AWARDS
2015 Thursday 3rd September DoubleTree By Hilton, Burlington Road, Dublin 4
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WE DON’T WANT TO SAVE CHILDREN’S LIVES Children’s lives shouldn’t need saving from entirely preventable causes. Every day tens of thousands of children worldwide die needlessly from illnesses such as measles, tetanus and diarrhoea. UNICEF wants you to help prevent these deaths. We believe that one child dying is one too many. We believe in zero and we desperately need your help. Call 01 878 3000 or visit unicef.ie today to give your support.
Believe in zero.
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CSR PROJECTS
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elcome to the 2015 special supplement for the Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards. The purpose of this supplement is to serve as a guide to this evening’s awards ceremony and to act as a reference guide for the sharing of ideas for attendees and non-attendees alike. Throughout this booklet you will be introduced to the companies and projects that have been shortlisted in each category in addition to learning more about how CSR has evolved and developed in Ireland over the past 12 months. CSR remains at the heart of Chambers Ireland’s priorities and we continue to work tirelessly to ensure all companies large and small embrace CSR and reap its benefits. Our CSR Policy Council remains an invaluable asset as the members give freely of their time and energy to support us in promoting CSR activities and to continue to raise awareness amongst the business community on the positive impact of having an integrated CSR strategy. We also play an important role in the National Stakeholder Forum on CSR which brings together a range of stakeholders who work to ensure that all companies, no matter the size, see the value that CSR can bring. The ever growing leadership from Government in this area is welcomed. Irish businesses are leading the pack in terms of CSR. Businesses now realise the strategic importance of CSR and the tangible benefits it can have. But there is still work to be done. Companies like those shortlisted for awards tonight provide inspiration for companies just learning about CSR and thinking about making the first step. I commend all companies shortlisted for this year’s awards.
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Full Shortlist
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Northern Trust
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eircom
Making CSR Mainstream
Citi Ireland
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Mater Hospital Foundation
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PayPal
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Intel
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ESB Group
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PM Group
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35
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18
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KPMG
Bank of Ireland Oracle
Dublin Port
Abbott
Ian Talbot Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland
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Friends First
Shannon Airport BT Ireland
DHL Express Ireland JustGiving
Waterford Crystal CSR Projects
Published by: Ashville Media Group, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 Tel: +353 1 432 2200 | Email: info@ashville.com | Web: www.ashville.com On behalf of: Chambers Ireland, 3rd Floor, Newmount House,, 22 - 24 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2 Tel: +353 1 400 4300 | Email: info@chambers.ie | Web: www.chambers.ie All articles © Ashville Media Group 2015. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Opinion and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of Ashville Media or Chambers Ireland.
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CSR AWARDS
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A record number of applications to this year’s awards highlights just how many companies have embraced CSR in the past twelve months, writes John Cunningham, Chair of the CSR Awards judging panel. t seems every year that I begin this article by highlighting just how much CSR has grown in Ireland over the last fifteen years. While I may sound like a broken record, that statement has never been more true than in 2015. In fact, the growth in CSR in the last year alone is remarkable. Once again we had a record number of applications to the CSR Awards. Similar to last year, just under half of those were new entrants. This really highlights how many more companies have embraced CSR in recent years. But it’s not just the numbers that are important. The quality of applications has increased year on year also. From a personal perspective, it is a joy to read through each application and see firsthand the excellent projects that are taking place across the country. There are so many things going on behind the scenes that the general public often aren’t aware of, which is why these awards are so important. Showcasing the great work that Irish companies do has twofold benefits. It is a chance to recognise and reward hard work that often goes unseen outside of the company. It is also a chance to showcase examples of best practice in CSR so that companies who have yet to take the plunge, or are looking to develop their CSR strategies, can learn from companies with effective CSR programmes.
