Community investment

The Group has a long-standing commitment to supporting its local communities. Community investment is an intrinsic part of the way we do business, supporting the Group's strategy and future success, particularly in the areas of:

• recruitment and retention of employees, particularly by investing in the science skills we need;
• employee engagement, by encouraging a sense of loyalty, pride and motivation about our organisation;
• development of professional and personal skills such as teamwork, leadership, adaptability and ethical behaviour; and
• reputation, by building proactive and mutually beneficial relationships in the communities in which we operate.

During 2008, we conducted our fifth global survey of community contributions, including cash, employee time and gifts in kind, using the London Benchmarking Group model. The Group's total contributions across all these areas amounted to approximately £6.8 million.