Lloyds Banking Group spearheads drive to support business and local communities across England

Voluntary sector organisations and charities across England are set to receive a welcome boost following the announcement that Lloyds Banking Group will be seconding four Business Connectors with Business in the Community.

The news comes as Big Lottery Fund this week awards £4.8 million to upscale the Business in the Community’s successful Business Connectors programme in some of the most disadvantaged areas in England, leveraging more than £39 million worth of talent from businesses and £52 million worth of impact in to local communities.

The Business Connectors programme, one of the Prince's charities, is designed to deliver people with the expertise and skills to understand social challenges where it is needed most – at the heart of communities. Business Connectors help connect small businesses with charities and organisations trying to overcome such issues as employment, education and enterprise by using their extensive experience and wealth of business connections.

As part of its commitment to the scheme, Lloyds Banking Group will provide the infrastructure and training for all the new secondees as well as placing up to 60 senior employees in communities across the UK for an entire year for the next three years. They will work on the ground in areas most in need across the country.

The Group’s commitment to fund the training of all Connectors, whichever business they come, equates to a £600,000 investment over three years.

The investment by Lloyds Banking Group has enabled Business in the Community to increase it’s ambition to create a national network of over 670 Business Connectors.

Graham Lindsay, Retail Director of Community and Social Responsibility at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Lloyds Banking Group is in a powerful position to help local communities across the UK tackle the issues they are facing. We have shown our commitment to our communities by backing a range of programmes and initiatives designed to support education, enterprise, and employability. However, we do not want to stop at that. Our employees are a huge untapped resource and their business expertise, deep local knowledge and professional connections can be put to use to improve lives in our communities.”

Lisa Bryant, Diversity Inclusion Manager at Lloyds Banking Group, Steve Melanophy, Area Manager at Bank of Scotland Private Banking, Viv Hignell, Senior Manager, Commercial at Lloyds Banking Group and Belen Jordan, Strategic Business Development, London 2012 Sponsorship at Lloyds Banking Group will all leave their day jobs for 12 months to take up their new roles. Their salaries will continue to be met by the Group.

Commenting, Lisa Bryant said: “I’m looking forward to using my many years of corporate experience to help influence and educate local businesses about the benefits of bringing businesses together. They can make a very real difference by building sustainable and long term relationships with the charities and organisations within their communities.”

Stephen Howard, Business in the Community Chief Executive said: “Business Connectors is based on the proven impact of taking business resource, skills and time into the heart of communities. We’re delighted that Lloyds Banking Group is placing Lisa and Steve to work full time in this community. We hope other organisations are inspired by the leadership shown by our supporting businesses."