livingpublicvalueayearayear ofof actionaction

his is the BBC’s corporate social we need to invest in the digital future. This Children in Need is responsibility update. Last year, we process has inevitably put pressure on e v e r y o n e changing. published a comprehensive account of who works here. But what this review highlights is Celebrities like T Liberty X and activities and performance in line with our own the undiminished commitment of our staff to this year’s definition of what CSR means for a publicly funded, deliver on the BBC’s aspiration to enrich the lives fund-raising wristbands public service media organisation (see page 13). of communities in the UK and around the world. were the fresh Here we are bringing you, in review format, fresh This CSR review for 2005 reflects what is already face of the 2005 appeal, stories and insights into how the BBC is living its being done. Our challenge is to use the but it’s a commitment to corporate citizenship and to opportunities of new technologies and a more makeover that’s only just delivering public value through its services to creative, open BBC to build on this work over the begun. a u d i e n c e s . years ahead. See page 10 We are in the midst of making complex changes to the way the BBC operates to help deliver savings Mark Thompson, director general

CorporatesocialresponsibilityattheBBC

L E A R N I NG 2 C I T I Z E N S H I P 3 D I S A B I L I T Y 3 C O M M U N I T Y 5 V O L U N T E E R S 6 E N V I R O N M E N T 8 G I V I N G 1 0 I N T E R N AT I O N A L 1 2 W E B S I T E S 1 4 ▼▼▼ LEARNING W W 2 r emember e d f o r g e n e r a t i o n s

Figureitout… STATISTICS TELL JUST SOME OF THE STORY ■ Tota l num b e r of sto ri e s c o nt rib u te d 33,589 ■ Total number of photographs 3229 ■ Total number of contributions e ma i l s , pos ts to fo r ums etc 101,986 ■ More than 1700 volunteers recruited andtrained by BBC and CSV in England and Northern Ireland and 200 volunteers recruited and trained in Scotland (BBC) and Wales (BBC and WDVA) ■ 2500 associate centres, providing IT access and support for those who wish to add their story

Sharing knowledge: Lillian Bader was one of thousands of veterans who retold their wartime experience online

he stories of ordinary people who led nations and regions to showcase content community partners. In 2005, greater extraordinary lives during the second already contributed and encourage more people collaboration with BBC nations & regions Tworld war have been archived for the to take part. Community Service Vo l u n t e e r s helped raise the project’s profile for a key local nation through BBC Learning’s ambitiousonline helped recruit volunteer story gatherers, trained radio audience and resulted in a significant and community project WW2 People’s Wa r. to work across the UK. Schools have also been amount of related content in local output. Launched on Remembrance Day 2003, the encouraged to take part and the 60th Meanwhile, hundreds of events organised initiative has captured thousands of authentic anniversaries to commemorate the end of WW2 by the BBC’s partners, ranged from exhibitions stories and photographs of people who provided a key focus for the work. of wartime food to the MOD’s WW2 experienced life on the home front and the The outreach scheme is now in its final celebration at St James’s Park in London, front lines, before it’s too late. phase, aiming to ensure that everyone wanting to which attracted 90,000 people and added many Phase One of the project helped contributors contribute a story to the site can do so, and that more stories to the BBC collection. to submit their stories to the People’s Wa r the BBC’s partners have the support they need. The People’s War archive will remain website at bbc.co.uk/ww2 by establishing a In 2004 an interim feedback report on the accessible to the public for years to come, both network of associate centres, where mostly project (Hugh Hope Stone Associates) on the BBC website and partner sites. elderly people without access to IT equipment identified many positive outcomes, including The British Library and Arts Histories could get help in using the internet. enabling older people to leave a legacy, raising D a tabase Service are currently considering Phase two was launched in April this year self esteem, building relationships between proposals for long-term co-hosting of the with broadcast journalists working across BBC generations and between the BBC and its material.

CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER The BBC developed a partnership code during the year, in consultation with RaWpassions around 700 organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors. to ry l in es in soaps like Eas t E n d ers ,a O n l in e se l f - a s s e s s m e n t , ce l eb ri t y The code, along with information and sp e c ial Te st th e Nati o n on language , re co m m e n d ed rea ding, sp e c ial outp ut support for organisations wanting to S p u b q ui z z e s o n li n e a n d t h o u s a n d s a c ross the ra dio net wo rks and fre e develop formal partnerships with the of co m m un it y pa rtn ers h el ped l a un ch t h e p er s o na l i sed te l ephone coa ch ing are all BBC, can be found at BBC’s biggest ever l itera cy ca m pa ign in pa rt of the Ra W pa ckage. bbc.co.uk/partnerships O ctob er, ta rgeting the es timated 12 million In the first t wo we eks of the £2m To help programme makers understand a d u lts who struggle w ith everyd ay rea ding ca m pa ign, 500,000 people vi sited the Ra W the potential benefits and risks and w riting. w e b s i te at b bc. co . u k / ra w a n d 5 , 2 4 0 Ra W involved in partnering outside With its empha sis on info rmal lea rn ing , ce nt res – in c l u ding 88 perce nt of UK organisations, the BBC has developed the t h re e - yea r Ra W ( Read and Write ) l ib ra ri es , co m m un it y ce nt res , pu b s a n d c l ub s a new intranet guide to establishing, ca m pa ign aims to tap into people’s – have sign ed up to deliver Ra W a ctiviti es managing and developing interests and pa s sions – in c l u ding aro un d l i ke qui z zes, online ses sions and printed partnerships, as well as ending them. World Cup 2006 – to in sp ire them to ta ke Ra W r e s o u rc e s . W or l d B oo k Day i n M a r ch w i l l For more information go to the first steps towa rds im p roved litera cy. be the next key p rogramme focus. home.gateway.bbc.co.uk/partnerships ▼▼▼ 2 CITIZENSHIP R4letsthejurydecide

