Testimonials
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Angus Davison, Chair, Haygrove Plc.
“It has been and is interesting working with Concern Universal. We have do… “It has been and is interesting working with Concern Universal. We have done this since 2003, due to desire to act upon belief that 1. the charity and business sectors can mutually prosper by working much more closely, and the world would be a better place for this. 2. Perception by consumers and staff and society in general of the definition of 'business' is (as ever) changing. Such that we believe it will one day be expected by the stakeholders of EVERY business, large and small, that it acts significantly and genuinely and using its skills, within what will historically have been called the charity sector. The evidence of benefit to those who do now is mounting. So good business is to be at the front, assisting the current, not a laggard To that end we at Haygrove (an horticultural and manufacturing business in Herefordshire) initiated in design, helped significantly in the early management, and have since given proactive guidance to a non profit horticultural fresh produce marketing co called Gambia is Good started with Concern Universal - and provided annual funding. Its objective is to stimulate personal and village economic opportunity and growth, and food security, by substituting imported fresh food for locally produced. It has been broadly so far successful, recognised by numerous awards, but has far to go yet to scale. Working with Concern Universal for this has been an education in the extremely high level of commitment and talent within the 'charity' sector. Also of point 1 that this quite excellent NGO appears to us to have become more effective still by adapting to more business thinking, which they have moved towards admirably and may be leaders of now in their sector. We have been slower moving, have learned respect for the challenges and the value of consensus, and have hugely benefited from staff visits and interaction. We thoroughly recommend CU as partners to anyone in business, as a dating agency of the future between organisations of those who have drawn the short straw and of those who can help them with confidence.”
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Conor Fox & John O'Connor, Hestian Innovation
“Hestian is a Carbon Developer that partners with organisations across a n… “Hestian is a Carbon Developer that partners with organisations across a number of Least Developed Countries to harness sustainable carbon market financing for development projects. This is achieved through demonstrating the Carbon Dioxide emission reduction potential of development activities and registering the project activities with recognised carbon standards with a view to issuing marketable carbon credits. Hestian is managed by Conor Fox and John O’Connor. Hestian has been operating in Malawi for approximately 3 years and in that time has come to know Concern Universal as perhaps the most effective NGO in the country. Concern Universal and Hestian are partnering to achieve sustainable long-term carbon financing for an improved mbaula cook stoves project in the Balaka district of Malawi. The carbon project is hoped to result in up to 21 years of carbon revenue for the project resulting from sales of project-specific credits and long-term carbon-sensitized management and monitoring of the project. Hestian works closely and regularly with CU management and staff in Malawi and views the CU organisation as an immensely competent, adaptive and flexible partner with rare vision. Hestian aspires to long-term partnership with CU.”
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David Hitchiner, Advisor to CU Board
“What I particularly appreciate about CU is the commitment it has to the p… “What I particularly appreciate about CU is the commitment it has to the people it is supporting in each country. It measures its success by how well it achieves its objectives rather its size or prominence. It also seeks sustainable solutions rather than short term ones. “ (David is a solicitor and chartered secretary. He worked in London for 8 years, became a partner in a law firm in Birmingham in 1985 and moved to Cadbury Schweppes in 1990. He became involved with CU in 2000 while working at Bulmers as Deputy Company Secretary where he took a particular interest in Bulmer’s sustainability programme. As advisor to the CU Board, David provides input on legal and governance issues.)
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John Bothamley, Chair, Four Acre Trust
“We have supported Concern Universal for several years and are hugely impr… “We have supported Concern Universal for several years and are hugely impressed by the dedication of their staff, both here and abroad. There is a true ethos running through the organization which we observed first hand on a field trip to the Gambia in 2007. Any organization wanting to support a charity working in poor countries could not do better than backing CU.”
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Laura Vickery, International Development Manager, Co-Op Group
“I have been working with Concern Universal in my capacity as Internationa… “I have been working with Concern Universal in my capacity as International Development Manager for The Co-operative Group for the best part of two years now. Following an introduction to Ian Williams by a mutual acquaintance, it became quickly apparent that The Co-operative Group and Concern Universal have complimentary ideas about what successful development looks like. The particular project on which we are currently collaborating is a three year development project in Malawi, benefitting the Fairtrade sugar producer communities in the Chikwawa area – some 10,000 people. We already have an existing business relationship with these communities at The Co-operative, given we sell the Fairtrade sugar they produce in our Co-operative Food stores nationwide. The development project is focused on providing three main deliverables: improved access to water, improved sanitation provision and associated hygiene education, and the promotion of low cost fuel-efficient stoves. Concern Universal is the principal delivery partner, helping sensitise and support the communities to best maintain these deliverables. The project is over one year through and progress is going well. I visited the project in May 2010 and was reassured to see that Concern Universal have a great deal of expertise and experience in this area of Malawi, and are trusted and respected by the community members. It is also clear that their Malawi operation is particularly fruitful as they are working on a variety of projects across the country with other business partners and on wider strategic programmes to support the sugar industry, via an EU-facilitated project for example. This is particularly important in helping to maximise their impact in Malawi. I would have no hesitation in recommending them as a professional and highly capable organisation, and they have proved a real pleasure to work with.”
