Business in the Community defines a responsible business as one that puts creating healthy communities and a healthy environment at the centre of its strategy to achieve long-term financial value.
DWF believes that safeguarding its long term future is about profit with purpose and recognises that the more successful it becomes, the greater impact it can have as a force for good. If every business strives to be the best it can be in all areas as a responsible business, there will be a positive multiplier effect that will benefit society, the economy and the environment. Responsible business is at the heart of how DWF operates and delivering social value goes hand in hand with its financial and business ambitions.
Throughout the week, the business been showcasing it's contribution to responsible business through a sustained internal awareness campaign, celebrating the power of its people to make a difference and has been actively involved in external events to reinforce the contribution of business in helping build resilient communities.
DWF has also hosted a Community Conversation networking event which brought together business, the voluntary sector and local government. A key outcome from a Community Conversation is a commitment amongst participants to continue to work together and agreement on collaborative actions that can enable cross-sector responses to make a real difference.
This week DWF also published its second annual Communication on Progress report, which looks at how the business is working towards embedding the principles set out by the United Nations Global Compact. The Compact, of which DWF has been a signatory since 2016, challenges companies to consider how a responsible approach to human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption can be aligned to a business's operations, culture and strategic vision, with a view to becoming a responsible global business citizen.
DWF also signed up to the Social Mobility Pledge As a supporter, the business commit to partner with schools to provide coaching through quality careers advice, enrichment experience and mentoring to people from disadvantaged backgrounds or circumstances; provide structured work experience and/or apprenticeship opportunities to people from disadvantaged backgrounds or circumstances and adopt open employee recruitment practices which promotes a level playing field for people from disadvantaged backgrounds or circumstances. In 2018, DWF also took part in the Social Mobility Index that ranks Britain’s employers on the actions they are taking to ensure they are open to accessing and progressing talent from all backgrounds.
Ty Jones, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Engagement at DWF, said: "Responsible Business Week provides the opportunity for businesses to reflect on its practices which deliver the changes needed to build stronger and more resilient communities, which in turn are necessary for creating sustainable business growth. DWF is fully committed to challenging traditional ways of working in order to contribute to greater positive social and environmental change, and we encourage our people to take an active role in our wide range of volunteering, mentoring and charity initiatives that make a real difference to the communities in which we live and work."
