All pledges

Economic pledges

Moderate

Ventures (Policy/Partnerships/Awards)

Set up or join your local business group to tackle local issues in partnership

Share senior management experience with a start-up business or participate in the Young Enterprise scheme (www.young-enterprise.org.uk)

Have a policy of sourcing from local suppliers wherever possible

Committing to recruit locally

Donate materials/resources to support classroom activities

Become a school governor

Support local schools/colleges by offering student awards for educational achievement

Promote employment in the region, by working with Local Authroity Partnerships

Development (Training/Team Building/Employability)

Take pre-16 year-old students on work experience placements (eg for a 2 week block)

Provide work tasters (eg in a block or day a week) for young people considering a specific career.

Participate in career days with/for local schools to help young people aspire to local job opportunities/careers

Offer the opportunity for staff to improve their literacy, language and numeracy skills

Provide disability awareness training to staff, to include positive messages around the employability and spending power of people with disabilities and new legislation (Disability Act 2004)

Train, develop and up skill staff to enable education acheivement of NVQ level 2 and above.

Achieve the national standard of good practice for the training and the development of your employees to achieve business goals, ie "Investors in People" status

Participate in the Shell STEP programme (www.step.org.uk) and provide project based work for undergraduates

Participate in the Young Chamber scheme with students(www.youngchamber.com) that helps connect business and education

Intermediate

Advanced

Environmental pledges

Moderate

Ventures (Policy/Partnerships/Awards)

Take steps to improve the environment outside your business premises and green-up your grounds (eg tree planting/hanging baskets)

Join in a local clean-up day

Have an environmental statement and publicise this to staff

Have an environment champion in your business to promote environmentally-responsible practices to staff

Publicise public transport route information to staff (eg direct links from your intranet site: www.wdbus.co.uk and www.yellowbuses.co.uk )

Conduct a staff travel survey

Introduce car-share incentive schemes (www.carsharedorset.com)

Provide secure bicycle parks for staff

Introduce a board-approved environmental management policy to measure, manage and minimise your organisation's environmental impact

Implement environmental management systems such as ISO 14001 or EMAS and set targets for reducing the amount of waste produced

Consider the origin of the materials and products purchased and increasing the number bought locally and from sustainably managed sources

Purchase renewable energy which is exempt from the Climate Change Levy

Have a green travel plan for all operations (staff travel to work/meetings/conferences and the delivery/collection of your goods/services)

Become Carbon Neutral by offsetting (www.treeappeal.com) and reducing you Carbon Footprint (www.carbonfootprint.com)

Waste (Reduction/Recycling/Energy)

Use low wattage lightbulbs

Turn down heating to cool rooms (instead of opening doors and windows)

Encourage use of water glasses at water fountains instead of using paper cups

SIGNAGE: to encourage people to use kettles efficiently (tea for two, boil water for two!), to remind people to turn off equipment (photocopiers, printers, monitors and computers) when not in use, with name & contact to report repairs in key areas (eg in kitchens to report dripping taps), 'switch off when you leave the room'

REDUCE PAPER USE: double sided printing and photocoping, re-use paper to make telephone pads, re-use envelopes, increase paper-free communication (greater use of the 'phone and email, 'Think before you print! Save paper - do you really need to print this email?' on email autosignatures)

Carry out an audit of gas, oil, electricity & water use, identify where reductions can be made & implement an action plan (aiming for a 10% minimum reduction)

Consolidate reports & publications to streamline production & distribution

Join a local waste minimisation scheme

RECYCLE: computer cartridges (www.cartridgeworld.org), mobile phones (www.envirofone.com), redundant computer kit (www.admiral-systems.com), redundant office furniture/equipment, waste paper

Introduce light controls that automatically switch-off when a room is not in use

Use paper from sustainable resources & print this on your documents to promote this approach to other companies

Contract with printing companies who use environmentally-friendly procedures/resources

Give Cash not Cards - instead of sending corporate christmas cards make donation to Charity and send an e-card.

Join the S.M.A.R.T Dorset Resource Efficiency Club http://www.dorsetbusiness.net/Page.aspx?pageID=15

Intermediate

Advanced

Social pledges

Moderate

Ventures (Policy/Partnerships/Awards)

Charitable Donations

Sponsor charity or community events.

Give time and/gifts in kind to support community events (eg local carnivals)

Provide incentive schemes for exercise-based fundraising activities (eg sponsor/match-fund employee participation in local fun runs)

Provide 'starter kits' to homeless charities to assist people affected by homelessness move in to supported accommodation

Recognise and celebrate your employees' achievements in the community by running an internal award scheme

Set up a partnership/project to promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Obtain Fair Trade status & promote the consumption of Fair Trade products.

Set up or provide help to run a service to support patients or vunerable people

Encourage employers to set-up employee-led fundraising events and to provide pound matching up to agreed individual limits.

Development (Training/Team Building/Employability)

Share senior management experience with not-for-profit organisations

Offer pro-bono professional expertise to disadvantaged individuals or a voluntary organisation

Channel team-building energies in to an activity which will leave a lasting benefit to the community (eg creating a sensory garden for children with disabilities)

Offer and promote payroll giving to employees

Install an in-house gym or negotiate a subsidised membership of a local gym/swimming pool for employees

Adopt new working arrangements to improve work-life balance (eg flexible working, staff crèche, job share)

Have a volunteering policy and promote this to employees to make it easier for them to give their time and expertise to support the local community (eg develop partnerships with voluntary organisations)

Provide a mentor/coach for local young people or someone in a charity

Join the management board/committee of a voluntary organisation

Provide sessions and support to staff who want to give up smoking

Host a Student Police Officer for 2 to 4 days to help identify and address any problems with crime that your business/community has

Intermediate

Advanced