Football and CR - the role of Corporate Scotland

Karen Davidson, Scottish Business in the Community's Development Manager, attended the SURF [Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum] conference Football and Regeneration – Intangible Assets and Goodwill on 14 August and found some startling analogies with football, corporate Scotland and Corporate Responsibility.

The event was aimed at bringing together organisations and individuals who work together in regeneration and football, to share best practice and improve positive impacts. It soon became obvious that SBC Members and football clubs in Scotland share similar challenges and opportunities in working with the community – particularly how to target activity for maximum impact and how to communicate and measure success.

Lex Gold, Chair of the Scottish Premier League said “Clubs can be a catalyst for good and derive value from this activity, it is enlightened self interest to get involved, it is good business.” Sound familiar? With many Scottish businesses working in partnership with football clubs and other sports organisations a joined up CR approach should enable all partners to maximise benefits. So if you sponsor a club, ask them how it impacts the community stakeholders, find out what other programmes and activities you may have in common. For example, with innovative clubs engaging in employability, they may be able to help you recruit staff.

At the Q & A session it was asked why football clubs don’t say more about what they do in the community during game time. Surely that is a natural place to celebrate these successes. And with 3.7 million people attending SFA games per year – 1 in 45 people in Scotland and the highest percentage of the population by far compared to other countries in Europe – it is a real opportunity to influence. Where else in your business can you spread the CR word?

You can read more about the event by visiting the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum here.