Small firms do more for local communities

Nearly three quarters of UK construction businesses think that supporting the local community is good for business, according to a recent survey.

Think tank Tenon Forum commissioned an NOP survey which asked 89 construction owner-managers their thoughts on corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The survey showed that 71% of owners of sub £1m-a-year companies made community support a priority, compared with 56% of those turning over between £6m and £20m.

The survey also revealed that 93% of construction businesses used local products and suppliers, while 80% sponsored charity events, teams and organisations.

And 68% raised funds for local charities, while 54% donated employee time or company services to charitable events.

Michaela Johns, director of business services at Tenon said: "Big business has long been seen as the leader in driving CSR but increasingly entrepreneurs are dedicating time and effort to social and environmental causes and consequently seeing real business benefits."