Local groups
ECCR supports local groups of members in undertaking work on corporate and investor responsibility. Local ECCR groups have a 'federal' relationship to the organisation as a whole and are corporate associate members. They may act on their own authority as well as in concert with ECCR nationally. Local groups have tended to be concerned with one issue or one company.
Currently there are five local or national groups - the long-standing Oxford Group, the South West Group and West Midlands Group (both formed in 2008), the Ireland Working Group (2009), and the newly launched London and South East Group.
ECCR’s Oxford Group was the first formed. In 1997 it took the lead in sponsoring the first-ever shareholder resolution to a British company (Shell Transport & Trading Plc) on environmental and human rights issues. This arose from long-term work on Shell over several years and related to the company's activities in Ogoni, Nigeria. The group has continued to dialogue with Shell, with ECCR’s partner organisation in the Niger Delta, the Centre for Social and Corporate Responsibility, and with communities in County Mayo, Ireland, affected by Shell’s Corrib gas project. In 2006 the group worked with ECCR nationally to sponsor a further shareholder resolution at Shell’s AGM. Group contacts: Bob Nind and Bridget Walker.
ECCR South West Group was formed in 2008 with an initial focus on encouraging large companies in the South West to increase their responsible management of supply chains, with particular regard to mainstreaming Fair Trade and highlighting bottom-line reputational and market share issues. Group contacts: Matt Crossman (chair), Matt.Crossman@rathbones.com; Jonathan Seagrave (secretary), jon_seagrave@yahoo.co.uk.
ECCR West Midlands Group formed in September 2008. The group meets quarterly to look together at a topic of interest and to try to engage with local businesses and business people. The group hosted a successful public meeting 'Redeeming the Markets' in May 2009. The group is currently working on banking issues. Group membership covers a wide geographical area from Birmingham to Worcestershire. Group contact: Barbara Hayes.
The ECCR Ireland Working Group was established by Irish-based ECCR members and partners following the successful partnership conference 'Companies, Communities and Religious Investors' in Dublin in 2009. The group aims to reach out to a wide circle of organisations, both faith-based and others, interested in issues of corporate and investor responsibility, and to develop work with a focus on Irish-based companies. For more information, please contact Mark Cumming, ECCR Board member and representative of ECCR full member and donor partner Trócaire.
The ECCR London and South East Group was launched at the Mount Street Jesuit Centre, London on 19 May 2010 with a presentation by Dr Robert Howell of the Council for Socially Responsible Investment, New Zealand, on 'Rethinking Ethical Investment in Turbulent Times'. ECCR has many members in this part of the country. For information about the group please contact Helen Boothroyd.
If you are interested in linking up with ECCR's Oxford Group, South West Group or West Midlands Group, Ireland Working Group or London and South East Group, or in
exploring the possibility of setting up a new group in your locality,
please contact ECCR's Church and Membership Relations Officer: helen.boothroyd@eccr.org.uk. ECCR is hoping to form a group in Central Scotland during 2010.
Past groups:
ECCR's Slough Group worked for several years on the activities of AstraZeneca Plc, whose agrochemicals business is based at Jealotts Hill, near Bracknell, not far from Slough. The group regularly attended AstraZeneca's AGMs and frequently raised questions of concern about the company's activities.
ECCR's Northern Group worked on ASDA, based in Leeds and now part of Wal-Mart. The group began work when the company was still independent.