ver four weeks this autumn, weekly on air and followed in depth on the Radio 4’s Today programme Radio 4 website. Its conclusions were put Omounted an experiment to find to the leader of Reading Borough Council out if citizens can solve the problems that David Sutton and Home Office minister politicians can’t. Hazel Blears, both of whom agreed to meet Working with the University of Newcastle, the jurors to discuss their the programme recruited 24 randomly recommendations, which included changes selected residents of Reading to sit as a to ASBO regulation, better mentoring of citizens’ jury, deliberate on the broad issue teenagers in schools and more resources to of respect – ahead of the expected White house Reading’s homeless. Paper on that agenda – and come up with Today’s political reporter Polly Billington, recommendations for local and national who led the experiment, admits the jury is governments. still out on whether the Reading They met for two and a half hours twice experiment was effective in influencing a week, defined what concerns mattered to political outcomes. For their part, many of them, took evidence from experts whom the jurors intend to carry on researching they cross-examined, and voted on which their findings and pressing for change. recommendations to send forward. An Today will follow their progress and return oversight panel monitored selection of to individual jury members when issues jurors and the fairness of the process they raised are addressed in mainstream The Reading panel weigh the evidence throughout. politics. for Today The jury’s deliberations were reported bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/politics/citizen

DISABILITY L i s t e n h a r der, d e l i v e r m o r e can’t think of a more importa n t and comedy as well as documenting disability On air and in-house, the organisation in this country that doesn’t issues and celebrating achievement. BBC has promised to do I deal exclusively with disability issues that Actor Paul Henshall, who has cerebral palsy, has got to get this right.’ played regular character Dean West – a student better on disability That expectation from Geoff Armstrong, doctor with the same disability – in BBC One’s representation. Its biggest chief executive of the National Disability Arts Holby City and starred in the BBC Three comedy Forum, set the tone of an unprecedented pilot I’m With Stupid. Afterlife star Paula Sage, ever disability forum meeting in October between top BBC decision who has Down’s Syndrome, appeared in BBC began a new debate. makers and representatives of 24 key disability Scotland soap River City and the latest series of organisations. children’s drama Grange Hill introduced deaf The Disability Leaders seminar aimed to actress Rebecca-Anne Whithey as new open a fresh dialogue on portrayal, recruitment character Holly Parsons. and how technology can improve access. It was Sunday Grandsta n d covered the first set against the background of the BBC’s Paralympic World Cup from Manchester in May acknowledged unsatisfactory performance, on and BBC Two’s Beyond Boundaries charted the and off air: in 2003-4, representation of remarkable stories of 11 physically disabled disability in peaktime tv was less than one people as they attempted to trek 220 miles percent, while 2.7 percent of our sta f f across Nicaragua. The series built its audience disclosed a disability, compared with 10.1 to two million and registered an exceptionally percent of the UK population. And it followed high audience appreciation of 87 percent (BBC the introduction of targets for the portrayal of Pulse survey). disability in tv output, a target for disabled staff Radio 4 specials included Peter White’s of four percent by 2007 and the launch in April Sony award-winning series Blind Man’s Beauty of a new BBC diversity strategy. Opening the and paraplegic writer Andrew McLay’s debate, Caroline Thomson, director of s t r a t e g y, dramatisation of his own story in Watch The said we needed to move away from the old belief S p i d e r. The success of BBC Asian Network that ‘Auntie knows best’: ‘It is often more drama Silver Street in challenging appropriate for us to work in partnership – to misinformation around mental illness was listen harder and deliver more.’ recognised when it beat ITV1’s Heartbeat and Over the last year, the BBC has delivered a BBC One’s Doctors to win the soap prize in the number of programmes that placed disabled 2005 Mental Health in the Media awards. And Charlie Fennell was one of 11 disabled characters at the heart of mainstream drama online, campaigning website Ouch! covered adventurers in Beyond Boundaries ▼▼▼ 3 DISABILITY hundreds of disability issues, from deaf/blind programming groups, agreed that if there was a for instance, provision of a spoken electronic travel to non-PC disabled stand-ups. strong call from the disability community for programme guide (EPG). Closed signing via specialised radio programmes that went beyond broadband was also being investigated. For ut as an array of speakers and lobbyists In To u c h, the BBC would consider that. Ashley Highfield, director of new media, told the seminar, there was still much White also felt that the key to representa t i v e consistency in delivery would be key: ‘We need Bto do in building awareness among programming was to recruit more disabled to do a lot more on working out how to make programme makers and commissioners. Where people across the BBC: ‘Journalists and reporters spoken guides available on satellite, cable, was the issue of dyslexia, which affects six are almost as unrepresentative as they have freeview and the internet,’ he said. million people, in the BBC schedules? Why, always been – young, healthy and rather macho!’ Director of television Jana Bennett questioned when current affairs tv programmes have whether the BBC tried hard enough to get a wide captioned interviews in foreign languages, are nder its new diversity strategy, the BBC spectrum of society into enterta i n m e n t they not voiced over for sight-impaired viewers? aimed to make disability much more programmes – in finding contestants for game The BBC’s 10 percent target for audio Uthan an HR issue, explained director shows, for instance. And why not use big tv description by 2008 was commendable, but why of BBC people Stephen Dando. The new vehicles like Watchdog and P a n o r a m a to specialise shouldn’t it be 20 percent? Why could the BBC approach was to place disability at the heart of in journalism around disability, in the way that not follow the example of Israeli television in the BBC’s business by making the link between You and Yo u r s does on radio? employing a news presenter with a facial creativity and insight within the workforce and Bennett welcomed portrayal targets but also disfigurement? And why did programmes our ability to engage all UK audiences. A the ambition, within the new diversity strategy, medicalise disability instead of looking at publicity campaign, featuring profiles of to improve understanding of disability among disabled people as citizens, often living full lives? disabled BBC staff, was launched in April with programme producers. ‘We need to go beyond BBC disability affairs specialist and radio the aim of encouraging more people with this level of discussion now, giving confidence presenter Peter White, who is blind, argued the disabilities to apply for BBC jobs. But Dando and knowledge to our producers and case for specialist content (as carried in output acknowledged that there had been little researchers so they are inspired to do things like See Hear,Radio4’sYou and Yo u r s and White’s progress in the last year towards the four they would otherwise not think of doing. own In To u c h programme) alongside inclusion of percent target, at a time when the BBC was We want to get it right more often.’ disability in the mainstream: ‘I don’t want to be shedding posts. A follow up seminar is planned for 2006 to treated like everyone else, I want to be treated From Nick Tanton, principal R&D engineer, allow senior managers to review the BBC’s d i f f e r e n t l y, according to my differences,’ he said. the seminar heard about BBC involvement in progress against targets and to maintain the Graham Ellis, radio and music’s controller, coming access technologies that would allow, dialogue with disability groups.

