The Business Awards 2007 finalists - Corporate Social Responsibility

Apr 22 2008 By The Journal

Regional sponsor Greggs plc

TEES VALLEY

Winner: Corus Teesside Cast Products

Teesside Cast Products’ CSR policy actively supports its employees, improvements in the environment and education.

In the past two years, Corus has invested £200m in improving its energy efficiency across its operations and will spend a further £100m a year in the next two years on energy efficiency and increasing levels of on-site generation of electricity.

It has donated more than £35,000 to local charities and holds its annual Steel Gala, which attracted 12,000 people last year. Now called the Teesside Steel Family Festival, this year’s event takes place on Sunday, July 6, at Redcar Rugby Club.

Runners-up: Cummins. Renew Tees Valley.

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TYNESIDE AND NORTHUMBERLAND

Winner: Shared Interest Society:

THERE can be few more exemplary companies in the CSR stakes in the region than Shared Interest.

The group is a co-operative lending society which aims to reduce poverty in the world, by providing fair and just financial services.

It started life in 1990 and today has around 8,400 members who have invested more than £20m.

The Newcastle-based firm uses the pooled savings of its members to facilitate fair trade.

It works with fair trade businesses all over the world, both producers and buyers, providing credit to enable producers to be paid in advance and to help fair trade develop.

In the year to September 2007 the value of its direct lending to overseas producers increased by 49% to £2m.

In the same period members invested a net £1.2m (6%) in new share capital, bringing its total share capital to more than £21.7m.

Runners-up: Muckle LLP. Foundry Media.

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DURHAM AND WEARSIDE

Winner: The Gentoo Group.

THE Gentoo Group of Sunderland, formerly the Sunderland Housing Group, was launched in 2001 to act as a housing and regeneration business.

It develops a mixture of homes for sale and rent, such as its Leafields site in Southwick, Sunderland, where more than 300 properties – including a retirement village – are being constructed in six phases. The new homes and amenities are being built alongside a new school with the aim of regenerating the area by creating a thriving community.

The group had a turnover of £104.6m in 2006/7 and owned more than 30,000 properties with a value of almost £820m. Currently, it employs around 1,700 after taking on a number of new staff in the last couple of months.

Runners-up: Elddis Transport (Consett) Ltd. Hall Construction Services Ltd, Rushyford