Understand and support the needs of the local community
Measurement
Giving is only one aspect of community engagement, but it is an important one and one that is often measured. Record cash donations given to community and not-for-profit organisations, and also calculate the cash-equivalent donations of space/facilities provided and staff-time volunteered
Specific Actions
Community issues are often specific to the area in which each property operates:
However, arranging retail skills training is one clear way for managers and retailers to assist the local community and economy, as well as benefiting from improved skills in the local workforce
Share your experiences of community initiatives with other property managers
Hermes’ Responsible Property Investment Good Practice Matrix is a leading example of a method for recognising and encouraging the take up of appropriate community initiatives through sharing learning across a portfolio, see page 21 of www.hermes.co.uk/pdf/publications/RPI_annual_report_2007_web.pdf
For 75% of Upstream benchmarkers, contributions to community groups (including cash and in-kind giving of space and staff-time expressed as £-equivalent) amounts to a figure at least:
0.37% the value of the total service charge
Good Practice
An important part of the Charter is the case studies that demonstrate what the industry is able to achieve:
To make this section useful, we would be grateful if you email summarised case studies with links to further information. Please email to Davinder Jhamat at Davinder.jhamat@bcsc.org.uk
