Responsible Business Week 2016 April Calling for businesses, their employees and partners to come together to show how they are turning ambition into positive action for a fairer society and a more sustainable future.

Business in the Community What happened in 2015? RBW conversation Over 200 companies and 65 not-for-profit organisations and thousands of people got involved We reached 8.5 million people via Twitter with #RBWeek #RBWeek trended on Twitter at No.5 in the UK Our RBWeek message reached a combined audience of 38 million via print & broadcast media.

Business in the Community What happened in 2015? RBW conversation

Business in the Community Why get involved in 2016? Using the Responsible Business Week as a platform can help you to: Demonstrate your commitment to the responsible business movement Make connections with new community partners, suppliers, future employees, and customers Discover fresh ideas, disruptive new thinking and practical action that you can trial in your business Communicate with your most important stakeholders about your future ambitions and get them on board Talk to your employees about your corporate purpose, sustainability targets, volunteering activities Associate your brand with Responsible Business Week and Business in the Community Learn about how other businesses have tackled environmental or social issues or challenges Celebrate and recognise all those who’ve helped your business be a force for good Use the reach and recognition of the Week to amplify your responsible business stories

Business in the Community What’s the big idea for 2016? At Business in the Community, we know that businesses are already putting extraordinary ideas into action all over the world. Ideas that are improving the way business works, making workplaces better and helping communities thrive – ideas that are ultimately driving positive changes throughout our economies, ecosystems and neighbourhoods. We also know that ideas get better when shared. Ideas for putting responsible business into action can only get better by being shared further, refined, tested, challenged and built upon. The really good, change-making ideas grow most through use by others and an idea shared can be a call for collaboration. Sharing ideas to help move from ambition to action.

Business in the Community This Responsible Business Week, we’re calling on your organisation, whether a business, NGO or university, to run an event or activity that helps share great ideas and inspire positive action. That’s why… Responsible Business Week is our collective opportunity to shine a light on how businesses can be a powerful force for good. Organisations take part by hosting events and running activities for their employees, leaders, communities, partners and the wider public to share and exchange ideas, demonstrate what they are doing and inspire others to take action. From learning circles, forums and debates with business leaders and employees, to community brainstorms, pop-up social enterprise markets and topical webinars, the Week is your chance to highlight what responsible business means to your organisation and make it real for your key audiences.

Business in the Community How you can take part? You can run any kind of event or activity for the Week, large or small, online or real-life. Your event could be a topical webinar, a workshop to tackle a challenge, a creative exhibition, a thought leadership forum, an online debate, a community brainstorm or networking session, a pop-up community market, learning circles for suppliers, inspiring talks, a research launch or a local business collaboration day. Think about involving your suppliers, employees, community or school partners, industry partners, competitors, new recruits, neighbours or customers. Event & Activities Innovative corporate-community partnerships | employee wellbeing activities | customer engagement campaigns | energy-saving ideas | zero-waste initiatives | school partnerships | social enterprises | approaches to workforce diversity | environmental regeneration projects | creative fundraising ideas | skilled volunteering activities | business collaborations | water stewardship projects | mentoring young people | apprenticeship programs | brand purpose. Your event could help share ideas about: This is your chance to make Responsible Business Week your own.

Business in the Community What your event could focus on? Some events will lift the curtain on the latest innovations, others will get vocal on community impact, some will shine a light on the people making responsible business happen and others will bring together local community groups to generate new ideas for working together. Whatever you do, by running an activity for Responsible Business Week you’ll be helping inspire others to join the movement. Employees: Talk about an issue that’s important to your business, bring in an inspiring speaker, tap into your employees’ creativity and generate new ideas, run a sustainability challenge, celebrate your achievements, bring employees together to brainstorm and debate. Community: Invite local organisations to a “Community Brainstorm” - an opportunity for local businesses and charities to discuss local challenges and how companies could help. Neighbours: Do your neighbours know about your responsible business initiatives? Invite them to join you to learn about how you are supporting local education, reducing your waste or energy usage, or addressing unemployment in your area and inspire them to take action. Suppliers: Come together with other businesses to identify the challenges you all share, cascade ideas for best practice and spark new initiatives. Talk with your suppliers about your sustainability targets or showcase the responsible business programmes they could get on board with. Partners: Work with partners to create an inspiring event to mark the Week. Use the opportunity to celebrate your achievements and raise the profile of your partnerships or invite your school or community partners in for a collaboration with staff to generate new ideas. Why not bring together your…

