Community impact celebrated at AAAA Awards

BAPCOR New Zealand was awarded for its innovative community impact program at the recent Australian Auto Aftermarket Excellence Awards

The Most Innovative Community Impact Program recognises those in our industry who have made a positive contribution to the community. Judging focused on the submitted project’s ability to have made a positive difference to the lives of individuals and communities through provision of access to resources or opportunities; improved awareness or education of the community about important issues/encouragement of action on these issues; or improved health or quality of life for both individuals and/or specific communities. A number of entries were considered by the judging panel, who made the decision to reward BAPCOR New Zealand for its Gumboot Friday Scrap Battery Collection Campaign. The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association sends its congratulations to BAPCOR New Zealand on its award win, and to entrants GPC Asia Pacific, REDARC Electronics and Safe Drive Training (Australia) for their quality submissions. BAPCOR New Zealand, Gumboot Friday Scrap Battery Collection Campaign

In November 2021, Bapcor New Zealand launched a nationwide campaign to raise well needed funds for “Gumboot Friday,” an initiative by The Key to Life Charitable Trust, a fundraising and advocacy organisation, which supports young people who are struggling with their mental health, connecting young people with counsellors or therapists and provide funding, so that kids get help as soon as they need it. Led by Craig Fowler (National Business Manager, HCB Technologies) and supported by all BAPCOR New Zealand’s business units; BNT, HCB Technologies, Autolign, Battery Town, The Shock Shop and Precision Equipment – an ambitious goal was set to raise enough money to fund the equivalent of one full time counsellor for The Key to Life Charitable Trust for 12 months by collecting scrap batteries from both the trade as well as the general public to be on sold at scrap value. What followed was an overwhelming display of community engagement and support from all corners of the country – key trade partners, nationwide fleet operators and some of New Zealand’s most known brands such as Fonterra, Auto Super Shoppes, Midas, Hirepool and Burnsco Marine all pledged their support to either donate scrap batteries, or to become battery drop off locations for members of the public. Backed by a well-crafted radio and social media strategy, it quickly became apparent that momentum would only be limited by the physical capacity to handle the large volumes of batteries flooding in. While Craig Fowler was certainly the creative driving force of what became a viral campaign, his nationwide sales team at HCB Technologies was tasked with the rollout and mammoth logistical task of collecting and centralising the scrap collected; an all-consuming project that ran over a three-week period. The conclusion of the campaign saw the BAPCOR’s Auckland Airport DC nearly filled to the brim with over 200,000kg of scrap batteries, ultimately worth $210,000, and to be donated to The Key to Life Charitable Trust to provide the equivalent of three full time counsellors for 12 months, specifically supporting young people from five to 24 years of age. Importantly, 100 percent of all funds raised have gone into counselling sessions, so everything raised will end up directly helping the people who reach out and need it most. The willingness of BAPCOR team members, as well as its customers, to be involved and back the success of the Gumboot Friday effort is to be commended, with many making generous personal donations to the cause and coming up with their own innovative ways to engender support from within their own communities. As well as being able to directly benefit the lives of young people in need, this campaign has had an unintended environmental impact, by ensuring 200 tonnes of batteries have been responsibly recycled and have not ended up in land fill. “This is an awesome initiative, particularly with Covid forcing event cancellations in Auckland, Northland and the Waikato,” The Key to Life Charitable Trust’s Mike King said. “BAPCOR are not only helping reduce environmental waste by encouraging people to bring in their used batteries, but they are also helping our kids when they most need it, by generously contributing 100 percent of the proceedings to Gumboot Friday.” With over 6000 hours of counselling provided and 15,000 batteries disposed of responsibly, the measure of success could be left there – it would be hard to disagree, but BAPCOR New Zealand says the fact that an industry was united to help a cause greater than itself must be mentioned and should have people asking, “what can we do next?” For more from BAPCOR New Zealand, visit www.bapcor.co.nz