RECRUITMENT agency The Works Recruitment has become the latest firm to sign up to the #GiveBradford 100 Club.

Here, founder and managing director Craig Burton explains why his firm has signed up for the initiative.

What do you like most about Bradford?

The people, they are the friendliest people on the planet and I mean the ordinary folk at the bus stop too. I love Bradford’s no-nonsense attitude folk have to getting things done and they play the modesty card like a Vegas High Roller.

What do you think are the key challenges the district faces?

Bradford’s image to the outside world is a million miles from the reality. Bradford being a really cool place to work is her best kept secret, we need to shout louder and encourage and fight hard for more quality opportunities for young people.

What issues are important to you and your organisation?

Bradford and District firms need to work better together. Buy it all from Yorkshire or have a blooming good reason not to. Bradford Council are starting to address this more which is setting the right example.

Why did you decide to join the Bradford 100 Club?

Financially stabilising an organisation that supports the smaller third sector groups is the right thing to do. We never know who are the beneficiaries of many of the projects #GiveBradford supports. The 100 Club is a great ‘Club’ with great people with a common purpose that align to our values.

What community issues are important to your organisation?

We are keen and do support as much as we can work or career related, it’s crucial for us and our clients to ensure we have the best, most well prepared workforce to help them grow.

Many of the projects we support enable parents and communities give better opportunities to young people and to connect them with the world of work at an early age is crucial.

Why is #GiveBradford Together Stronger is so important?

I owe my livelihood to Bradford. The late Sir Ken Morrison gave me a couple of snippets of advice over the years and it’s always about “Belief” and “Looking after your own”. The best people who should support and love Bradford are the same people who live here, make a profit here and employ people here. It makes sense.

As a trustee of Leeds Community Foundation, I was offered the opportunity to Chair #GiveBradford “Together Stronger” having worked and lived in the District for over 50 years, I dare challenge and speak as a local lad. Like or offend, I was clear that we we’re not doing it by halves.

Bradford historically has had a plethora of well-meaning but often gimmicky style campaigns. From “Bradford’s Bouncing Back” to “Don’t Slip Up, Buy Bradford” I’m cringing already, I’ll stop at those two, but many people worked so hard.

We must believe, truly and deeply that Bradford is a great place to be. because it truly is, I’m not interested in talking about its long gone famous folk, history or fabulous architecture, that’s just something it happens to have and it’s good at. Bradford is a great place to do business, I know this first-hand and we’re opening another business here.

I am a founding member of a Rotary Club in Bradford and we had the same issues in 1993 than we do now, we’ll always have work to do. Not everyone is as fortunate as many of us, and that’s nothing to do with money, it’s about opportunity.

Our huge challenge (but with every new 100 Club member it becomes easier) at #GiveBradford, is, we need everyone’s help here; its politely, nudging and encouraging, with a smile, all the great business folk in the District, and I mean all of them, to do a little bit for our District, business rates and taxation don’t cover.

The Works supports many overseas projects, of course we all should if we have that opportunity but charity begins at home. If we all did a little, put a little back, give small amounts of money in terms of grants it to the right people, we change the world and the opportunities for all our folk here.

The fact that if I live in Manningham, my life expectancy is twelve years less than if I live in Ilkley, it’s not fair.