BUPA initiatives

Business in the Community

Opportunity Now | Race for Opportunity

www.bitc.org.uk

BUPA is one of 700 companies involved in Business in the Community (BITC), 70% of which are in the FTSE 100.

BITC was set up to help with the economic and social regeneration of British communities, by increasing businesses' level of quality and commitment to their communities. Each company promises to make these efforts a natural part of their day to day business. BUPA has promised to improve, measure and report the effect its business has on the environment, workplace, marketplace and community.

Whilst the BITC Percent Club requires a minimum donation of 0.5% of the pre-tax profit, BUPA donates 5.6%.

Other BITC projects and initiatives address community needs in education, gender and ethnic diversity. BUPA is also a founder member of the BITC Business Review Group, which has been set up to measure people's achievements.

Seeing is Believing

Set up by BITC, the HRH Prince of Wales 'Seeing is Believing' programme invites senior business leaders to see for themselves how business can play a role in tackling some of the country's most pressing social issues.

Each visit is designed to focus on a particular issue such as under-achievement in schools, homelessness, social exclusion or regeneration in disadvantaged communities. The main objective for the business leader is to understand the social issues and commit to practical action that their company and its employees can take, to make a positive and significant impact on society.

Since its national launch in 1991, over 2,300 business leaders have participated in 'Seeing is Believing' visits organised by BITC.

On 25 June, BUPA's CEO Val Gooding hosted a "Seeing is Believing" visit where senior business colleagues from various organisations paid a visit to a number of community facilities, including the Coram Family Campus in central London.

For more information on BITC contact at Business in the Community, 137 Shepherdess Walk, London, N1 7RQ (Tel. 0870 600 2482).

Opportunity Now

www.opportunitynow.org.uk

The BITC initiative ‘Opportunity Now’ aims to increase the profile of women in the workforce. BUPA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Val Gooding is on the Leadership Team for Opportunity Now. The campaign works with employers to recognise the benefits and potential of women in the workforce and to challenge stereotypes, focusing on:

• recruiting and retaining women employees
• skills and career development
• women at non-managerial levels
• women in science, engineering and technology
• work/life balance
• ethnic minority women at work
• setting standards
• awards

2001 Opportunity Now Awards

BUPA Membership scooped the private sector category at the Opportunity Now Annual Awards, which recognise exceptional progress in organisations that work towards gender equality. Judges praised Membership for developing a range of initiatives to reflect that more than 70 per cent of its employees are women.

To find out more about Opportunity Now, contact Business in the Community at 137 Shepherdess Walk, London, N1 7RQ (Tel. 0870 600 8714).

Race for Opportunity

www.raceforopportunity.org.uk

BUPA is a member of the BITC campaign 'Race for Opportunity' (RfO), a national network of organisations working on issues of race and diversity. The RfO recognises the working potential of ethnic minorities and encourages its supporters to create new opportunities and initiatives in:

• employment – recruitment, retention and development of ethnic minorities
• marketing - targeting ethnic minorities as potential customers
• supplier development – providing support for ethnic minority businesses, as part of the supplier chain
• benchmarking
• community involvement – reviewing the impact of community investment programmes on ethnic minority stakeholders
  

To find out more about Race for Opportunity, contact Business in the Community at 137 Shepherdess Walk, London, N1 7RQ (Tel. 0870 600 2482).