RADIO TIMES MOVES LISTINGS a cting ta l e nt available to t v ca s ting Coming in 2006 are Magnificent 7, a FORWARD dire ctors. T h ro ugh auditions in Lo n do n , single BBC Two drama about a family of In consultation with the Broadcasting N ewcastle and Ma n ch es ter, 25 actors were autistic children; Soundproof, a deaf and Creative Industries Disability Network se l e c te d t o at te n d BB C ma s t e r c l a s s e s , thriller, also for BBC Two; and a BBC Three (BCIDN), Radio Times has developed a g iven by l ea ding t v dire ctors, and Acto r s series of I’m With Stupid – commissioned new web-based listings service for C e nt r e t ra i n ing . A s a d ir e ct r e s u l t , a c to r via the BBC Comedy North talent scheme. disabled viewers and listeners. Within Ma rk Mc Cub b in, who is lame, won t h e Portrayal targets will be reviewed the next few months, users will be able pa rt of a psych iat rist in ITV’s new Trial and annually. to search for all programmes on all R et rib u ti o n dra ma. All the actors have channels that offer audio description, been helped to develop t h e irp rofes si o na l DOING THE BUSINESS sign language and sub-titles. ‘This is a p o rt fo l ios a n d a d vd co m p i l atio n of t h e ir The first ever business benchmarking small step but we think a very important wo rk has been di s t rib uted across t h e exercise on disability for the public and one,’ said BCIDN chairman David Kogan. i n d u s t r y. A n um b er ha ve s i n c e a u di ti o n ed private sector scored the BBC significantly fo r t v pa r t s a nd ot h e r s w e r e i nv i te d to higher (90 percent) than the average (57 ACCESS ALL AREAS m e et t he BB C co m edy tea m a t a sp e c ia l percent) of 80 UK organisations taking In the first half of the year, all the BBC’s s e s s i o n i n L o n d o n . part. The results from the Employers main channels exceeded their Ofcom Forum on Disability found that the BBC targets for providing subtitling, audio PROGRESS ON PORTRAYAL was most successful in working to ensure description (AD) and signing. BBC Three Targets set in 2004 for the portrayal of disability equality in areas like training, more than doubled its AD quota under disabled people on tv included: promotion, workplace design and the code on television access services, • a regular disabled character in a employee support. Development of with only the CBBC channel dipping returning BBC One drama equality goals in marketing was singled slightly (one percent) below its target for • two disabled extras out of every out as a future priority. subtitling. The BBC remains the only hundred across all BBC One drama broadcaster committed to 100 percent • three top entertainment shows on the MY WEB, MY WAY subtitling by 2008. main channels to feature a minimum of Working with computing and disability one disabled contestant in 50 charity AbilityNet, the BBC has launched DISABLED ACTORS FUND • one BBC Three entertainment or drama the My Web, My Way website, giving The BBC pa rtn ered Channel 4 and T h e series with a regular disabled character. advice on how people can customise A ctors Ce nt res to laun ch the Ta l e nt Fun d There is no formal monitoring system, their computers to make the most of the fo r D i sa b l e d Ac to r s – a b u r sa r y s ch e m e although some progress has been made internet, whether they’re able-bodied or d esign ed to in c rea se the pool of di sa b l ed against these targets in the last year. disabled. Visit bbc.co.uk/accessibility/

