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.
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. The Group is currently working on issues around the Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre and has purchased token shares in owners Mitie to further this work. Group contacts: Bob Nind and Bridget Walker.ECCR West Midlands Group formed in September 2008. The group meets quarterly and tries to engage with local businesses and business people. The group hosted the successful public launch of ECCR's report The Banks and Society: Rebuilding Trust in March 2011 and is currently undertaking follow-up work on a variety of banking issues. Group membership covers a wide geographical area from Birmingham to Worcestershire. Group contact: Barbara Hayes.
ECCR London and South East Group was launched at the Mount Street Jesuit Centre, London in May 2010 and meets about every 6 months. It has recently started to undertake work on banking issues in response to the The Banks and Society: Rebuilding Trust report and particularly plans to engage with Santander. ECCR has many members in this part of the country. For more information about the group and how to join its work on banking please contact Helen Boothroyd.If you are interested in linking up with ECCR's Oxford Group, West Midlands 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.
Past groups:
ECCR South West Group was formed in 2008 with the intention to focus on encouraging large local companies to increase their responsible management of supply chains, with particular regard to mainstreaming Fair Trade.
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.
