Corporate Responsibility (CR)

One of the roles of the BBC Outreach team is to lead on the BBC’s approach to Corporate Responsibility.

Since 2004, we have taken part in the annual London Benchmarking Group (LBG) survey, which is used by companies around the world to assess and report on the value and achievements of their corporate community investment. The latest survey found that the value of BBC in-kind and financial support to community activities was £32.2 million in 2007. This figure includes, for example, broadcast appeals if we were to charge for airtime. This support in turn helped raise a further £137.7 million for our good causes. The Children in Need appeal is the most obvious example.

We also participate in Business in the Community’s Corporate Responsibility Index. For 2008, we measurably improved our performance to now be ranked Platinum, up from Gold. The Index is the UK’s leading voluntary corporate responsibility benchmark, and our score reflects the high standards we aim to achieve in managing our business responsibly. Read our return for this year here.

The BBC is also active in a range of corporate responsibility networks, including the CSR Media Forum, the Corporate Responsibility Group and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

In 2008, we set five-year targets for environmental management at the BBC, and started work towards achieving them. Read the Environment page for more information about this.

BBC Beyond Broadcasting

Our role as a public service broadcaster is structured around six Public Purposes. All of the BBC’s work aims to fulfil at least one of these purposes. This website and our annual Corporate Responsibility Report reflect these and illustrate how we are fulfilling these roles. The six Public Purposes are:

• Sustaining citizenship and civil society
• Promoting education and learning
• Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence
• Reflecting the UK’s nations and regions, and communities
• Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK
• Supporting emerging communications

Communicating our approach

We recently conducted a survey to find out how much people value the BBC’s CR work. Nearly 90% of respondents considered it to be important. Find out more in this year’s CR Report

We regularly update this website with coverage of new projects that are being run throughout the country. Our monthly newsletter also highlights new initiatives that offer our audiences opportunities to get involved with the BBC.

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