▼▼▼ 4 Investorsin peop l e , t i m e a n d ideas The power of some of our biggest programmes and team work on the ground have had impact on lives and in communities COMMUNITY Sportssummitsare allaction hen Olympic 400 metre champion Michael Johnson shared a W platform with 24-year old single mother Natasha Burleigh at the BBC’s national sport summit in March, it was the culmination of three months’ intense work to explore solutions to some of the major challenges f acing sport in the UK. Johnson was just one of the elite athletes who lent support to BBC Sport’s 13 regional summits, which brought Michael Johnson discusses the UK’s big together a wide range of sport leaders, sporting challenges at the BBC summit participants and enthusiasts. Burleigh’s own s t o r y, of how a local sports project restored her venues in plot lines. BBC Sport itself has self esteem after drugs and depression wrecked u n d e r taken to train members of sports her life, was an inspirational reminder of the governing bodies in handling the media. power of sport at grass roots level. Ideas and action plans generated have been The summits were organised with Sport fed back to government and key sporting England, UK Sport, SportScotland and the bodies. Sport minister Richard Caborn has Sports Councils for Wales and Northern Ireland already praised the summits’ success in and designed to be calls to action rather than informing decision makers. talking shops. They produced not just ideas, Of the 700 delegates who attended, 97 Digital urban music station but pledges to be fulfilled by set dates and percent said they would come to another ■ 1Xtra offers work experience to ranged from developing one accreditation that summit, 75 percent pledged to take action and a different young person every week would allow volunteers to work with young 85 percent said they had met new people who people in all sports, to village sports days and shared their agenda. of the year as part of its aim to investigating tax breaks for cyclists. As part of its aim to use partnerships to attract talent from groups who Trevor Smith of the Youth Sport Tr u s t maximise the public value of its sports rights, might not think the BBC is for them. pledged to ask the producers of all British BBC Sport is examining ways to take the Great if you live in London, but what soaps to include more sport and sporting initiative forward, including Olympic summits. about Leeds, Bristol or Cardiff? They were just three stops on the Newwaveradiotalent station’s six-city autumn tour, where the team staged day-long RADIOSTOKEGAVE350TEENAGERSAT16 ‘This is very di ffere nt material t hat we sc h o ol s th e c h a n ce to c reate m o re t ha n 3 0 w o u l d no r ma l l y m is s , f ro m a di ffe re nt workshops in production, music ho u r s o f o rig i na l p rog ra m m i ng t h ro u gh t h e a u d i e n ce w i t h p l en t y to s ay,’ exp l a in s mixing, presentation, interviewing s tat i on ’ s Ma ki ng W ave s s to ry te l l i ng a n d exe c u ti ve p ro d u c er S a ra h H a r n es s . and online production. Content m edia litera cy p ro j e ct. M at eri a l p r o d u ced i s b e in g u s ed a c ro s s produced by the students was W o rkin g w i t h a p ro d u c er ove r f ive we e ks , l o c a l sc h o ol s in c i ti ze n s h ip l es s on s a nd s tu d e nt s ha ve l ea r n ed a b ou t n e w s- t ea ch e rs rep o r t i n c rea s ed c o nf i d e n ce a n d played in the breakfast show and gat h erin g , a u di e n ces , edi to ri a l d ec i si o n s , c a re e r a s p ira t io n a m o ng th e y o un g p eo p l e feedback from the trainees has been re co rding and editing. Over the last 18 t a kin g p a r t , H a r n es s s ay s . ‘enthusiastic’, says executive m o nt h s , t h e m es c o vered in fea t u res A si s t er p ro j e c t , I n si de L ives , ha s ta u gh t producer Jane Morris. b roa d ca s t a cro ss Ra di o St o ke’ s ma i n s t rea m Sto ke ’ s o l der l i s t e n er s t o w rit e, re co rd a n d p rog ra m m es ha ve in c l u d e d b u l l y in g , b r oa d ca s t t h e i r ow n s to r i es . Tw e nt y a re (Pictured) Sherika Graham from s tere o t yp es , c r im e, s exu a l i t y, ra c i sm , p l ay ed ea c h m o nt h a nd s o m e o f t h e b es t Bristol gets some turntable tips from p h ob ia s a n d b ing o . O n l in e c o nte nt h a s w ere h ea rd o n R a dio 4’ s Pick of the We ek 1Xtra dj Jason Mitchell. be en ca r r i ed o n t h e l oc a l W h e re I Li ve si te . and BBC 7. Inside Lives res um es in 2006. ▼▼▼ 5 COMMUNITY Dramatic Caughtonfilm opportunity r ua nting is an issue t hat affe ct s t ra in 36 stu d e nts and tea ch ers fro m Over three days in August a BBC ma ny sch ools, but w hat if it were Lo n don (Pe ckham and Wi l l esden) and Wales production team shot a 15- T tea ch ers, not pupils, bun king off? Mi d d l esb ro ugh to sh oot and edit sh o rt minute film in Cardiff that the The hilarious co n se q u e n ces of just t hat films, using loa n ed Sony DV ca m eras and Barnardos Cymru organisation will sce na rio was the theme of a film made by AVID soft wa re. The res u lting fo u r- m in ute use to spearhead an awareness 1 4- 15 yea r olds from Pe ckham w h o se wo rk films, ta king in dra ma, music montage campaign about the largely hidden was sc re e n ed at a BBC film fes tival in May, and news rep o rts, were sc re e n ed at t h e exploitation of young people co n c l u ding a yea r- l o ngt ra in ing scheme at May fes tival, w h ere t ra in e es also met through prostitution. t h ree cit y a ca d e m i es . exp eri e n ced t v film ma kers. Written and produced by Damian Programme ma kers from DEC, nati o n s S tu d e nts a re n o w pa s sin g on t h e i r s ki l l s George and directed by Phil and regions, plus the BBC’s t ra in ing w it h in t h e ir own and ot h er l o cal sch oo l s . Higginson, the drama was divi sion and CSR team poo l ed res o u rces to performed by students from the Welsh College of Music and Drama and professional actors, with post production and editing completed at BBC Cardiff. Cast, crew, and the entire Pi ctu red: BBC production team were volunteers tra in er Ro s s and much of the work was done in J a m es (right ) their own time. For George, an and sch em e operations co-ordinator with some c o - o rd ina t o r tv writing experience, and Fi ona Ma c b eth Higginson, who usually directs w i th P e ckh a m promos, the voluntary scheme was a A c a d em y fi l m rare opportunity to make a drama. ma kers at th e BBC Wales is now talking to the fes ti va l . RNLI – another of the 13 voluntary organisations which it partners – about making an information video for schools on the institute’s work.

VOLUNTEERS Storiestoinspiremillions

elevision, radio and online have campaign launching in October, almost inspired mass audiences to take 2400 had registered their details on the Taction, with some dramatic Radio 2 website at outcomes in 2005. bbc.co.uk/radio2/time2share or by August's week long DoNation season, freephone 0800 022 022 - their areas of highlighting the critical issue of organ interest and post code passed to the donation, ran across all media and was TimeBank charity to match with local directly responsible for adding 100,000 volunteering opportunities. extra names to the organ donor register - A thousand volunteered in the first week - 12 times the average weekly UK as many as TimeBank expects when ten registration. During the week, seven campaigns are running at once. million viewers tuned into the first ever In June, the BBC Action Network website Casualty at Holby City interactive episode established itself as a portal to the world where the audience decided which of two of volunteering during national Volunteers’ patients should receive a transplant – Week. With direct promotion from the BBC 100,000 voting for the conclusion of the homepage, hits to the site more than drama. The website achieved almost half a trebled during the week. Online stories million hits. ranged from volunteers helping women This autumn, an on-air and online trafficked into the sex industry to rural partnership between Radio 2 and TimeBank toad wardens, and helped connect up to Pushing home the DoNation message: has prompted thousands of new volunteers 80,000 users a day to more than 20 Casualty cast members Susan Cookson to sign up to give time in their community. specialist partner organisations, including (Maggie), Simon MacCorkindale (Harry) Within four weeks of the Time 2 Share the database do-it.org.uk. and James Redmond (Abs). ▼▼▼ 6 VOLUNTEERS

