New thinkers can support our work through their own business - Mark Bevan

Forgive the TLAs but have you got your CSR sorted and your ESG organised, and do you understand how your business activity relates to the SDGs? In a world of regulatory pressures to consider your business’s material impact on people, environment and community, how do you know what is the right thing to do? It’s a hot topic in boardrooms and amongst senior teams as we approach the note-0year-end.

Traditionally, businesses earned their profits and then considered how to give back to their workforce, society and other causes they felt strongly attached to, a sort of voluntary tax which then delivered public good.

There are many people, causes and organisations including my own that are grateful for that essential support continuing today. Emerging from the pandemic, UK charities have reported losing 60 per cent of their income. Despite hardship everywhere, giving from profit by UK corporations and founder wealth has grown. Looking at the top donors, who give more than one per cent of their wealth, New Philanthropy Capital reported a 36 per cent increase in giving in 2021.

This money is much-needed and usually a pretty smart social investment. Charities are of necessity entrepreneurial, purpose driven and efficient. They squeeze maximum value out of every single pound donated. But there is an emerging trend to add to this generosity by considering how to support charitable purpose with the business as much as supporting with the profit earned from business.

Mark Bevan, CEO Leuchie House

Bringing this closer to home, Leuchie provides short breaks to people affected by a neurological condition, such as multiple sclerosis, MND, Parkinson’s and stroke. We give exhausted family members a break and at the same time improve the health of guests who stay with us, provide a much-needed social experience to people often isolated by their disease and we enable more and more people to manage independently with smart use of technology.

We do what we do in Scotland because there is a particularly Scottish concern, there are more people with MS per capita in Scotland than almost anywhere else in the world. It’s a problem for business in Scotland because someone in your family, your workplace or your customers workplace will be affected and will eventually have to stop work. It’s highly likely that their partner will then have to stop work to provide physical care. The numbers are growing.

We have to raise over £1 million a year to provide this essential service and we are grateful to the many people in businesses who help us to raise this money. We are also grateful to the new thinkers who support our work through their own. Businesses whose day job adds value and helps us to do our day job that little bit better. For example, PURE SPA recently sponsored an event and then offered to come into our workplace and give our care team a 15-minute massage. It was a really thoughtful gesture, using their core proposition to aid our mission.

If you are thinking about donating this festive season, could you think further and do more with your business to deliver social good with a charity partner and turn those TLAs into meaningful action?

Mark Bevan, CEO, Leuchie House