New research launched this week shows six-out-of-ten businesses in the East Midlands have engaged in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity in the past year, with 40% of them looking to increase their involvement in the coming year.

The survey, carried out by the East Midlands Chamber*, involved 276 businesses. It found that, of those that undertook some form of CSR, the overwhelming drive behind it was a desire to ‘give something back’ to the local community, with 79% citing this as a primary reason.

Six-out-of-ten firms said they were driven by a desire to build stronger links with the local community and four-out-of-ten said they had a personal connection to the cause they were supporting.

However, others saw CSR as being a key tool in helping to support their continued business development and staff engagement. Forty-five per cent said that CSR helped them to build a stronger corporate profile and 38% said it helped with staff development.

The full findings of the research will be revealed at a regional summit being staged today by East Midlands Chamber, supported by Strategic Partner Ryley Wealth Management.

Commenting on the findings, Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at East Midlands Chamber, said: “At a time when traditional sources of funding and support continue to dry up for the charity sector, these findings underline the central role the private sector can play in supporting local communities.

“It’s really interesting to better understand the different drivers behind why businesses engage in CSR. While the majority view it as being ‘the right thing to do’, a significant number also see it as being a key part of their own business strategies.

“At a time when over 40% of UK adults already volunteer in some way, enabling staff to have the opportunity to engage in good causes will seem like a no-brainer for most businesses.”

The survey also explored the reasons why businesses don’t engage in CSR activity, with 60% of those not currently engaging saying they don’t have enough time or are too busy and 13% saying they’re unsure how to.

Chris added: “There’s definitely more work to be done to demonstrate the positive impact CSR can have on both businesses and charities alike, alongside the most effective ways of making the biggest impact, and this is what the conference is all about – bringing together charities and the private sector to understand what works well, where there are opportunities to do more and what role the Chamber and others can play to facilitate this happening.”

The Conference is being supported by Ryley Wealth Management. Founder and Chief Executive, David Ryley said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Chamber on this activity. CSR is something that I hold dear to my heart and it’s great to be able to bring together businesses and charities to share their experiences of what works best.

“The ultimate aim is to improve the amount and quality of engagement taking place across the East Midlands and Ryley Wealth is pleased to be able to do its bit to help in that.”

£1million is up for grabs in the Sheffield City Region (SCR) for businesses in rural industries to grow and boost the local economy.

Food processors, rural businesses that want to develop, and tourism infrastructure are all eligible to apply for the Growth Fund grants from the Rural Development Programme for England of £35,000 up to £500,000 – but must get an ‘Expression of Interest’ in by 31^st May.

And today businesses were urged to put forward their ideas by the City Region.

Priority projects for the SCR in the food processing sector include ideas for exporting, new techniques and processes, increasing productivity, and creating the equivalent of one full-time job for each £25,000 of grant.

In the business development area, it is also looking for ideas that allow farming ventures to diversify into non-agricultural activities, create new services and / or make new products.

And for tourism infrastructure grants the SCR will prioritise capital investments which create year-round work instead of seasonal jobs, create opportunities for the young and unemployed, bring more visitors to the area, create or develop infrastructure for outdoor activities, and create new or upgrade visitor accommodation.

The grants, which businesses have to put a proportion toward, are applied for on the website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/rdpe-growth-programme. The website carries clearly written information on applying including the type of grant available, who is eligible, and the Expression of Interest application form.

It says: “The main aim of the grant is to create jobs and growth in the rural economy. Tell us how your project will help do this. Sell us your idea. Explain really clearly what your project does and how it will benefit the economy.

“You have to show that there is real demand for what you want to do, or you’re unlikely to get a grant.”

Neil MacDonald, Chair of the SCR’s Business Growth Board, added: “Enterprise has always been at the heart of what we do in the City Region. For businesses that decide to apply, this funding could be invaluable in helping them grow.”

David Grimes, Head of the SCR’s business growth team, at the Growth Hub said today: “We have hundreds of exciting small rural businesses in this region, and they have lots of talent and fresh ideas. I really would urge any business owner out there to think about applying for a grant if you have an innovation or product that will create growth opportunities.

Chesterfield based Cathelco has won orders to supply equipment for a number of cruise and commercial vessels which are being built in European and Far East yards in the months ahead.

Impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems will be supplied for a total of five cruise vessels which are being built by Fincantieri in Italy.

One of the systems will be installed on the latest Princess Cruise vessel which is being purpose-built for the Chinese market with the capacity to accommodate 3,600 guests. The 143,000 grt ship, scheduled for delivery in 2019, will be identical to the Royal Princess, Regal Princess and Majestic Princess.

The Cathelco ICCP system, consisting of an arrangement of hull mounted anodes and reference electrodes wired to a thyristor control panel, will protect the wetted surface of the hull against corrosion. In operation, the reference electrodes measure the electrical potential at the hull/seawater ‘interface’ and send a signal to the control panel which automatically raises or lowers the output to the anodes. In this way, the hull receives the optimum level of corrosion protection at all times.

Cathelco are also supplying ICCP systems for two 135,500 grt cruise ships which Fincantieri are building for Costa Asia and P&O Cruises Australia.  The hulls of both vessels will be protected against corrosion with 200 amp forward systems and 400 amp stern systems.

Viking Ocean Cruises already have Cathelco ICCP systems installed on six of their latest ships ordered from Fincantieri. They have now ordered a further two vessels from the Italian builder which will be installed with ICCP equipment. The sister ships, scheduled for delivery in 2021 and 2022 will be of the same design as the current vessels with the capacity to accommodate 930 guests in 465 cabins.