Emilio, from Pictor Whybehalf School, with producers Victoria hearted? Roye and Rachel Pinkney Jane Mote is forever in the future and never forgets the past: ‘You only get one life,’ she says, ‘why do anything that is half hearted?’ The former creator and executive editor of BBC London is off, out of the BBC, for three weeks to Uganda next month to help establish the Ugandan Arts and Media Academy, a skills develop- ment initiative for young Africans, with a former trainee recruit that she brought to the BBC nearly five years ago as part of her own diversity development programme for the new service. ‘I like to see the whole thing through - you can’t be dispassionate. You’ve got to keep Manchester the momentum for change going,’ she argues. Fo r the last t h ree years, Jane ha s master been the enigmatic and energeti c co nt r o l l e r o f t h e C o m m un it y C h a n n e l , strokes t a kin g it fr o m ob sc u r it y t o s e r i o u s p a rtn er s h ip a n d m ea s u ra b l e d e l i ve r y w ith the we ight of the BBC, Sky, Pa ct, The Home Off i ce, ITV, Channel 4 a n d ot h e r s s ig n i ng u p t o b a c k J a n e ’ s olunteers from BBC Entertainment in programme makers helped them get the best out m i s sion to ma ke co m m un it y Manchester have used two of the best of a young contestant with Asperger’s in a te l evi si o n co m p e l l ing. Vknown programme formats to create subsequent series, says Caroline Roberts, the N ow at the end of a BBC ca re er t hat imaginative off-air events, make a difference to show’s executive producer. Six hundred people s t a rte d i n 19 89 in B B C Wa l e s , J a n e local young people and get closer to a variety of called a special advice line on Asperger’s after that l e av e s w ith a t ra ck r e c o rd a ff i r m ed a u d i e n c e s . programme went out. a c r o s s t h e v o l u n t a r y s e cto r a n d t h e t v After a young autistic contestant had real Roberts is also the exec behind a impact on an edition of Junior Mastermind,the collaboration between Question of Sport, in d u s t r y as t he wo man wh o b ro u ght producers had the idea of taking the famous Lancashire County Cricket Club and Manchester spa rkle and pa s sion to w hat ot h er s black chair out to the Pictor School in Cheshire, schools and business which allowed students ca l l ed wo rt hy b ut dull. Her s u ccess is attended by children with autism and Asperger’s from schools with ‘aim higher’ status to have r o o te d i n u n d e n i a b l e s t r e ng t h s - Syndrome, to allow other children who find it professional coaching and to learn to edit films u t t e r l y p e r s o n a b l e , a l w ay s hard to communicate to shine at their specialist the BBC team recorded of their experience. The a p p roa chable, co m m it ted, se l f subject. A 12 year old boy who chose Harry Potter best reviews of the coaching day were published e ffa c in g y et r ob u s t l y s t r o n g min d ed , as his speciality beat David Blunkett’s broadcast on the QoS website and the winners and their on the side of the weak, supporting performance on the same subject. classmates invited to a recording of the the di sco n n e cted, ever p rofes si o na l , The children who took part, answering programme. Separately, an off-air charity fo rever the vi si o na r y, neve r questions voiced specially by John Humphrys, Question of Sport helped support Sport Relief d e s p o n d e n t . To b e s o re l y m i s se d . were recorded and went away with edited ta p e s and the cricket project has inspired a new Michael Hastings of their performance, complete with music and collaboration with Manchester City FC. head of BBC corporate social b u z z e r. After positive feedback from teachers, • More than 3000 people have volunteered responsibility the team hopes to repeat the exercise with other through the staff scheme Connecting with special schools. Insights gained by the Communities since it began in 2003. ▼▼▼ 7 ENVIRONMENT Let’s g i v e t h e n a t i o n somebreathingspace

p r i n g w a t c h was broadcast in 2005 on BBC Two, showing the advance of Down among the S spring using sightings and wildlife from daffs: Springwatch around the UK and focusing on iconic spring presenter Bill species, including courting grebes, boxing hares Oddie gives a call and spawning toads. to action. But it was more than a one-off conservation programme. It has sparked a series of mass audience participation activities around the conservation of landscape and wildlife. And under the wider multi-media campaign Breathing Space, the long term goal is to mobilise a million people to significantly increase the UK’s wildlife-friendly green spaces and heighten awareness and understanding of nature – literally create breathing spaces for people and wildlife. To engage this amount of people requires a s u s tained, cross-platform approach – joined up messages across tv, radio and the internet. Through the Springwatch Survey 2005 on bbc.co.uk, audiences could directly participate in a national mapping survey and access further information and message boards. The survey itself showed that climate change factors were already influencing the UK: ● bumblebees and butterflies were being seen three weeks earlier than 30 years ago ● hawthorn bushes flowered about two and a half weeks earlier than they did 30 years ago ● swifts arrived about a week earlier this year than in recent warm years ● one species of bumblebee is raising an extra generation due to milder winters. Therewerealsoarangeofassociated

