Carphone chief urges more community involvement

BUSINESSES need to do more to help improve their local communities, according to Carphone Warehouse chief Charles Dunstone.

Speaking in Liverpool to around 200 executives at the Prince’s Trust’s North West Leadership Group (NWLG) at the Hilton in Liverpool yesterday, Mr Dunstone said:  “Business plays a part in every community and is part of the fabric of life.

“As entrepreneurs and business people we have to take responsibility ourselves and help the people around us. If you are a doer, life is much richer.”

The Princes Trust’s NWLG was developed by local businessmen Andrew Donaldson, CEO of Big Storage, Chris Allen, former chief executive of Laterooms.com and Martin Ainscough, chairman of Ainscough Group and recently appointed chairman of the North West Leadership Group.

The group is made up of some of the region’s top business people, and aim to help the next generation of young entrepreneurs get onto the business ladder. The main focus is on building sustained funding streams for Trust programmes.

The Prince’s Trust’ helps 4,500 disadvantaged young people a year in the North West, providing finance and advice as they start up in business.