Something for Businesses to Ponder...

It's Student Volunteering Week from next Monday (Feb 24). All across the country students will be doing good deeds for others -  in fact, Monday is officially Good Deed Day.

In our own back yard students in Portsmouth will be helping to clean up the storm-battered beach, while Winchester’s finest will be taking part in a volunteering hustle in aid of Naomi House and Jacks Place.

Over in Bournemouth students will be down on the community farm in their wellies, getting their hands dirty for a great cause.

And in Southampton students will be taking part in a series of events across the city.

My partner’s son recently graduated and I was struck at the time by the Vice Chancellor’s speech where he highlighted the enormous amount of volunteering students get up to while they are at university.

They had helped to raise many thousands of pounds for charity and given their time and brain power to help community projects get off the ground or keep going.

This has to be good for the students because it shows them there is a world beyond the lecture theatre and it undoubtedly benefits the towns and cities where they give their time for good causes.

Increasingly you hear it said that graduates joining businesses are concerned that their employer is contributing to their community and giving something back. (I understand some use this as a criteria when deciding which companies to apply to for work).

According to the experts, those born between 1980 and 2000 or Generation Y as they are more commonly known, are less interested in financial gain than their parents, and more concerned with job fulfilment.

More than just a means of paying the rent, Generation Y see work as a route to exploring their passions, hobbies and philosophies.

The traditional model of being able to do more social and charitable good when you are older and more financially secure is undoubtedly changing. Young people want to increase their pay scale and achieve social good at the same time.

As we inch forward out of the economic gloom of recent years, businesses will once again be looking at how they can make a difference (and resurrect those corporate social responsibility policies that have been sidelined due to budgetary constraints).

Employers should take volunteering into account when they decide which candidates to appoint – and then harness that generosity of spirit to enable their businesses to give something back to the local communities that support them.

It is a virtuous circle – and a resource that companies should be happy to support.

To find out more about Student Volunteering Week go to http://www.studentvolunteeringweek.org.uk/

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines ...

In recent times I barely seem to have drawn breath before another deadline comes hurtling towards me at full pelt.

Coming from a newspaper background I’m used to writing copy on demand all day long (and I’m long enough in the tooth to remember writing for late night final editions, with the news editor hovering near my desk hungry for the latest political tit-bit from my notebook).

Conducting interviews for the next edition of the Southampton magazine is certainly keeping me busy – and it’s been fascinating so far...

This edition will showcase Southampton and give the latest news and views on key developments such as the Cultural Quarter and Waterfront development. It is focusing on the visitor economy and will highlight opportunities in the cultural / leisure / retail / restaurant / tourism realm.

I’ve been lucky enough to speak to not one but two of our leading hoteliers in the region. Robin Hutson of Hotel du Vin fame and more recently the driving force behind the success of the luxurious Lime Wood Hotel and the Pig hotels. He spoke to me about creating the Pig in the Wall in Southampton and his future plans for the Pig brand.

It was also a pleasure to interview Nicholas Roach, the chairman of the Nicholas James Group about his plans to build a striking new five star hotel at Ocean Village. His group already runs the successful Christchurch Harbour Hotel and the new Southampton development looks set to raise the bar for hospitality in the city. 

Artist's impression of the new five star hotel at Ocean Village

Fascinating to learn he started out working as an accountant at PWC based in Ocean Village and his office overlooked the spot where the new hotel (which looks like an art deco cruise liner) will eventually be sited.

Mr Roach is a keen advocate for Southampton, having been to university in the city and he is looking forward to seeing his beautiful new hotel take shape over the coming months.

The whip is being cracked and I need to get on with writing more content – so no more time to blog at the moment.

Mind you, even though I say it myself, this latest edition of the Southampton magazine looks set to be a really good read ... I’ll let you know when it hits the streets.

Penny’s Power-ful Message

If ever there was an example of passion and belief giving you a voice, Penny Power is proof positive.

The dynamic business woman who was honoured with an OBE in the New Year’s List was the founder of Ecademy – the UK’s first social network for business and she told the seminar audience at the South Coast Business Works how creating her own business gave her the confidence to speak on a national stage.

Now she has the ear of government Penny is looking to encourage greater collaboration – and wave the flag for the younger generation who are born digital.

“The collaboration of stakeholders at a local level is critical for us to solve the economy.

“The digital future is about you and your mindset, the digital technology is forcing us to be more open and to seek partners who care about what they care about and solve things together,” she told delegates.

Her argument seemed eminently sensible and it was refreshing to have a female keynote speaker with such an inclusive attitude.

More power to you Penny ...

Penny Power OBE - British author and speaker