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There is a lot of work still to do to raise awareness of CSR, particularly among SMEs, but there’s no denying that CSR has hit the mainstream. Companies now realise the strategic importance of CSR to their bottom line, their reputation and their ability to attract staff. A prime example of one such company is eircom. They have had a long-standing charity partnership with Special Olympics Ireland for nearly 30 years but they have now branched out into other areas of CSR. In a recent interview with the Irish Independent, Carolan Lennon, managing director of eircom Wholesale, said the company needs to be able to attract the people they want and feel corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the way to do that. There really is no greater endorsement of CSR in Ireland than that. My position as Chair of the CSR Awards Judging Panel allows me to see a lot of unique and innovative projects from a variety of different companies. But it is also a tough job. Every year the judging gets harder because the standards keep getting higher. I really want to praise all companies who were shortlisted this year. It really is a remarkable achievement in itself given the tough competition out there. We are proud to have this opportunity to celebrate your achievements in CSR and we look forward to seeing what’s still to come. | CSR AWARDS 2015
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CSR AWARDS 2015
THE PILLARS OF CSR COMMUNITY Community-based CSR projects, by their nature, are generally the most visible aspects of a company’s CSR activities. The projects depend on direct interaction between the company and the community, generating economic and social vibrancy in the locality. A company builds on this goodwill by using their grassroots knowledge of the issues facing those living in the surrounding area to deliver an effective community-focused CSR strategy. There are many different options open to a company that wants to engage in community-based CSR activities. Community is an always expanding area of CSR, evident in the fact that for this year’s awards we had to divide the community category into three strands – charity, volunteering and community programmes. Community CSR can range from sponsoring a local sports team, fundraising for charity or sharing the skills of your employees with the community. ENVIRONMENT Environmental and sustainability concerns have been at the forefront of public thinking in recent years. There is a growing awareness of the need to implement policies which
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enable sustainable development. Environmentbased CSR projects go beyond the legislative obligations and promote greener economic growth. These projects may not garner the same amount of publicity as those with a community focus, however, many SMEs find they provide substantial financial benefits as well as improving the firm’s image as an environmentally aware company. MARKETPLACE Marketplace CSR involves both a company’s customers and its suppliers. These types of projects are usually away from the public eye but show the willingness of companies to go above and beyond the call of duty when dealing with their stakeholders. Companies have an interest in ensuring that their suppliers provide adequate pay and working conditions, conduct their business in a transparent manner and implement sustainable working practices. For customers, it is important for companies to implement responsible sales and marketing policies and to train their staff on how these policies can be achieved. Marketplace CSR helps businesses to nurture a corporate culture that values the needs, expectations and diversity of its customers.
WORKPLACE Employees provide the know-how, productivity, customer service and creativity necessary for businesses to thrive. Employers should seek to put in place policies that promote the retention and development of their staff and nurture workplace environments that will attract recruits of the highest calibre. Workplace CSR programmes can affect many different areas of a company’s HR policy such as health and safety, work-life balance of employees, staff diversity and cultural awareness. A healthy balance between the work and non-work aspects of employees’ lives is essential in order to avoid burn out and create a positive and productive working environment. COMMUNICATION In recent times, communication of CSR initiatives has become more important. While many companies around the country have cross-pillar CSR policies in place, many of their activities may not be known to their wider stakeholders. Effectively communicating their CSR initiatives gives companies the chance to get across their way of thinking and highlight the excellent work they are doing in various areas of CSR.
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CSR AWARDS 2015
COMPLETE 2015 SHORTLIST EXCELLENCE IN CSR COMMUNICATION • Electric Ireland Darkness into Light • Irish Rail Iarnród Éireann’s commitment to raising mental health awareness • Ulster Bank CSR Communications Strategy
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY - LIC* • Bewley’s Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning • Collins McNicholas - 250km Charity Run in aid of Pieta House • Electric Ireland Darkness into Light • Friends First Charity Programme 2015 • Shannon Airport Authority The Bank of Ireland Runway Night Run at Shannon Airport
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY - MNC** • Accenture Accenture and An Cosán build Skills to Succeed • Aviva Aviva Street to School Programme with Focus Ireland
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• Boots Ireland Boots Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) partnership • Intel Ireland Intel Ireland Site Signature Charity • Lidl Ireland Lidl and Barretstown – working together • Medtronic The Medtronic/Irish Heart Foundation Blood Pressure Roadshow - Reduce Risk of Stroke, Know your Blood Pressure • Microsoft Youth2Work • Mondelez Ireland - Partnership with Barnardos • Ricoh Ireland Circular Economy and Fun Ricoh, ReUse, ReCreate
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING - LIC* • Friends First Time To Read Schools Programme • KBC Bank Ireland Staff Volunteering Scheme • KPMG Bright Ideas – Skills based volunteering • Mason Hayes & Curran Community Volunteer Programme • Ulster Bank MoneySense for Schools
