A YORK business is encouraging local firms to use a new online benchmarking tool to help measure how they apply social responsibility in the areas of education, employment, environment and the community.

York and Leeds-based accountants Garbutt + Elliott, which won the ‘community category’ in the 2017 West and North Yorkshire Chamber ‘Raising The Bar’ awards, is supporting the launch of the Chamber’s new benchmarking software which helps businesses audit their social responsibility activity.

The tool is one of a number of new features in the Chamber’s extended Raising The Bar programme which includes online ‘how to’ guides and skills sharing which aim to empower and equip firms of all sizes to consider the positive impact they can make in the wider community. Jack Turnbull, Garbutt + Elliott business support advisor, said: “Raising awareness of what businesses can do collectively to help local good causes is so important to inspire more firms to go above and beyond to make a difference in their community.

“The Chamber’s social responsibility benchmarking tool is a fantastic resource to help businesses really measure the great work they already do in the community and guide them in how to improve their social responsibility activities.”

Retaining its annual Raising The Bar awards event which celebrates businesses who are active in their local communities, the Chamber has introduced the online diagnostic tool to unlock the social responsibility potential of even more businesses in York, North Yorkshire, Leeds, and Bradford.

Chief executive Sandy Needham said: “Raising The Bar has historically celebrated regional social responsibility success stories. The Chamber now wants to do even more to help local businesses give back by connecting with and learning from others who have already made a start. Our free, online social responsibility diagnostic tool offers businesses a thorough insight and a starting point to explore their current role within the community before considering how to improve or expand into new areas.”

She said: “Good social responsibility isn’t all about raising money – there is real value in transferring knowledge and skills through the gift of your time.” The benchmarking tool can be found on the Raising The Bar website http://www.raising-the-bar.org.uk/social-impact/ which also contains case studies of businesses who have successfully implemented social responsibility activities in their communities.