PRCA Midlands Group & CIPR event: Risk, reputation, and responsibility - Recognising the value of good CSR

Event Overview

Today's consumers hold companies to a higher standard – and increasingly, potential recruits are looking beyond profit and success and judging companies on whether they operate responsibly to address social and environmental issues. For many, that’s a deal breaker.

But what is good CSR? And how many organisations have consistency across communications and CSR, with a truly joined up approach towards articulating their values and acting responsibly?

We’ve asked representatives from the public, private and charity sector to share their experience. The full line up is still to be confirmed but the event will be Chaired by Midlands Insider editor Kurt Jacobs and will involve presentations followed by Q&As.

This event has been arranged jointly by the PRCA and CIPR.

Speakers:

Barrie Hodge: Head of Fundraising and Communications at St Basils

Barrie has worked with St Basils for the last two years. Prior to that, he’s spent most of his career working in commercial radio, producing shows across the UK. He has a vast amount of experience in communications and his passion is developing partnerships to tackle the increasing crisis of homelessness in the region. 

Andy Holding: Corporate Responsibility Manager at Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport has one of the largest community impacts of any UK airport, with tens of thousands of people living beneath its flightpaths. For more than 20 years, Andy has been closely involved in developing a wide-ranging CSR agenda, addressing issues surrounding environmental impact, education, employment and community investment.  For him the CSR challenge is about maximising the economic and social benefits of aviation while minimising its impact on local communities and the environment – and all in a highly visible setting where stakeholders are many and everyone has a view.

Jonathan Fortnam: Partner at Pinsent Masons

Jonathan is based in Birmingham and in 2008 was the vision behind ‘Starfish’, Pinsent Masons’ corporate responsibility programme which is focused throughout its international network on ‘Inspiring Young Lives’. Starfish was BITC’s 2009 National Example of Excellence in Education and has in the last nine years been actively engaged in a variety of activities ranging from reading support in local schools to supporting a programme to get more girls in the Rajasthan state of India into school. Jonathan’s current corporate responsibility interests are around what it means to be a responsible business of purpose to each of its stakeholder groups.