CommunityMark
Heart of Midlothian Football Club celebrated receiving a stunning national community award at a glittering ceremony in London on the 7th July 2008.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club is one of 21 UK-based pioneering businesses to achieve national CommunityMark status this year, at the Business in the Community's Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The event was attended by Vladimir Romanov, chairman of Hearts' majority shareholder Ubig, director Sergejus Fedotovas and marketing and communications director David Southern.
Mr Romanov and Mr Fedotovas were also guests of Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a reception, earlier in the evening, to celebrate the prestigious award.
The CommunityMark is a new national standard which publicly recognises companies that are the best investors in their communities.
Successful CommunityMark companies have passed a rigorous, independent assessment including scrutiny by their employees and community partners.
John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said: "The skills, strengths and sustainability of British business have never been so important to society.
"If the CommunityMark helps to bring about more effective partnerships between business and community groups, it holds out tremendous potential to deliver long-term sustainable solutions that will benefit us all."
Hearts managing director Campbell Ogilvie, also chairman of the Heart of Midlothian Education and Community Trust, said: "Heart of Midlothian has played an active role in the Edinburgh and wider Scottish community for over 130 years and we are naturally delighted to be amongst the first recipients of such a prestigious award.
"The CommunityMark is recognition of the work of many people but none more so than the employees and supporters of Hearts. For example, the 'Glory and Dismay' programme has delivered real results and is an excellent reflection of our much wider community initiatives that reach more than 5,000 people directly every year and upwards of 30,000 indirectly.
"We fully intend to continue building our club in partnership with the communities and businesses of Edinburgh and elsewhere across the United Kingdom."
The trailblazing national mark was developed by Business in the Community with the support of companies, public and voluntary sector bodies, and was designed to be challenging and relevant to all concerned. The CommunityMark is endorsed by government and the voluntary sector, and supported in Scotland by Scottish Business in the Community, the business-led charity which shares its president with Business in the Community - HRH the Prince of Wales, Duke of Rothesay.
In receiving this award, Hearts is in illustrious company with a number of significant blue-chip brands also recognised, including: Contract Scotland Ltd, BT, GlaxoSmithKline, HBOS, KPMG, Marks & Spencer, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Tesco, Zurich, Ernst & Young, Barclays, Deloitte & Touche LLP UK, and J. Sainsbury PLC.
Romanov at 10 Downing Street
Club receives national community award
