Family Business and Community Engagement
FAMILY BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
JANUARY 2021
BY DR. JANE GLOVER, PROF. KIRAN TREHAN AND DR. MARTIN KEMP
In 2019-20, the IFB Research Foundation worked with researchers at the Universities of York and Birmingham carry out research on the social and community impact of family firms in the UK. The research took an in-depth look at how family businesses engage and form partnerships with local communities and community-based organisations. The full report from the study, including detailed practice guidance is available here.
The case studies available below are drawn from this research, and take an in-depth look at how some of the companies which participated in the research have engaged with their communities.
These case studies will be of interest to family business owners, managers, and other practitioners who are interested in enhancing the community and social impact of their business.
A.F. Blakemore and Son: Measuring and Communicating Community Engagement and Impact
Blakemore’s was founded in 1917 by Arthur and Harriet Blakemore in Wolverhampton and has grown to become one of the UK’s largest privately-owned family businesses. This work investigated how family businesses engage with their communities, the impact they have on the communities they belong to and the contribution they make to the vitality, well-being, prosperity and sustainability of those communities.
Bibby Line Group: The Importance of Long-Term Involvement in Building Sustainable Communities
One of the UK’s oldest family-owned businesses, Bibby Line Limited, was founded by Liverpool entrepreneur John Bibby in 1807. This case study shows how, through long-term engagement in local community organisations, it is possible to bring positive change for the community, the family and the family business.
View our community engagement checklist for family businesses here.