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Louisa Bojesen, CNBC Anchor
“Working as a business/finance Anchor for CNBC for 10 years, I know how im… “Working as a business/finance Anchor for CNBC for 10 years, I know how important it is to be able to stand by something you put on-air. For me, getting involved with CU meant whole-heartedly trusting CU and trusting that I wasn’t going to be wasting my time. Having been introduced to CU through Richard Harvey, I was initially going to get involved with CU as a ‘private person’ volunteering in my spare time. However, the more contact I had with CU and Ian Williams, the CEO of CU, the more apparent it became just how dynamic CU is. It seemed obvious that I instead should help reach and educate people about the issues the world faces as a result of climate change, and also show people the work CU does to help combat these changes. I facilitated and arranged for a freelance producer and camera man to join me in Ghana to follow the work of CU and Richard Harvey. Although never done before (the vast portion of what is shown on the channel is current market moving news), CNBC agreed to give me 30 minutes of air-time for the program to be shown once. A few weeks later, we were in Ghana- being taught about sustainable dry farming, disaster prevention and risk reduction (for example with regards to floods), climate change and the role of the private sector, agribusiness and its impact on poverty, women’s empowerment, etc. I returned to London with 16 tapes, and, again, it was through people believing in the work CU does, that the program was put together on a volunteer basis. Since finishing the program, it has been shown on CNBC more than 75 times, and has been on the main CNBC website for more than a year. I continue to get positive feedback from the business audience that we have from all over the world. CU may do many things, but wasting time is NOT on their list. I have rarely met an organization that is as organized and as dynamic as CU. But then again, as CU would tell me, when you don’t take no for an answer, there is always a way.”
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Michael Keating, Director, Africa Progress Panel
“The Africa Progress Panel (APP) and Concern Universal (CU) began their co… “The Africa Progress Panel (APP) and Concern Universal (CU) began their cooperation in 2008 by seeking to explore ways in which business could contribute to the achievement of the MDGs. At the invitation of APP Chair Kofi Annan, a Business Advisory Group and a Peer Review Group were formed. The APP Secretariat and CU coordinated and supported these groups in their efforts to identify possibilities for the private sector to add social and environmental values while also achieving core business objectives. Despite a relatively small budget, the initiative proved remarkably effective – not least because all business and policy leaders involved contributed their time at no cost. Under the guidance of CU volunteer Richard Harvey and with the support of CU researchers, a substantial report was compiled and later on distilled into a policy brief entitled “Doing Good Business” which was widely disseminated and noted. The APP has rated its collaboration with CU on this initiative highly and looks forward to continuing it in other fields in the future.”
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Sara Howe, Business Sustainability Advisor
(formerly Director of Sustainability for Tata Global Beverages.) “I have w… (formerly Director of Sustainability for Tata Global Beverages.) “I have worked with Concern Universal (CU) for eight years. I first encountered the organisation when in my role as Director of Corporate Responsibility and Communication at The Tetley Group I was seeking a partner for a proposed international development project. Across the period 2003 to 2007 CU and Tetley collaborated on what was for both organisations a groundbreaking multi-faceted project. At its core was the delivery of safe water to over 30,000 people in the tea-growing region of Malawi. The mutual value of the partnership was then enhanced by the development of a range of supporting initiatives: a HR driven programme offering talented Tetley managers the opportunity to undertake a project with CU in Malawi, building organisational capacity and capability whilst themselves benefiting from a unique tailored personal and professional development opportunity development of the Tetley relationship with a local school (in London) using the work in Malawi as unique stimulus material across a range of curriculum areas At the same time as championing the core and support activities I used my background in branding and communication to work with the CU senior management team on the development of a communication strategy for the organisation. Reorganisation at The Tetley Group prevented further joint projects but it has been my pleasure to remain involved with CU on a personal basis through providing pro bono support to Ian and his colleagues as they continue to develop their strategic communications and build a brand identity. Here is why I personally believe others should feel confident in partnering with CU: the charity is populated with seriously great people at a personal and professional level they create sustainable partnerships where all stakeholders have the opportunity to learn and change for the better everything they do is grounded in the people they seek to serve; their dignity and their right to a better future underpin what CU do and don't do and how they do it when it comes to the old bête noire of the ratio of administrative to activity costs they can be sure their money is in safe and prudent hands CU is a learning organisation; they continually seek to develop new capabilities and adopt new business practices to maintain their effectiveness in the ever changing and increasingly competitive environment in which they operate.”
