Sheffield Business Together delivers over £1 million in social value to the city since inception

Sheffield Business Together, alongside key partner Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is celebrating the power of collaboration as it commemorates another successful year – and half a decade in total – helping to address social issues in Sheffield.

Sheffield Business Together (SBT) is a responsible business network, that is co-funded and delivered by Business in the Community (BITC) and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce (SCCI), with support from Sheffield Property Association (SPA).

It delivers social value by connecting businesses, voluntary groups, and public sector organisations to harness private sector resources and expertise to address key challenges facing Sheffield and its communities.

Through their membership subscription, every member of Sheffield Chamber contributes to this one-of-a-kind programme, which has seen, in half a decade, £1 Million worth of social value delivered to the city.

In the 2023/2024 academic year alone, the programme has delivered 42 projects, involved 193 business volunteers, and seen 91 hours volunteered to the in-kind value of £218,331 to Sheffield City Region.

Louisa Harrison-Walker, SCCI chief executive and chair of the SBT, said: ‘It fills me with immense pride to see how the impact and reach of Sheffield Business Together has grown year on year. Now, half a decade on from its launch, the programme continues to recognise that when we work together, we can have a greater impact and leave a longer lasting legacy than working individually.

“I’m thrilled to see Sheffield Chamber members, who directly help fund SBT, and the wider business community, embracing the chance to deliver social value in a more coordinated and structured way.

“As a Chamber, we can’t thank our members, and everyone who helps the programme, enough for their support. It’s amazing what we can achieve when we come together and collaborate.”

SBT’s focus areas span:

• Education Outreach – continuing its partnership with See it Be it to engage employers with young people in schools, colleges, and alternative provision settings to bring the world of work to life, raise aspirations, and improve their life chances.
• Environment – creating climate-resilient schools and building green barriers to combat air pollution.
• Social Action – sharing resources and expertise alongside collaborating on projects to support charities/community groups and schools in under-resourced areas.

During the 2023/24 period, 118 business engaged in education outreach, aiding 16,093 students in 37 educational settings. In supporting social action in the city, 28 projects were supported by 70 different employers, and £68,164 worth of materials, and 734 volunteering hours, were donated. SBT’s environmental impact spanned 488 volunteering hours and a leverage value of £40,106.

Key projects included collaborating with BITC to establish the Sheffield Pride of Place board, a business-led coalition, that brings together the private, public, and voluntary sectors to further help Sheffield seize economic opportunities, address societal issues, and deliver long-term transformative change in its communities.

With a mission to drive a fairer and greener Sheffield, driven by businesses, the collaboration has:

• Created a vegetable and wild garden at Hillsborough Primary School to educate students on ecosystems, sustainability, and healthy eating.
• Built a green barrier at Lowfield Primary School to reduce traffic-related air pollution.
• Supported 17 foodbanks in the Sheffield Foodbank Network, raising over £30,000 in donations.
• Hosted volunteering days to clear and revitalise Pitsmoor Adventure Playground for young people.

Carolynn McConnell, place lead for Sheffield, from Business in the Community, said: “We really couldn't have supported so many projects this past year without Chamber members and the wider business community.

“Since our launch in 2019, Sheffield Business Together has gone from strength to strength. When we set out on this journey our network comprised of seven founding employers – five years later we now have 600+ employers in the network who are generously giving back to our amazing city.

“If you want a fairer and greener Sheffield, we urge you to join us, and champion and promote us to your supply chain and networks. Every business and employer – no matter how small – can make a difference by supporting one of our campaigns. We make it easy for you to get involved, all we need is your time, expertise, and whatever resources you can provide.”

SBT was launched by founding members, Arm, Arup, Henry Boot PLC, Irwin Mitchell, Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Sheffield, BITC, Voluntary Action Sheffield, and South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation.

Then, in 2021, SBT partnered with SCCI – SBT activity is now co-funded and delivered by BITC and SCCI with support from the Sheffield Property Association.

Sheffield Chamber members care about their city and their communities, and their ability to lean in to offer their time, resource, and expertise has really made a difference.