A reflection on the Responsible Business Roundtable event, hosted by Just Williams<\/em><\/p>\nIn a room filled with influential local business leaders and founders, the conversation was never going to be straightforward. But discussing \u2018responsible business\u2019 threw curveballs that nobody could have anticipated.<\/p>\n
What was immediately apparent as the room filled was the palpable camaraderie \u2013 everyone there for the shared purpose of discussing and supporting the movement for more businesses to become \u2018responsible\u2019. Warm smiles and handshakes were exchanged before the discussion began \u2013 what does being responsible, in business, even mean?<\/p>\n
Whilst each and every one of us will have our own interpretation of the phrase, what was fascinating was the variety of responses as leaders from across sectors shared their thoughts. From the third sector, Phil Bramhall of Refugee Futures eloquently stated that, from a business perspective, it\u2019s about creating an organisational culture where all staff believe in ways that demonstrate \u201cindividual responsibility for the collective good\u201d; helping facilitate<\/p>\n
positive impact on our people and communities through our business efforts. Fostering a culture that encourages responsibility at all levels within any business, to think and act in ways that support collective responsibility.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_143938.jpg\")
Chris Renahan, Assistant Director for Inclusive Growth and Development at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, was first to raise the view that it is \u201cdoing the right thing\u201d. But with that comes the inevitable question: what actually is the right thing to do? Another avenue wide open to interpretation, which sparked lively, good-natured debate. From challenging greenwashing and low-impact social value frameworks to exploring profit as a tool to generate change, each guest brought their own unique experience.<\/p>\n
Just Williams founder, MD and event host, Jessica Williams, reinforced the thinking: \u201cResponsible business is subjective; being \u2018good\u2019 in business is subjective. But there must be ways we can help facilitate positive impact by using our businesses as a force for good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Building on this collective thought, Grant Glendinning, Chief Executive and Group Principal of The ETC Group \u2013 a network of colleges across the region \u2013 discussed the Group\u2019s marketing team\u2019s internal \u2018Tone of Voice\u2019 document. Initially created for one team and later rolled out across the Group, it has had a galvanising effect on culture and created a shared understanding of responsibility and excellence both internally and in the wider communities served.<\/p>\n
Grant reflected: \u201cWe are measured by our social value, and we are hell-bent on making sure our communities benefit from inward investment in the region \u2026 but the idea of \u2018being responsible\u2019 also comes with the perception that you must forgo something to benefit others \u2013 it doesn\u2019t have to mean that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Becoming a responsible business does not require reinventing the wheel. What we heard, and know from experience, is that responsibility is subjective \u2013 but with positive intentions, a desire to create meaningful change and determination, every organisation can find ways to be more responsible.<\/p>\n
Just Williams has increased its use of a local supply chain to nearly 80% of its network. Lee Mableson of Mabo shared that, having experienced toxic cultures previously, he committed to only working with people who were \u2018good people\u2019. Benjamin Drury of Drury added that responsibility is intrinsically linked to authenticity \u2013 doing what you say you will do, consistently.<\/p>\n
Regardless of sector or size, what was clear as the event drew to a close was that the appetite for change is strong within our region. Those around the table represented a small cross-section of leaders ready to influence change, support communities, and do so responsibly. The next step is for that drive to be mirrored more widely \u2013 for more organisations to stand together, champion positive impact, lobby for effective change, and help build a region of responsible employers, colleagues and partners.<\/p>\n
Want to be part of the next steps of the Responsible Business Roundtable?<\/strong>
\nWe want to hear from you. As our delegates begin shaping a Responsible Business Charter, we are inviting more organisations who want to drive positive change to join us. Email emma@justwilliamsltd.co.uk to stay informed and consider your own organisation too \u2013 are you acting as responsibly as you can? If not, now is the time to make those changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A reflection on the Responsible Business Roundtable event, hosted by Just Williams In a room filled with influential local business leaders and founders, the conversation was never going to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":9507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-member-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact - The Engineering & Manufacturing Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact - The Engineering & Manufacturing Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A reflection on the Responsible Business Roundtable event, hosted by Just Williams In a room filled with influential local business leaders and founders, the conversation was never going to be […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Engineering & Manufacturing Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-05T14:49:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"810\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ailsaandy23\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ailsaandy23\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ailsaandy23\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f6032194bd3759ed9f0727bb4da99a5a\"},\"headline\":\"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-05T14:49:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/\"},\"wordCount\":700,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Member News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/\",\"name\":\"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact - The Engineering & Manufacturing Network\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-05T14:49:55+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":810},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/\",\"name\":\"The Engineering & Manufacturing Network\",\"description\":\"Formerly CDEMN - the heart of the North East's engineering and manufacturing industries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Engineering & Manufacturing Network\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/EMN_2018Logo-FINAL-Med.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/EMN_2018Logo-FINAL-Med.png\",\"width\":574,\"height\":212,\"caption\":\"Engineering & Manufacturing Network\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f6032194bd3759ed9f0727bb4da99a5a\",\"name\":\"Ailsaandy23\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/135f3c402415cf82988910a5c2ea5da1175e694c22ffa2178fbff48d8ef5e314?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/135f3c402415cf82988910a5c2ea5da1175e694c22ffa2178fbff48d8ef5e314?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ailsaandy23\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/author\/chrish\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact - The Engineering & Manufacturing Network","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact - The Engineering & Manufacturing Network","og_description":"A reflection on the Responsible Business Roundtable event, hosted by Just Williams In a room filled with influential local business leaders and founders, the conversation was never going to be […]","og_url":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/","og_site_name":"The Engineering & Manufacturing Network","article_published_time":"2025-11-05T14:49:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":810,"url":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ailsaandy23","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ailsaandy23","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/"},"author":{"name":"Ailsaandy23","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f6032194bd3759ed9f0727bb4da99a5a"},"headline":"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact","datePublished":"2025-11-05T14:49:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/"},"wordCount":700,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg","articleSection":["Member News"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/","url":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/","name":"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact - The Engineering & Manufacturing Network","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg","datePublished":"2025-11-05T14:49:55+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg","width":1080,"height":810},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/2025\/11\/05\/just-williams-time-to-challenge-change-and-create-impact\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Just Williams: Time to Challenge, Change and Create Impact"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/","name":"The Engineering & Manufacturing Network","description":"Formerly CDEMN - the heart of the North East's engineering and manufacturing industries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#organization","name":"Engineering & Manufacturing Network","url":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/EMN_2018Logo-FINAL-Med.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/EMN_2018Logo-FINAL-Med.png","width":574,"height":212,"caption":"Engineering & Manufacturing Network"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f6032194bd3759ed9f0727bb4da99a5a","name":"Ailsaandy23","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/135f3c402415cf82988910a5c2ea5da1175e694c22ffa2178fbff48d8ef5e314?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/135f3c402415cf82988910a5c2ea5da1175e694c22ffa2178fbff48d8ef5e314?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ailsaandy23"},"url":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/author\/chrish\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9506"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9509,"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9506\/revisions\/9509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/emn.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251017_161122.jpg\")
<\/p>\n