In the commercial sector, Cathelco are supplying two types of systems for six 82,000 dwt bulk carriers which are to be built for Oldendorff Carriers by the Hantong Heavy Industries shipyard in China.

Each of the vessels will be installed with marine growth prevention systems (MGPS) to protect seawater pipework against biofouling and ICCP systems to safeguard the hulls against corrosion.

The MGPS systems consist of copper and aluminium anodes which are fitted in the seachests and wired to a control panel. In operation the copper anodes produce ions which flow through the pipework system and create an environment where the larvae of barnacles and mussels do not settle or grow. At the same time, ions from the aluminium anodes create an anti-corrosive layer on the internal surfaces of pipes.

Cathelco MGPS and ICCP systems will also be installed on four 38,800 dwt chemical tankers which are being built by HHI for Carl Buttner of Bremen for delivery between July 2018 and September 2019

Meanwhile, Brittany Ferries’ newest cruise ferry is to be built at the Flensburger yard in Germany. The vessel, named Honfleur, will be installed with a Cathelco ICCP system to protect the hull against corrosion. It will operate on the company’s busiest route from Portsmouth to Caen and is planned to enter service in spring 2019.

The number of people out of work in the East Midlands continues to be lower than the national average.

But figures released this morning by the Office for National Statistics confirms continuing uncertainty when it comes to recruitment.

Data collected by East Midlands Chamber in its quarterly economic survey for the last three months of 2017 showed that firms were having difficulty recruiting people with relevant skills at all levels.

Six-out-of-ten survey respondents said they’d had tried to recruit, with 58% of them saying they had struggled to find suitable candidates.

In the survey, over a third (36%) of respondents said they had recruited staff during the previous three months compared with just ten per cent that said they’d reduced their workforce.

The ONS figures released this morning show that the number of people in employment in the region increased in the three months to the end of December 2017 from 2,236,663 to 2,279,121, up 42,458 compared with the three months to the end of September.

The regional employment rate stood at 59.8% for the period, one per cent higher than the previous quarter.

The unemployment rate was slightly up quarter-on-quarter, rising from 4.0% to 4.1%, but was still better than a year earlier when it was 4.7%. The national figure was 4.4%, 0.4% better than a year ago.

The reason that both employed and unemployed figures have risen is due to an increase in the number of people seeking to be economically active and either joining or returning to the workforce.

The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in January across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire was 1,440 higher than in December 2017, up from 33,040 to 31,885.

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at the Chamber/Chris Hobson, the Chamber’s Director of Policy, said: “Last month’s figures were more positive than we’d expected, with parts of the region showing a fall in the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants when all the evidence and predictions suggested the figures would rise, as they had the month before.

“Given the uncertainty over Brexit and the political upheaval over the past two years, today’s figures come as no real surprise.

“Businesses are facing considerable uncertainty over Brexit, inflationary pressures resulting from fluctuations in the value of the pound on global markets and are shouldering increasing costs resulting from well-intentioned but not necessarily well implemented legislation such as the Modern Slavery Act, pension auto-enrolment, rising business rates, rising costs of imported raw materials and above-inflation increases in minimum wages.

“For many firms, the added financial burdens come down to a simple choice between increasing prices to their customers and not replacing staff when they leave.

“It is essential Government recognises that business cannot continue to bear the cost of constant additional regulatory burdens and that steps are taken as soon as possible to offer employers the reassurances they need to give them the confidence to invest in plant, machinery, training and recruitment.”

Businesses across the East Midlands are being asked to identify and rank their greatest concerns for the coming 12 months.

The question is being posed in the first East Midlands Chamber Quarterly Economic Survey of 2018, in partnership with the University of Leicester School of Business.

The results will help form the East Midlands Chamber’s* Manifesto for Business for the year, which will be launched to MPs at Westminster in the spring, and shape campaigns and lobbying activity undertaken by the Chamber for the rest of the year and beyond.

Items expected to feature include energy costs and security, business rates, recruitment and skills, training, broadband and mobile connectivity, road, rail and air connectivity, support for international trade, support for leadership and management development and funding opportunities for capital investment.

Analysis of the results by the University of Leicester School of Business, the Chamber’s 2018 partner for Quarterly Economic Surveys, will ensure the direction taken by the Chamber is properly weighted to reflect local needs.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at East Midlands Chamber, said: “At the end of last year the Government released its Industrial Strategy White Paper, highlighting five priority themes – ideas, people, infrastructure, business environment and places – as areas in which the country should focus.

“Using Local Enterprise Partnerships, Government has now challenged the regions to develop Local Industrial Strategies, translating national agendas to a provincial scale.

“Over coming months the Chamber will engage with members, identifying challenges for Government and opportunities for East Midlands businesses, to create a 2018 Manifesto for East Midlands Businesses.

“As Brexit negotiations continue, it is essential that we influence those things that are in our gift to control – properly informed, business-enabling domestic policy will be key to ensuring the long-term success of the UK economy.

“The consistent message we’ve had from members over recent months has been one of frustration. Our 2018 Manifesto will allow us to give Government clear and specific messages from regional business around its identified key policy areas.”

Professor Zoe Radnor, Dean, University of Leicester School of Business, said: “By working in partnership with East Midlands Chamber, particularly with regards the Quarterly Economic Surveys, we will be able to grow its influence in the local economy and enhance the impact it has for our local organisations and guide future generations of entrepreneurs.”

To take part in the Quarterly Economic Survey, visit http://bit.ly/2GuuVy5. The survey is live from today (19 February) and will be open until 12 March.