SKG has 350 manufacturing plants in 30 countries. Community activity and involvement is both encouraged and promoted and this element of our social responsibility is mainly delegated to local plant level where managers and staff are best positioned to make a positive contribution in supporting the community.
An important element of a plant manager’s role is to represent the company as part of the local community and play a positive part in its development. Activity and community involvement can take many forms and typically includes:
- co-investment in projects of a self-help nature
- charitable donations to local volunteer groups or welfare organisations
- support to local sport organisations
- participation in school initiatives by offering items such as printing material or facilitating school visits for educational purposes
- meeting and giving time to citizen groups that represent local communities
- playing a positive role in supporting and contributing to the disadvantaged
- mentoring small/start-up businesses and cooperatives.
Our particular bias is towards partnership by assisting communities in self help activities.
SKG is involved in community activities in many different ways. The Group maintains an active dialogue with the communities that live in close proximity to its plants. In particular, we respond promptly at a senior level to any complaints or issues of concern to such communities and take appropriate remedial action where necessary. In some cases, the local plant manager will personally visit the homes of local residents to try to resolve any problems that arise.
The examples which follow illustrate the wide breadth of activities both in Europe and also in Latin America.
These three examples of community activity relate to three of life’s most fundamental requirements– education, good health and basic shelter.