Business in the Community How else you can take part? Conversation I’m in! Online Launching in early 2016, the Responsible Business Week online hub will unite everyone involved. Sign up as a supporter, register your activities, download helpful tools and materials, get your blog or other content profiled, and connect with all the inspiring activity generated during the week. Everything being said and read during the Week about business as a force for good – make sure your voice is part of it. Responsible Business Week is a perfect platform to share good news with the media, start a conversation on social media and share blogs, videos or infographics that help capture and spread good ideas. Whether your organisation is a BITC member, a Responsible Business Award winner, a charity, a school or any business doing good, we’ll provide an easy way for you to show that you’re part of this movement. The bigger our collective voice, the more responsible business will be recognised as a powerful force for good.

Business in the Community Tell all your colleagues that it’s Responsible Business Week and use the week to communicate what responsible business means to your organisation Say thank you to colleagues with our Business in the Community lapel badges.Business in the Community lapel badges. Run internal communications to let employees know about your positive impact on the community and environment Encourage employees to write, tweet or post about what makes your business a force for good Take your people out to see your community projects Create opportunities for employees to get together and brainstorm, learn and discuss Other ways to support the Week … Share a good news story with your local media Shine a spotlight on your achievements through your internal and external communications channels; Award wins, CR Index status, targets reached. Write a blog series about the issues your business is concerned about and how you’re taking action Use Twitter to lead a conversation or Q&A about the issues that your business cares about Share photographs and films that showcase your positive impact on social media Put forward a spokesperson from your organisation who can speak publically as an ambassador for RBweek Make it visible - show that you’re part of the responsible business movement by displaying your BITC ‘planter’ icon and displaying RBWeek posters and graphics Go open-source - put a responsible business idea into the public domain that others can adopt, adapt, refine, cross- pollinate or cascade further afield or scale up Influence - Ask your suppliers or partners to get involved, join your activities, do the Responsible Business Check- up or get involved with a BITC programme Engage employees: Speak out: Special actions:

Business in the Community Support from BITC and Next Steps BITC will help you deliver your activity (after you register): We will: 1.Provide the BITC Planter icon, either the members version or others are available for companies such as Award Winners, CR Index participants and other partner organisations 2.Provide Responsible Business Week digital and print assets for use in your own communications and at your event/s 3.Supply the Responsible Business Week Toolkit and event “how-to” guide (available in November) 4.Deliver bespoke support (depended on demand and only upon request). BITC will also help promote your activity: We will: 1.Provide a listing of your event on the Responsible Business Week calendar 2.Include your activity in communications to BITC members and other audiences while promoting the calendar of events 3.Tweet & profile via other social media channels 4.Publish your blog/content submissions on the campaign website (subject to conditions) 5.Drive wider awareness of the Week through media coverage and advertising. 1.Think about who: Who you will communicate, connect and share ideas with. 2.Think about what: What are the issues, initiatives, challenges that you want to bring people together around? 3.Think about how: How can you make your activity interactive, thought provoking and focused on sharing ideas? Let us know you’re taking part: Speak to your Corporate Advisor if you’re in membership or use the contact detail on the final page to get in touch. Let us know what you’re planning so we can add it to the official calendar and help spread the word across our networks and audiences – we’d love to hear from you! Next Steps:

Business in the Community Save the Date! Use this image to help spread the word:

Business in the Community If you would like to discuss further, please get in touch: Lauren Stern | Senior Marketing Manager Stuart Whinney | Senior Marketing Manager