22 October 2008
Lord Mayor's Dragon Awards reward City firms for their
outstanding achievements in Corporate Community Involvement
Last night, Lord Mayor David Lewis awarded London businesses for
their outstanding achievements in Corporate Community Involvement
at the 21st prestigious Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards Dinner. The Lord
Mayor’s Dragon Awards recognise and reward both the work and the
results of Corporate Community Involvement schemes across
London.
There were nine overall winners including the former global
investment bank, Lehman Brothers, which took away the Education
Award for the 10 year partnership they have had with Oakland School
in Tower Hamlets. This involved implementing innovative and
exciting initiatives which raise the aspirations and levels of
achievement for the 600 students.
Nomura, the pre-eminent Asia-based investment bank, announced it
is to continue Lehman Brothers' longstanding partnership with
Oaklands School in Tower Hamlets.
2008 Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards winners are:
- Education Award: Lakehouse Contracts and
Lehman Brothers
- Economic Regeneration Award: Mace Sustain
- Social Inclusion Award: Deloitte and St
George's, University of London
- Heart of the City Award: Capco and
Rothschild
- Volunteer of the Year Award: Richard Zaborski,
UBS (nominated by The Brokerage, Citylink)
- Lord Mayor's Award: UBS
Lord Mayor David Lewis said, ‘It is of crucial importance, now
more than ever, to applaud and raise awareness of the beneficial
results that can be achieved as a result of investing in Corporate
Community Involvement. Even in the current climate, businesses are
continuing to go above and beyond their core work to significantly
help the regeneration of their local communities and these awards
reward businesses for their exceptional community
achievements.’
Carolyn Housman, Corporate Responsibility Manager, City of
London Corporation added, 'Many of the financial firms we work with
have let us know that they are keen to fill any potential
shortfalls that are a result of recent economic activities; there
is a sense that we need to pull together and cover each other. We
can see from Nomura’s decision to adopt Lehman Brothers’
partnership with Oakland School that the City is taking collective
responsibility and collective action.’
‘The awards are retrospective and based on concrete achievements
– so Lehman Brothers’ inclusion is nothing more or less than an
endorsement for the superb work Lehman Brothers staff did over a
sustained period. The effects of that work lives on in the lives of
the children they helped.’
The judging panel also rewarded an extra award to St George's,
University of London for their Experiments Roadshow. The City of
London is keen to encourage more educational establishments to get
involved in Corporate Community Involvement.
Individually, Richard Zaborski, Director of Human Resources, UBS
won the Volunteer of the Year Award, having been nominated by his
charity partner, The Brokerage, Citylink.
This year a third of all entries were from companies who have
set up an effective Corporate Community Involvement programme in
the last three years, showing that firms continue to recognise the
importance of beginning to work in Corporate Community
Involvement.
City of London Corporation’s well-established City Action scheme
which brokers volunteering opportunities between private and public
sector parties by matchmaking City organisations with local
communities, will work to fill any shortfalls as an outcome of the
cutbacks in the City.
The Dragon Awards were originally set up by the then Lord Mayor
Sir David Rowe-Ham in 1987 and are now one of the most
well-regarded schemes to recognize Corporate Community Involvement.
The awards reveal that competitive compassion can both be good for
the bottom line and for the community, as leading London
corporations and their employees work with their neighbours,
whether through large-scale corporate projects or on an individual
volunteer basis.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
For more information, or for details about how to participate in
next year’s awards, please contact:
Rosalind Jeffcoat or Lizzie Boylan Ward
Rain Communications UK
Tel: 020 7222 4345
Email:
name.surname@raincommunications.co.uk
The City of London Corporation is the long-standing public body
with a modern role that looks after the Square Mile, including
support for the international financial services industry based in
the UK. The City Corporation, whose elected head is the Lord Mayor
also provides local authority services for the Square Mile and,
importantly, works across wider London and UK to provide exemplary
services – from the international Barbican Arts Centre, Hampstead
Heath, the original wholesale food markets of London, the Port of
London Health Authority, Epping Forest, the five City Brides, the
internationally renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and
the London Metropolitan Archives. It also works with inner London
boroughs on a large number of regeneration projects – and supports
three inner London City Academies
The Lord Mayor acts as the ambassador at home and abroad for the
UK-based financial services industry.