What Can Brighton Business Do to Help Relieve Poverty in Africa?

Blog by Peter Desmond of Growth International Limited. 

Have you ever wondered what you could do to help improve the livelihoods of people in Africa as well as benefit your own business? 

Many companies already undertake projects in collaboration with government, NGOs, business and academia to assist in the relief of poverty across the world. Some large companies like Unilever have well established commercial projects such as providing small sachets of soap powder at low cost. Smaller entrepreneurial businesses also see commercial opportunities; for example, BBOXX who manufacture solar-powered batteries to replace unhealthy and dangerous kerosene lamps. 

To help take these ideas forward, a Roundtable Dialogue is being held in Brighton to discover new and more effective ways of business working with other interested parties so there will be less poverty in Africa.

Brighton and Hove Chamber member and creative business consultant and futurist, Nick Price, will facilitate the Roundtable Dialogue event. A process has been designed to use fresh thinking approaches to help look ahead to new possibilities for collaboration. 

100 people have been invited from the private sector, civil society, government departments, social enterprises, academic researchers, entrepreneurs, and organisations representing the Global South. We will gather in small groups and work together to co-create ideas on new ways that business can collaborate with others to reduce poverty in Africa.

The event will build on work already being done by Tomorrow’s Company, Business Fights Poverty and The Business and Development Centre. 

The event is being held at the Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YD on Tuesday 17th February 2014. It will start with registration and refreshments at 10.15am and will end at 1pm with a sandwich lunch. There will be no charge.

If you would like to attend please contact Brighton and Hove Chamber Member Peter Desmond of Growth International Limited at peter@growthinternational.com or call 07956 586390. 

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk