BUSINESSES found out about how they can work alongside Worcestershire’s voluntary and community sector at a special breakfast meeting.

At Finditinworcestershire’s last event of 2016, "Forging links with Worcestershire’s Voluntary and Community Sector" – held at Worcester Warriors' Sixways Stadium – local businesses had the chance to hear about and later meet organisations from the county's CVS. More than 120 delegates heard from Carole Cumino, chief executive of Worcestershire Association of Carers and Clare Jackson, executive director for housing, care & communities at Fortis Living, about the benefits of working together and why it is an integral part of an organisation’s corporate social responsibility.

Ms Cumino explained the benefits for an employer in supporting volunteering and how it can result in an improved brand value and reputation, as well as increasing a company’s chances in the tendering process. It boosts staff morale and loyalty and helps build networks through collaboration with other sectors. She suggested ideas for putting this into practice and why those in the private sector should invest in volunteers.

Ms Jackson talked about Fortis Living’s third annual "Communities Week" held at Malvern Town Football Club and how the private sector can get involved. Since 2010, Fortis has done a lot of work around health and wellbeing in particular, and leading up to the 2012 Olympics used the power of sport to inspire local people to do something good. The company helped the local unemployed community get back into work by improving health and lifestyle.

Communities Week won the "Making a Difference Through Volunteering" award at this year’s Chartered Institute of Housing Midlands region awards, which was a great achievement for the company.

After the main presentations, Sander Kristel, director of adult services at Worcestershire County Council, delivered an interactive session discussing the public sector’s duty to contract with suppliers who deliver social value, highlighting that working with the VCS can give a competitive advantage in public sector contracting and tenders.

Lorna Jeynes, business growth manager at the County Council added: "It was fantastic to see so many of Worcestershire’s Voluntary and Community Sector organisations getting together with the private sector talking about the opportunities to collaborate and work together."