Thanks to Geoff Hill of Redbridge Chamber who took up our request for a 2017 message on the benefits of business and community partnerships. We are looking forward to hearing the nominations for the Mayors ‘Best Business Contribution to the Community‘ award and are actively seeking ideas and stories about business/community cooperation.
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is a useful concept whereby businesses “put something back” into the community. CSR is frequently a catchphrase for volunteering programmes and other charitable activities undertaken by corporations and very large business organisations. Redbridge Chamber of Commerce supports this type of CSR, but the Chamber also represents the many small and medium sized businesses that strive and thrive in and around the borough. For these businesses, CSR has a more personal and up-close meaning: local companies are integral to the communities in which they are based and have real impacts and importance to them.
Frequently the health of local business is indicative of the well-being of the community; if the businesses are doing well this is reflected in a thriving community with local organisations and activities and a sense of being part of a neighbourhood. For example, Hainault Business Park has worked hard, not just to make the industrial area better, but to work with the local community and schools to really become a part of the area, not a separate entity. Local shops and businesses across the various High Streets in Redbridge are crucial elements of each neighbourhood and may succeed or decline along with their local communities.
The message for 2017 for all Redbridge enterprises, large, small or micro, must be to become engaged with the life of the local and wider community because they make up the customers, workforce and neighbours who support out thriving business community.
2017 may prove to be a challenging year: Redbridge businesses and Redbridge residents can rise to the challenge together.
Geoff Hill, Chair, Redbridge Chamber
And to start 2017 in the right spirit, here is a video of our August entrepreneur clubs held at Mont Rose College in Ilford and the offer from Bilal Sheikh of Mont Rose College to give free room hire to community groups.
Please do get in touch with other initiatives and ways Redbridge can capitalise on CSR goodwill. Here is a blog about Amey that is keen to engage with Redbridge community groups 🙂
With very big thanks to all these speakers who put in 120 quality hours into Sophia Hubs’ 
Sophia Hubs Redbridge 07707 460309 