BBC Corporate Responsibility Performance Review 2014 For more information see bbc.co.uk/outreach FOREWORD The BBC delivers a with across the UK, beyond fantastic service to directly making programmes audiences around the and providing services to our globe, and I am proud audience. to lead one of the most The projects and initiatives creative organisations of set out in this report show the world. the commitment the BBC has to extending the reach of our My aim is that we should be activities, and to working with bold in the work we do and the partners, charities and our way we serve our audiences. own staff. In this document – our I’m immensely proud of this Corporate Responsibility work and I hope you’ll enjoy Performance Review – we reading about it. set out some of the exciting projects that the BBC is engaged Tony Hall Director-General 2 CONTENTS Page Introduction 4 Serving all our audiences 6 Working with charities 22 Sustainability 37 The way we work 43 Looking ahead 63 3 INTRODUCTION by Diane Reid, Head of Outreach & Corporate Responsibility In support of sustaining high unemployment and limited citizenship and civil society, opportunities. After training we launched pilots in London and rehearsals, professional and and Greater Manchester amateur musicians performed of the BBC’s Community a specially commissioned work Doorway programme. This is in front of an audience and an opportunity for community broadcast live on Radio Cumbria. organisations to work with BBC Another of our public purposes staff volunteers on projects which is to bring the UK to the world bring skills, opportunity and and the world to the UK. This This review summarises experience to local initiatives. was certainly the case when the BBC’s work in The volunteers work alongside the World Service’s World Have the area of corporate audience groups we have Your Say teamed up with the responsibility during identified as hard to reach World Service language services the financial year April through traditional broadcasting, and BBC local radio stations to understand better how we to host a series of debates 2013 to March 2014 and can provide programme content looking at issues of interest to is published alongside they will enjoy. different communities in the the BBC Annual Report This year, members of the UK in a landmark collaboration and Accounts. Within BBC’s Philharmonic Orchestra between the BBC’s domestic it, you will be able to worked with the Cumbria Music and international teams. read many and varied Service and the Cumbria Music In January, to coincide with the examples of the way this Hub to form the Cumbrian start of the BBC’s WW1 season, work helps deliver on all Community Orchestra and we launched iWonder, a series of our Public Purposes. Chorus in a region that has of interactive guides designed 4 INTRODUCTION to unlock the learning potential We also aim to show that We are committed to ensuring of BBC programmes, combining we run the BBC responsibly that every household in the world-class story telling with - for example, by embedding country has access to each digital innovation. Later in the environmental sustainability in relevant service on at least one spring, Radio 4 also stimulated the way we work and managing platform free at the point of creativity and cultural excellence the impact of our operations use. We also want to make through its Character Invasion. on the environment. Our sure that our content and Much-loved fictional characters television production teams use services are fully accessible, and took over Radio 4 and audience the albert tool, which enables routinely exceed the targets set events across the country them to calculate and work to by Ofcom for audio description encouraged involvement with reduce their CO2 output, and and signed interpreting. the process of creating drama. are adopting albert+, a new This report is part of the BBC’s We continue to train and scheme to track environmental commitment to transparency develop new talent. Some of improvements. in the way we work. We also this work can also be seen in This responsible approach produce regular updates on the CR Update: Developing extends to procurement and how we run our business, our Musical Talent. This year we have this year the procurement support for communities and built on our track record for team in Wales presented at the work we do to engage, training and development with Procurement Week, highlighting inspire and support audiences of even more apprenticeships as the economic impact on small all ages across the UK. well as those in production, and local suppliers of the Wales Full details can be found at administration and technology. Drama Village. bbc.co.uk/outreach 5 SERVING ALL OUR AUDIENCES Everything we do at the The BBC’s Public We apply these criteria equally BBC – the programmes Purposes are: to the broad range of work we make, the websites we do face-to-face with our • Sustaining citizenship audiences all over the country. we manage, the events and civil society We describe this as outreach we stage – is designed • Promoting education and it helps us understand our to fulfil at least one of and learning audiences better. the six Public Purposes • Stimulating creativity As well as the BBC Outreach as set out by our Royal and cultural excellence & Corporate Responsibility Charter and Agreement. • Representing the UK, department, many areas across its nations, regions and the business use outreach as a way to engage with audiences communities on various different projects. • Bringing the UK to the By meeting people face-to-face world and the world to the UK we learn more about what our varied audiences expect from • Delivering to the public us and how we can better meet the benefit of emerging their needs. communications technologies and services 6 SERVING ALL OUR AUDIENCES BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility Our work, our business This face-to-face work is the story of the work we do to important in helping us get closer ensure our business is managed to our audiences to ensure that responsibly. interesting, exciting and relevant The department encourages staff content is available to everyone. to volunteer and runs projects As technology develops, it that help our workforce connect becomes easier for our audiences more closely with audiences to access our programmes in a and communities across the UK. way that suits them, which means It’s also the department that that it’s even more important to holds our relationship with the understand what they want. voluntary sector. BBC Outreach & Corporate Find out more about the work Responsibility is the department of BBC Outreach & Corporate responsible for engaging with Responsibility by visiting harder to reach audiences. It’s bbc.co.uk/outreach also the department that tells 7 SERVING ALL OUR AUDIENCES The new marketeers A priority audience for our The day began with exclusive said this was a totally new outreach work is those aged previews at the Factory experience, adding that what 16 to 24. This work is vital Youth Zone – a youth centre he had learned would help him in helping us understand the in Harpurhey – and ended at college and beyond, while ways in which this generation with Dragons’ Den style one of the BBC ‘dragons’, Kate consumes media and what it is presentations, seeing the young Phillips, said the event unlocked they expect to consume. people pitching their ideas to genuine creativity and honest BBC Outreach & Corporate BBC marketing teams. On the feedback from the youngsters Responsibility brought BBC way, the young people learned about BBC output. Three together with students how to plan, budget and “We came up with an idea for from Greater Manchester to handle creative treatments. a flash mob on a beach where transform them into television The winning team came up with gradually the sand turned to snow. marketeers for the day. BBC new ways to promote Snow, Sex The ‘dragons’ liked it so much staff shared their experience and Suspicious Parents, a BBC that we won! We couldn’t believe with the 15 to 20 year olds Three series that follows parents it! The BBC people were very before asking them to use their keeping an eye on their teenagers friendly, helpful and creative. I’d newly acquired skills to think of from afar during skiing holidays. never thought of the BBC as being fresh ways to promote some Sixteen-year-old Luis is studying this interactive with the audience.” forthcoming television shows. creative media at college and Luis, aged 16 8 SERVING ALL OUR AUDIENCES Community Doorway BBC Outreach & Corporate The first round of assessments organisations they work with get to Responsibility launched the took place in January 2014 and understand what the BBC can offer Community Doorway at the activities are underway, with them aside from broadcasting. For end of 2013, inviting charities BBC volunteers working with many young people, the experiences and voluntary organisations to organisations on projects such can be transformational and often contact us with their suggestions as creating a music video with spark the desire to work in the for volunteering projects. young people, organising a media. Through our work we try The scheme aims to find fresh community awards evening and to ensure the BBC has a positive and innovative ways to share the producing a stranger-danger film impact in communities where we varied skills of our workforce. for schools. are a large employer.” We prioritise applications from Assessments take place Elizabeth Woodham, Project organisations based on our throughout the year, in January, Manager doorstep in Hammersmith & April, July and October.