Mark Topley highlights best practice in corporate social responsibility from around the UK
The Campbell Clinic (TCC) is a dental referral practice in West Bridgford, Nottingham, owned by Colin Campbell (a name that will be familiar to many readers, I’m sure).
With a team of 30 dentists, nurses and support staff, the practice has been doing some elements of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for a few years.
In recent years, the practice has partnered with Bridge2aid, as well as The Friary, a homeless project in Nottingham. The team also donated 1% of turnover to a charity fund and run an annual fundraising ball.
The brief
Colin wanted to draw together the practice’s current CSR elements into a cohesive strategy and add in the aspects he knew it was missing.
I worked with Colin and his team to fix the disconnection between policy, practice and engagement in the current CSR strategy.
After discussing its current CSR position, roadblocks, vision for the business, and the underpinning values, we created a new ‘social legacy’ strategy to maximise impact for:
• Causes they care about
• The local community
• Staff and clients
• The environment.
A charity and community team was formed, and a CSR champion was appointed. This group now implements much of the strategy, supported by me on a monthly basis.
Commitments
The clinic has made a three-year commitment to its chosen causes, which include three local charities covering homelessness, domestic abuse and child bereavement, as well as Bridge2aid. The team has also committed to providing opportunities for young people to access work experience placements, and to assist with financial support during work experience when needed.
The business will continue to donate 1% of turnover to its social legacy fund and will continue to host the annual Campbell Giving Ball (next event in November). The team will also organise a range of fundraising events throughout the year to fund work experience and local community projects not chosen as its official charity partners.
To support community programmes, and encourage community involvement among staff, TCC has added two days of paid leave for each member of its team to volunteer at a charity of their choice.
Strategy is communicated through a new page on its website and woven into social media, patient newsletters and PR. The commitments, plan, progress and activities surrounding the strategy are built into a communications dashboard, which is updated for the team each month.
Through all the elements of the plan, TCC showcases its commitment to its local community, good causes, staff and clients, creating a strong CSR strategy. Thumbs up!
