442 228216 or 07933 021115 or e-mail him on jeoff.colls@dacorum.gov.uk jeoff.colls@dacorum.gov.uk or join on line at www.connectdacorum.org.ukwww.connectdacorum.org.uk