Growingcoverage programmes, including Spring Trilogy, Birdsong businesses. Guide, Living World and a Woman’s Hour special The Breathing Space campaign will continue forclimatechange on how weather affects wildlife, all on Radio 4. into 2006 with A u t u m n w a t c h and other MEDIA 2004-5 2003-4 The BBC’s Video Nation scheme allowed programmes including Dirty We e k e n d (BBC One N ews & Cu rre nt 168 items 71 items people to contribute by producing their own 2007), Nature of Britain (BBC One 2007) and Affairs ‘breathing space’ video which can be viewed on Greatest Garden (BBC One and Two, 2008). Children’s 7 items 5 items the Video Nation website. On the ground, these Further audience engagement initiatives will be Radio 96 items 68 items activities were supported by a range of partner developed around climate change in early 2006 Online news 292 items 123items organisations – from wildlife trusts to local and an international conservation fund raising authorities, the Big Lottery Fund to local campaign in 2007. ▼▼▼ 8 ENVIRONMENT ‘Thankyoufor bothering…’ by David Shukman, environment and science correspondent, BBC News

nvironmentalists sometimes accuse us We have to tread carefully though.Catastrophic of not taking climate change seriously events like Hurricane Katrina can be all too Eenough while sceptics say we accept readily blamed on global warming and then the warnings of global warming too our task is to explain what the science can unquestioningly. Both views can seem rather answer and what it cannot. unfair when you’re in the teeth of a howling Whatever the verdict, climate change is gale on the Greenland ice-sheet trying to report moving up the agenda and for many of us there on the latest findings of a team of NASA are busy times ahead. scientists. • David Shukman is pictured reporting from the Arctic To my knowledge no other news organisation has devoted anything like the same effort to grappling with the frontline realities of climate change science. From a research plane recording the melting of the Antarctic ice to a mountaintop post in Hawaii Howweperformed monitoring the rise in greenhouse gases, I have encountered the same relieved response from These charts summarise progress on Climate Change Levy exempt sources scientists: ‘Thank you for bothering – nobody key BBC performance indicators. such as hydroelectric power stations, else does.’ The waste indicators show real wind farms and gas from landfill sites. In my own experience, BBC News is improvement in terms of increasing Transport CO2 emissions increased over prepared to dig deep to bring viewers closer to the proportions of recycled waste (to 2004, reflecting international the climate change story. In July 2004, BBC just below an ambitious target) and priorities. Measures have been News24 commissioned reports from as far reducing total waste produced introduced to increase efficiency of afield as Alaska and the Gobi desert as part of a (exceeding the target). vehicles and travel which should result special Global Warning week. In the same way, Total CO2 emissions reduced in a decrease over the longer term. the Ten O’Clock News has now agreed to send me significantly in 2004 – reflecting to the farthest corners of the planet to report on approximately 95% of all electricity Full information is at the latest research. And this is part of a pattern. used at the BBC being sourced from bbc.co.uk/info/environment Numbers never tell you the whole story but an internal study in June 2005 found that over the previous year many BBC programmes were now covering climate change twice as often. From Look North to Jeremy Vine to the BBC news website, editors are clearly sensing the subject’s growing importance. When new data revealed that the Arctic ice was vanishing at an accelerating rate, the Ten O’Clock News chose it to lead that night’s bulletin. But the recognition stretches more broadly as well: the fact that programmes like Springwatch, Blue Peter, Working Lunch and Gardener’s World have also covered climate change illustrates how it touches all our lives. Are we doing enough? No one in my shoes would ever think so. Like with any long- running story, hooks and bursts of activity are needed to catch an editor’s eye and all of us regularly engaged on this topic would like to see more of it on air.

▼▼▼ 9 GIVING Pudseytakestheglovesoff by Sally Deighan, chief executive, So, the need looms as large as ever: that the BBC Children in Need organisation will BBC Children in Need ● Nearly 1000 children aged 5-7 provide 50 or develop into more than just an effective grant more hours of care to siblings or parents every m a k e r. It should also become an organisation BC Children in Need. What is it? To week that will do its own bit to help provoke change most people it is one night of television ● 15,000 children aged 16 and under are forced and play a real part in resolving the underlying Bwhich raises lots of money, and oh… it to leave home by their parents each year – they causes of need. So how are we going to do this? has a yellow bear with an eye bandage as its are known as ‘the thrown away children’ Well, to begin with, the charity will soon be mascot. That’s the answer most members of ● Every day at least one young man aged 15-24 s tarting to form dynamic relationships with the public would give and, in truth, so would a commits suicide in the UK other charities who share the same vision. We large number of BBC staff. will exchange ideas and Taking up my post as chief executivelast year ‘THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME. create joint initiatives and with a brief to modernise and develop BBC strategies that will aim to Children in Need for the future was, on first PLAY THERAPY HAS HELPED ME create lasting change. inspection, a daunting task but an exciting WITH THE NASTY MAN.’LILA, AGED 7 From a broadcasting challenge. After all, this is a charity owned by perspective, we need the the BBC, which has enjoyed 25 years of BBC to strengthen its unrivalled success and growth. ● It costs on average three times per year more resolve to raise awareness as to the issues facing Pudsey is one of Britain’s most recognised to bring up a child with disabilities compared children and young people in the UK today. I and cherished brands and the programme is one to an able bodied child. will be asking programme makers to continue of the most viewed Friday nights of television Through the collective efforts of BBC to bring to life the experiences of these young across the year. With such a success rate you programme makers, staff, fundraisers, people and to raise their efforts into provoking could argue – ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. volunteers, corporate supporters and the debate, exploring the causes behind the issues. However, hand in hand with the rise in the thousands of pledge donations, a lot has been All children deserve to reach their full success of the charity, has been a rise in the done to alleviate the suffering of some of these potential. In partnership with others, BBC need that exists among children and young children and young people. But imagine how Children in Need aims to make this a reality. people across the UK. Last year, the appeal much more effective we could be if we tried to The aim is ambitious, but we think it’s a goal raised a record £34.1 million. We had requests eradicate some of the need in the first place? worth striving for. from projects for more than five times that That is the next part of our journey. To make a donation visit bbc.co.uk/Pudsey amount–astaggering £175m. It is the intention of the Trustees and myself or call 0845 733 2233 (local call).

