Business in the Community Scotland

Welcome to our latest autumnal newsletter, with updates on how our network is accelerating responsible business across Scotland. Click below to learn more about the work that’s making a difference in our communities! Grab a cuppa and be inspired.

Fantastic event yesterday with our partners Community Planning Aberdeen, where they shared details on the city's refreshed Local Outcome Improvement Plan and presented continuing opportunities for businesses to support and drive real impact in the local community.     Speakers shared inspiring examples of how businesses - working alongside partners - are already delivering successful community projects.    Our Director, Louisa Macdonell, highlighted the opportunities ahead for businesses to get involved in our Aberdeen Place project, building on the existing partnership with Community Planning Aberdeen to bring the public, third, and private sectors together to drive greater collective impact in #Aberdeen.    If you are an organisation with a presence in Aberdeen and are passionate about making a real difference in the city, please contact us to find out how you can get involved! Georgia Watson / [email protected] Anne Johnstone Leanne Duncan Rhonda Miller Steve Shearman Tanita L. Addario, Mike Melvin

We’re delighted to celebrate one of our pioneering members, OVO in Glasgow, as the first employer to participate in the innovative ‘Revive and Thrive' returner programme, which supports women returning to work post-menopause.   This initiative demonstrates their commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all, which we fully support. 👇 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eJ27-tPk Louise Bailey Kirsteen Sommerville Morna Ronnie

Climate action is no longer optional - it's imperative. As COP29 Azerbaijan unfolds, we're here on the ground, gathering diverse insights from businesses, policymakers and climate activists from across the world to ensure that when we return, we can challenge and support our members in making “just” a core part of their climate strategies. Finance will be a major theme of this year's discussions, which are an opportunity to raise the ambition of creating a just transition to net zero. We’re committed to bringing these perspectives back to help our members. Ready to get started? Download our ‘Seven Steps to Climate Action’ toolkit and join us in creating a just, resilient, #NetZero future for all: https://lnkd.in/eJUiiZVY #ResponsibleBusiness #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #COP29

🌍 Did you know that nearly a quarter of CEOs now view #biodiversity as the emerging focus in #ESG, according to our latest report, "Lifting up the UK: State of the Nation 2024"? While building resilience to environmental challenges is crucial, it can often seem daunting. 💡That's why we've created a free factsheet to help demystify nature and biodiversity concepts and their impact on organisational resilience. Download our factsheet today to: ✅ Master key definitions for nature-related terms ✅ Explore real-world examples of how weakened biodiversity affects business resilience ✅ Kickstart your organisation's nature stewardship strategy Empower your business with essential knowledge. Download the factsheet today: https://lnkd.in/eD6Vj9uU

What a fantastic day at our Championing Responsible Business event! We gathered our members and key partners to reflect on our 2024 collaborations and to discuss promoting #ResponsibleBusiness across Scotland.   Thanks to Judith Cruickshank, Chair of BITC Scotland Board, for opening the event. Angela Halliday led our first session on #SocialMobility with support from Laura Pearson, Danny Davis, Wendy Golden CMIIA, and Lindsay Cramond, focusing on business opportunities in this area.   Our keynote speaker, Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister, emphasised the role of responsible businesses in a thriving Scottish society. She was joined by Caroline Colliston, Padraig McCloskey, Sheelagh Cooley, and Jill Henderson, who provided insights on supporting staff and communities.   We concluded with a discussion on Place-based business collaboration across Scotland, led by Steven Henderson, who introduced Malcolm Dunn and Vince Thurlby - both of whom have committed to being stakeholders in BITC’s Glasgow Place project.   Our Chief Executive, Mary Macleod, shared our achievements in Place-based initiatives, and in her closing remarks, Jo Dow encouraged attendees to connect with fellow BITC members for support.   We invite everyone to complete our Social Mobility questionnaire: https://lnkd.in/du6hHzDF   Please reach out to [email protected] to get involved in BITC Scotland’s Place-based work in Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Kirkcaldy.   A huge thank you to Lloyds Banking Group for their support! James MacKenzie Marc Pawson Mairi McInnes Gary Gillespie Adam Lovelock Martine Williamson

This #LifelongLearningWeek, our Employment & Skills Officer, Farhath Choudhury, highlights the importance of #upskilling in today’s evolving work environment. As businesses face challenges like the shift to a #NetZero future and the rise of #AI, investing in employee skills from all socio-economic backgrounds is essential for growth and prosperity. Read the full blog to discover how we can support your upskilling initiatives: https://lnkd.in/eH7ds5_r #LifelongLearning #EssentialSkills #GreenSkills

The rising cost of living has severely impacted many in the UK, with Black, Asian, Mixed Race, and other ethnically diverse employees disproportionately affected, highlighting the urgent need to address workplace inequality. In her latest blog, our Race Director Sandra Kerr calls on employers to take action now by ensuring fair pay and equal opportunities for all. https://lnkd.in/exEJ7NaR By committing to the real #LivingWage and providing Living Hours, businesses can make significant strides towards closing the ethnicity pay gap. This #NationalLivingWageWeek, discover how you can contribute to creating a more equitable workplace for everyone. #LivingWageWeek #RaceAtWork

📺 Our Job Coaching programme truly changes lives. We train volunteers from UK businesses as employment coaches, offering one-to-one support to jobseekers. In this video, Sam Pennington, a corporate lawyer at Lewis Silkin, shares his experience helping William, a former public sector leader. After facing job rejections, William sought assistance to rebuild his confidence, and Sam found the experience both enriching and impactful. Discover the life-changing impact of our Job Coaching programme and learn how your business can get involved: https://lnkd.in/e9a7eBar #JobCoaching #wellbeing #ResponsibleBusiness

At the start of this year, we launched a Social Mobility Working Group, chaired by Angela Halliday from Sodexo UK and Ireland, bringing together leaders from our member organisations to drive meaningful progress in social mobility.     While we’ve made good progress together, we know there’s always more to do - and we want to hear from you!    We’d love if you’d share your insights and tell us what actions your organisation is taking to support social mobility. Your experiences and ideas are invaluable in helping us shape practical recommendations for impactful change.    Please take a moment to complete our quick questionnaire and be part of the journey: https://lnkd.in/e5C3d5Cu or get in touch if you want to get involved! The deadline for the questionnaire is Friday 22nd November. If you have any questions, please email Georgia Watson: [email protected]    Thank you! Wendy Golden CMIIA, Iain McClay, Laura Pearson, Mairi McInnes, Steven Jolly, Sheelagh Cooley, Mark Darley (He /Him), Danny Davis, James Brandon (He/Him), Lindsay Cramond, Rosemary Mooney Rhonda Miller #SocialMobility #ResponsibleBusiness