Senior Perspective - Nick Wright

Managing Director, Corporate Responsibility and Community Affairs
UBS

Describe yourself in five words
Family man with great job.

Why does a community involvement programme make sense for your business?
They are key components in strategies to manage reputation; develop employee engagement and a values driven culture as well as demonstrate the place of business within society. It is arguable that such concerns have never been higher on the private sector agenda than right now.

What has been the most rewarding aspect for you?
A combination of intellectual challenge; working in and through teams and genuinely helping make a measurable positive difference.

How do you justify your programme to the sceptics?
It is managed and overseen by the business to deliver real benefits to UBS, as well as the wider community.

Where would you like to see your programme in five years time?
As a collaborative programme that has set new standards and through full and strategic corporate integration, achieved extraordinary impact and benefit.

Senior Perspective - Eileen Taylor

Global Head of Diversity
Deutsche Bank

Describe yourself in five words
Energetic, motivated, but sometimes impatient.

Why does a community involvement programme make sense for your business?
To give employees a more balanced view of the world we live in and challenge the way we think.

What has been the most rewarding aspect for you?
The people I have met.

How do you justify your programme to the sceptics?
Take them to see it.

Where would you like to see your programme in five years time?
On television.

Community Perspective - Marcia Samuels

Chief Executive
New Choices for Youth (NCY Trust)

Describe your organisation in five words
Charity for young people.

What is the biggest difference engagement with business has made to your organisation?
The level of support with HR and ICT issues we have received, which we were unable to access previously.

Top two tips for other community organisations developing links with business
Don’t be afraid to ask for help and to utilise the expertise that the business sector has to offer.

What is the biggest challenge you face currently?
The usual issue especially within the current financial situation. Re-tendering of contracts, new opportunities, lack of consortia approach from the sector and what is now a negative competitiveness developing within the sector.

Community Perspective - Rev'd Canon Ann Easter

Chief Executive Officer
The Renewal Programme

Describe your organisation in five words
Broad-based, collaborative, people-centred, empowering

What is the biggest difference engagement with business has made to your organisation?
Super Board members, bringing invaluable expertise, and the injection of energy and resources brought by teams doing a day’s challenge.

Top two tips for other community organisations developing links with business
Think about what you want and be clear when describing it to a prospective volunteer.

What is the biggest challenge you face currently?
Finding money to continue our less popular work, such as that with refugees and street-homeless people.

Volunteer Perspective - Rachelle Herman

Business Manager, FX and LM Trading, Citigroup

Describe your volunteering in five words
Motivating, fulfilling, challenging, eye-opening, thought provoking

What has been your ‘golden moment’ whilst volunteering?
Seeing the sense of achievement gained by one of the volunteers after completing the initial Future First Day. Oh and of course being nominated for an award!

How would you encourage your colleagues to get involved?
Draw people in for one-off events as a taster without asking for full, ongoing commitment. Give guidance and structure on to how the deal with students.

Volunteer Perspective - Mike Bedford

Accenture

Describe your volunteering in five words
Satisfying, unpredictable, fun, refreshing, rewarding.

What has been your ‘golden moment’ whilst volunteering?
As part of the event we run at Accenture we give the pupils a workbook to takeaway and reference later. I met one of the pupils who had attended an ELBA event some months later who told me how he still used the workbook. It was nice to know that the events aren't just a day out of normal classes for the kids and can have a persisting influence on their development.

How would you encourage your colleagues to get involved?
I would say just put a date in the diary, there are always too many demands on our time and there can be a feeling that it is not possible to squeeze these types of events in. However they are always great fun; refresh your perspective on things and a day of volunteering never results in the sky falling down on other obligations.