In your face: a striking campaign image from the 2005 appeal reflects a tougher, proactive role for Children in Need ▼▼▼ 10 GIVING

DJ Shai in action in clubland: the bursary Target will help him develop presentation ‘below skills radar’ talent

J Shai (Ali Boksh) from Newport, each awa rd ed £10,000 – money a l l o cated Almost 50 were intervi ewed and among Wales is a self-starter. He has from the Fame Aca d e my Bu r sa ry, set up in the bursa ry w in n ers were Capo (Chri s Destablished himself as a club dj 2 0 03 w ith £2.7m ra i sed during the BBC Ste n n ett), a Lo n don dvd pro d u cer w h o se playing urban and dance music, set up his One seri es . awa rd will buy t ra in ing in ca m era ski l l s own company to promote and stage events The new u rban awa rd aim ed to identi fy and busin ess planning; Otilla Ordog fro m and presents two weekend shows on a yo ung people w ith ta l e nt and prove n Ma n ch es ter, an artist ma nager and ta l e nt community radio station. Now he wants to in itiative, who would benef it from help to p ro m oter who wa nts to lea rn about create a mainstream radio show for 18-30 m ove on to the next level, but who were ma rketing; and Mayo r ( Daniel Eva n s ) , year olds, covering the dance/urban scene p roba b l y ‘ b e l o w t h e B B C ra d a r ’ , e x p l a i n s fo un d er of his own hip-hop re co rd label in Wales. He knows he needs to develop Lo rna Clarke, the BBC New Ta l e nt exe c utive in Ca rdi ff, who wa nts t ra in ing in stu di o his presentation skills. That’s where the b e h ind t h e s ch e m e . e ng in e ering. £5000 in support he has just won through ‘ We weren’t sure a BBC advert would draw ‘It’s not about the money,’ says DJ Shai. ‘I the BBC Urban Bursary Awards could help. in the people this is aim ed at, so we co u l dn’t buy the net wo rk of co nta cts t hat Ali was one of 17 candidates shortlisted re l i ed in s tead on a nati o nal net wo rk of this exp eri e n ce has given me.’ from 150 nominees to attend a three-day yo uth lea d ers, pro m oters and co m m un it y • By the end of 2005, the Fame Aca d e my workshop in Manchester. Nine others also m u sic wo rkers to act as nominators fo r Bu r sa ry will have sp e nt £1.25m helping received £5000 and the top seven were ca n di d ates in t h e ir a rea . ’ yo ung music ma ker s .

Everypennycounts

hen your vision is ‘a affected by poverty and social just world, free from injustice. The operation costs W poverty’, you need all money, but this is covered in a the support you can get to range of ingenious ways, achieve your ambitions. including licence fees for Red Nose In 2005, Comic Relief was backed days and investment income. by more than half the population Over the years Comic Re l i ef ha s – 59 percent got involved in a d dres sed di ff i c u l t is sue s fro m raising money for the March the AIDS cri sis in Afri ca to appeal – and in its 20th year, and h o m e l es sn e ss a nd do m es ti c the 10th anniversary of Red Nose vi o l e n ce in the UK. Thi s yea r wa s Day, the charity raised a record no di ffere nt, when elder a b u se £65m. The appeal night audience was firm l y on the agenda. Co m i c peaked at 12.9m and 300 Re l i ef played a key role in t h e celebrities took part. More records Ma ke P ove r t y H i s to r y Ca m pa ign fell on the night. A total of £4.5m w h ere one in t h ree people un d er was donated online in seven 35intheUKwo rethew h iteba n d hours and £1.5m contributed via symbol and more t han 1,25 0 Lenny Henry meets children from a Comic interactive television. And as with m u sic artists supported t h e Relief-supported project in Ethiopia past appeals, every penny ca u se. Nea r l y 3 .8bn people tun ed donated by the public has gone to into the ten global Live8 co n cert s help people around the world i n J u l y.

▼▼▼ 11 INTERNATIONAL

Schoolboys from Government College, Lagos, pictured during a World Class trip to Nigeria by Burleigh Community College, Loughborough Aworldclassidea– andit’sspreading he day that BBC Breakfast reported live from Sher Moi Southlake partners. Since its association with World Class, enquiries to the charity have primary school in Kenya, about its twinning relationship with increased ten times. T St Matthew’s School in Preston, 400 other UK schools signed The online guide to twinning makes clear that this is not about charity up to twin with schools in Africa through BBC World Class. Three and fundraising but about what two schools can share in a learning hundred more joined during that World Class Africa week in July via the partnership. As with a joint art project about reconciliation mounted by BBC web site at www. b b c . c o . u k / w o r l d c l a s s , pushing the total number of twinned schools to 1720. The target had been 1000. ‘WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEXT In a year when the eyes of the world were on GENERATION TO LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER’ Africa, the BBC used its World Class partnership project – part of the extensive Africa Lives on the FEEDBACK ON WORLD CLASS FROM PARK JUNIOR SCHOOL, STONEHOUSE BBC season– to help increase international u n d e r s tanding and challenge stereotypes by linking pupils and teachers a Falls Road school in Belfast and its twinned school in South Africa, the across continents. It was a collaboration with expert twinning relationship can be as much about what they have in common as what organisations like the British Council and internally, with output teams makes them different, explains World Class project leader Virginia that included Radio Five Live, CBBC’s X c h a n g e, BBC 7’s Big To e c h i l d r e n ’ s Crompton. radio show, BBC Four, BBC nations and regions, World Service and The editorial legacy for the BBC is ongoing, she says. Plans include the bbc.co.uk. The project has provided original content for audiences and Radio 4 Food Programme’s international school dinners survey, using Wo r l d inspired them to get involved. In turn, real stories about twinning schools Class, and links to BBC World Class African schools during BBC Three’s have fed back into programmes. Big To e alone generated 50 hours of live coverage of next year’s African Cup of Nations. radio and online, the Bigger Picture created a post-card exchange between ❥ Since the earthquake in Pakistan, World Class has been working with 12,000 children from twinned schools. the British Council in Islamabad to twin 150 schools from the region There have been mutual benefits. BBC Four’s eight-part documenta r y with UK counterparts. Forty UK schools signed up within days of the series African School was filmed in Uganda with help from the education project being featured on BBC Breakfast. The aim now is for more news charity Link Community Development, one of World Class Africa’s key programmes to use the World Class network of contacts and stories. ▼▼▼ 12 INTERNATIONAL

