Community

Faber Maunsell is an integral part of the society in which it operates and, as an ethical company, we recognise that we have a moral obligation to contribute a proportion of our resources, both financial and human, to charitable and community initiatives.

Our core purpose is 'to create a better environment in which to live and work'. The idea of providing a better environment for the future has led us to the view that young people should be the primary focus for our Corporate Community Strategy.

This strategy brings together three strands: large-scale support for adopted national charities associated with young people, direct support for schools near to our offices, and corporate support and encouragement for staff who, in their own time, are involved in local community-related initiatives. We have adopted Business in the Community's millennium standard which requires companies to contribute a minimum of 1% of their annual pre-tax profit to charities and community projects. As an organisation, Faber Maunsell consistently exceeds this benchmark.

Adopted charities

For the past five years, our national charity has been the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), together with its sister organisations Children 1st (in Scotland) and ISPCC (in Ireland). This decision followed a company-wide consultation process in which these three related charities received the most nominations from staff. Donations to each of the three charities reflect our level of involvement in their respective areas.

The NSPCC has told us that, while public donations are clearly welcome, regular corporate giving is particularly effective in helping to support its operations as this gives the organisation the opportunity to plan ahead. Our support for the NSPCC has brought us into contact with other companies who are supporting the charity. We have taken a proactive role in bringing together like-minded companies to form Business Groups in order to provide corporate support to the NSPCC. We have already established - and actively support - Business Groups in Hertfordshire, Manchester and Edinburgh.

For 2007, we will also be working with other major companies to support CRASH, the construction industry's charity for the homeless. As a patron of CRASH, we will support the charity through cash donations, the provision of expert professional advice and by encouraging staff to become involved in local CRASH projects.

We are also an Executive Founder Member of Grove House Hospice in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Grove House offers support and guidance to cancer sufferers and provides over 10,000 free consultations annually; as an Executive Founder Member, we provide them with support, publicity, and sponsorship.

Last Christmas, as well as donations to our supported charities, we also donated £10,000 to ten charities chosen following a vote by staff. Right across the British Isles, staff voted for their particular chosen charity before a shortlist was drawn up from those receiving the most votes. The final list of charities was: Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, WaterAid, Alzheimer's Society, RSPCA & Scottish RSPCA, Diabetes UK, British Heart Foundation, RNLI, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research.

Schools and communities

Efforts to establish and strengthen links with schools close to our offices have been maintained throughout the year. As well as financial support, we provide staff resources to help with projects, mock interviews, work experience and career advice. We encourage schools to approach us whenever they feel we may be able to help.

Many of our staff are involved in community initiatives outside work in their own time. We recognise and support their efforts by providing grants for specific purchases. Staff involvement in community initiatives has increased during the year. Under this scheme, staff members involved in community work can approach the company for a grant on behalf of their chosen community group. The amount of funding given to a grant application will reflect not only the nature of the community activity itself but also the level of active involvement by the staff members.

Staff involved in sponsored charity events can also apply to the company for sponsorship. Specific funding is set aside each year to support staff raising funds for charity by taking part in events such as the London Marathon.

Management Approach

As a foundation member of The Centre for Tomorrow's Company, we adhere to the principles that it promotes, namely that corporate activity should be managed with due consideration to the organisation's relationships with key stakeholder groups.

Our community strategy is subject to periodic review to ensure that our efforts are aligned with the needs of the communities in which we operate, and that they also accord with the principle of fairness that guides our decisions. Our community work is an integral part of the EFQM Excellence Model which sets the framework for the overall development of our business.