Business leaders convene to drive impact in Coventry

Business leaders convene to drive impact in Coventry

Business in the Community (BITC) has brought senior business leaders into Coventry to highlight how business interventions can positively impact communities.

The visit comes as data shows that the unemployment rate of those aged 16-64 in Coventry (6.4%) is almost twice as high as the UK average of 3.7%,[3] and BITC research found that one in 10 people in the West Midlands said that they will need to rely on community support, such as food banks, due to the rise in the cost of living.[4] 

This visit follows one of BITC’s The King’s Seeing is Believing visits to Coventry, supported by Salesforce and Linklaters, that took place in October 2023. The King’s Seeing is Believing visits bring senior business leaders into communities to understand the challenges people face and showcase how businesses can collaborate with each other and with community organisations to develop innovative, long-term solutions to address them.

The visit was attended by senior business leaders from a range of companies, including Orbit Group Ltd, Coventry Building Society, Cadent Foundation, Jaguar Land Rover and more. 

Supporting community organisations in Coventry 

At The King’s Seeing is Believing visit to Coventry in 2023, business leaders visited Foleshill Community Centre and St Francis Employability, two community organisations that are working on the ground to support individuals who are trying to secure employment and manage everyday life. Business attendees saw first-hand the barriers people face when trying to access employment and how employers can better support them. After hearing from service users, business leaders worked together to come up with meaningful solutions to support community organisations and their beneficiaries. 

At today’s visit, business leaders returned to Foleshill Community Centre and St Francis Employability to discover the impact and importance of business collaboration to support community organisations. Business leaders were able to see how their actions following the previous visit have positively impacted the services that the community organisations provide and the lives of their beneficiaries. 

Steve Hughes, Chief Executive of Coventry Building Society and Chair of BITC’s Coventry Leaders’ Network, said: 

“A fifth of neighbourhoods in Coventry are among the 10% most deprived in the UK. We know that through business collaboration, we can address skills shortages, enable growth in Coventry and make a real change to the city and the lives of those who live and work here. The King’s Seeing is Believing programme is a powerful initiative that allows business leaders to see how much of an impact business interventions can have on people’s lives. It has been a catalyst for the continuous work of The Coventry Leaders’ Network which is committed to transforming the communities in Coventry that need it most.” 

Mary Macleod, Chief Executive of Business in the Community, said: 

“Business in the Community works across the UK to transform lives and help communities thrive. Collective business action is critical in achieving this goal, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Coventry Leaders’ Network and business leaders from across the UK to support the incredible work already being done in Coventry through the actions of local business and community organisations. I hope today’s visit, and the demonstrable impacts shown, inspire business leaders to take further action in Coventry to support its people.” 

St Francis Employability has benefitted as a result of business actions following The King’s Seeing is Believing visit in October 2023. These include: 

  • Coventry Building Society funded the installation of new plumbing to enable the Community Café to have running water, which it was previously operating without. 
  • Orbit Group Ltd collaborated with Fortem to fund and build a new roof for the church, as the previous roof had sustained water damage both inside and outside. 
  • The Cadent Foundation provided St Francis with access to their winter support fund to help service users with food and fuel vouchers and winter necessities to stay warm during the colder months. It also connected them to the Green Doctor programme to help them make their homes more energy efficient. In addition, Cadent has provided funding to make St Francis a centre for warmth, supporting and extending the advice and services offered.

ENDS 

Notes to editor 

  1. Photos from the visit are available upon request. 
  2. This visit is part of BITC’s wider work in Coventry, led by the Coventry Leaders’ Network, chaired by Steve Hughes, Chief Executive of Coventry Building Society. This work is focused in Foleshill and Longford, with the aim of: 
    – Ending food poverty in these areas.
    – Ensuring everyone in these areas has access to safe, green spaces and clean air.
    – Supporting all secondary school children in Coventry to reach their full potential and go on to sustained, meaningful employment, education or training.
  3. These figures come from the Annual Population Survey 2023. A spreadsheet with the full figures is available upon request. 
  4. BITC research conducted in partnership with YouGov 2022. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,019 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 6th – 7th October 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). 
  5. Find out more about Foleshill Community Centre here. 
  6. Find out more about St Francis Employability here. 

For further information, please contact Polly Dacam, Press Officer, on 020 7566 6638.