TestingtimesforBasra’sneweststation

BC Radio had been around technical infrastructure, initial for decades before it training and programming advice. B experimented with rolling The station team spans a range of news. Al Mirbad, the newest and only local communities and nearly 20 independent broadcaster in southern percent are female, many of them Iraq, had been on air just four months front line presenters. when it ditched its launch schedules Project director Abir Awad doesn’t to present virtually continuous underestimate the importance of coverage of October’s historic local autonomy: ‘The team in Basra, referendum on the Iraqi constitution. and we at World Service Trust, take Journalists reported live from immense pride in the fact that this is polling stations in Basra and other an Iraqi station – built by Iraqis with southern cities, while at the studio, Iraqi staff providing wholly Iraqi the phone lines opened to allow content to their community.’ ordinary Iraqis to have their say. That And while formal audience night, the fledgling tv service research has still to be conducted, broadcast a special magazine early feedback is very positive, with programme, capturing and analysing anecdotal evidence suggesting that the day’s events. Broadcasting to a the station already has a substantial largely Shia audience, the station following, Awad says. carried live studio debates in the run Special seasons of programmes up to October 15, airing all shades of for Ramadan, also in October, were opinion. Perhaps more remarkable produced on radio and tv. Before the still is that many of Al Mirbad’s 140 staff are young Iraqis who had Iraqis go to the polls again in December, the Trust will provide tailored never set foot in a studio before the eight-hour daily radio service election coverage training for editors. ‘The station is building a launched in June. The tv channel followed in August with its nightly reputation for holding the powerful to account,’ says Richard Lucas, the mix of locally produced news, sport, personality chat and music. Trust’s senior consultant of the project. ‘The elections are bound to be The £6.7m station is the biggest media reconstruction project ever its biggest test to date.’ mounted by the BBC’s independent international charity, BBC World Al Mirbad is funded until September 2006. Staff in Basra and at the Service Trust. Funded by the Department for International World Service Trust are developing a business plan to attract further Development, Al Mirbad is Iraqi run – the Trust providing only support from international and local sources.

WHAT CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEANS AT THE BBC

A l o ng s i d e t h e B BC ’ s co r e mi s s i o n t o i nfo r m , e d u c at e an d dire cto r of strategy. Ma rk Thompson cha irs a CSR boa rd e nter t a in , t h e o rga n i sa ti o n ha s p le d ge d i t s e lf t o b e a w h i ch provi d es overall dire ction, more t han 100 staff res p o n s i b le co rp o rat e ci t i ze n – a c ti ng i n t h e p u b l i c t a ke pa rt in r egu l a r fo r u m s t o d e ve lo p p r o ce s s e s a nd interest to stre ngthen and enri ch co m m un iti es acro s s b est p ra cti ce a n d a BB C g o ver n o r ta ke s s p e c i a l in ter es t i n t h e U K an d in ter n at i o na l l y. CSR issues . We h ave fo r m a l l y d e f i n ed t h at ro le a s ‘ l ivi ng o u r va l u e s I n ad d i t i o n , t h e B BC be n ch m a r k s i t s p e r f o r ma n c e w it h in teg ri t y a nd et h i c a l co n si s t e n cy to w a r d s o ur o w n aga in s t ot h e r l a rge o rga n i s at i o n s , fo r i n s ta n c e t h ro u gh pe o p l e, o u r a u d i e n c es , o ur b u s in e s s s u pp l ier s an d t h e Bu si n es s i n t h e C o m m u n it y’ s co r p o rate re s p o n s i b i l i t y co m m u n it i e s i n w h i c h w e o p erate ’ . i n d ex an d e nv iro n m e nt i n d ex . We ra n ked 3 2 n d a nd 6 1 s t To co - o rdinate t hat strategy, the BBC co rp o rate socia l r es p e cti ve l y l as t yea r, a nd f i r s t a m o ng U K b r o a d c a s t er s . res p o n s i b i l i t y ( CSR) tea m w a s s et up i n 2 0 03 un d e r • Co nta ct the CSR team at MC4 C6, Media Ce nt re, 201 Mi c ha e l H a s t i ng s , re p o r t i ng to C a r o l in e T h o m s o n , W oo d La ne, Lo n don W 12 7T S. Ema il c srce nt re @ b b c. co . uk

▼▼▼ 13 USEFULWEBSITES

Internal BBC Action Network bbc.co.uk/actionnetwork

BBC Children in Need bbc.co.uk/pudsey

BBC Environment bbc.co.uk/info/environment/

BBC Partnerships bbc.co.uk/partnerships

BBC National Sport Summit bbc.co.uk/sportsummit/

Beyond Boundaries bbc.co.uk/ouch/tvradio/beyondboundaries/

Breathingspace bbc.co.uk/breathingspace

DoNation bbc.co.uk/donation

Fame Academy Bursary bbc.co.uk/newtalent/fameacademybursary/

Inside Lives bbc.co.uk/stoke/community_life/inside_lives/

Making Waves bbc.co.uk/stoke/making_waves/

My Web, My Way bbc.co.uk/accessibility

RaW (Read and Write) bbc.co.uk/raw

Springwatch bbc.co.uk/springwatch

Talent Fund for Disabled Actors bbc.co.uk/jobs/talentfund

Time 2 Share bbc.co.uk/radio2/timeshare

Video Nation bbc.co.uk/videonation/

World Class Africa bbc.co.uk/worldclass

WW2 People’s War bbc.co.uk/ww2

External Comic Relief www.comicrelief.org.uk

Community Channel www.communitychannel.org

Employers Forum on Disability www.employers-forum.co.uk

Radio Times Online www.radiotimes.com/

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