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING - MNC** • Abbott Ireland Promoting science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) in our communities • BT The BT Better Future programme • Dell The Power of 2,300 • Genzyme Partnership with Mount Sion CBS Secondary School • Intel Ireland Intel Involved • Microsoft Microsoft and LauraLynn – Neighbours working together for good • Northern Trust Community Partners • Oracle Skills based volunteering is our “Mantra”
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY - COMMUNITY PROGRAMME – LIC* • Dublin Bus Dublin Bus Community Spirit Initiative • Dublin Port Company - Early Learning Initiative • George Best Belfast City Airport Community Fund • Irish Rail Broombridge Station community partnership
• Laya Healthcare Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare • PM Group The Sanctuary – Adelaide & Meath Hospital, Tallaght • Ulster Bank Community Impact Fund
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY - COMMUNITY PROGRAMME – MNC** • Accenture Skills to Succeed • Citi Junior Achievement Programme • EMC EMC VEX Robotics • Genzyme Partnership with Project Treo Port Láirge • Intel Ireland Intel Mini Scientist • Intel Security (McAfee) - Digital Safety Ambassador Program • Oracle Mission Employment • Tesco Ireland Tesco Community Fund • Transdev Dublin LUAS Lecture Room – St Aidan’s Secondary School
EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENT – LIC* • Cork University Hospital Achieving a Sustainable Environment at Cork University Hospital | CSR AWARDS 2015
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CSR AWARDS 2015
• ESB ESB Networks Water Conservation Programme
EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENT – MNC** • Abbott Ireland Safeguarding the Environment • AbbVie AbbVie’s 20:20 Vision • Arup Sustainable Transport - we shape a better world • Astellas Ireland Co. Ltd. (Kerry Plant) Changing Tomorrow – our journey to sustainability • Tesco Ireland FoodCloud Partnership • Transdev Dublin Sustainable Operator
EXCELLENCE IN WORKPLACE - LIC* • Bank of Ireland Be At Your Best – Invest in Yourself • ESB Positive Mental & Physical Health Promotion among ESB Staff • HSF Health Plan Strategic HR Review • Ulster Bank UB Choice (Ulster Bank Choice Programme)
EXCELLENCE IN WORKPLACE - MNC** • Accenture International Women’s Day • Aramark Ireland The Right Track Challenge 2015 • Citi Citi Wellness Programme 2014 • Deloitte Employee Wellbeing – Mental Health Programme • Oracle Health & Wellbeing Programme (HWBP) • PayPal Live Well Programme • RCI Helpful Habits
The independent judging panel is made up of respected individuals working in various fields. The panel act independently at all times. This year’s judging panel is as follows:
ROUND ONE JUDGING PANEL
ROUND TWO JUDGING PANEL
Dr Sheila Killian Assistant Dean, University of Limerick Tomás Sercovich External Relations Director, Forética Nina Arwitz Chief Executive, Volunteer Ireland Alan Ryan Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
John Cunningham Chair, Immigrant Council of Ireland Seán McLaughlin Department of Environment, Community and Local Government Maura Quin Chief Executive, Institute of Directors Tomás Sercovich Director of Communications and Industrial Relations, Forética Martin Tobin CEO, European Recycling Platform
EXCELLENCE IN MARKETPLACE
EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL CSR
• A&L Goodbody Collaborative project with the Irish Refugee Council’s Independent Law Centre • Abbott Ireland Essential Elements of Nutrition Care Programme • Irish Rail Journeys on Us • LeisureWorld Functional Zone @LeisureWorld • MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre Happy to Help Scheme
• Bank of Ireland Staff Third World Fund – Small change, big difference • Deloitte The Consultancy for Change Volunteering Trip • IBM Ireland IBM Corporate Service Corps Program
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Judging Panel
EXCELLENCE IN CSR BY AN SME*** • BCP Asset Management Quarterly Volunteering Project
• Ceridian Ireland The PayBack Foundation • DHR Communications - Working with and for The Liberties • HSF Health Plan - Review of grant making policy and revised strategy to increase grant making especially in Ireland • Law Society of Ireland - The Calcutta Run – The Legal Fundraiser • Three Q Perms ‘Making what we do WORK for Others’ • Yellow Harbour - Charity Company Collaboration The 3 C Principle
*LIC: LARGE INDIGENOUS COMPANY **MNC: MULTINATIONAL COMPANY ***SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
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CSR PROFILE NORTHERN TRUST
In CSR We Trust As part of its CSR strategy, Northern Trust has been working hard to forge relationships with local charitable organisations, which becomes an enriching experience for both members of the local community and Northern Trust employees.
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orthern Trust has always had a commitment to supporting the communities in which we live and work, however, prior to 2009, we did not have an established regular programme in place. Since the development of Northern Trust Community Partners – Northern Trust’s signature volunteering programme – the company has a regular connection with the community where it operates. Four years after the programme’s inception, Northern Trust, which had always focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, sought to ensure a diverse range of programmes and volunteering projects, allowing the company to give back to the community in more varied ways. Through the programme, Northern Trust endeavours to make each volunteering experience beneficial for both the volunteer and the charity it is working with, seeking feedback after every project in order to provide better assistance to the charities in the future. The aim is to embed volunteering into its corporate culture, evidenced by the increased take-up of its two paid volunteering days each year. From the outset, Northern Trust has been working hard to forge relationships with local charitable organisations
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to provide volunteering opportunities, which have included regenerating conservation areas, painting and renovating community centres, mentoring, and day trips with those less abled. In total, Northern Trust’s Irish employees have volunteered almost 3,000 hours across 37 projects. In Ireland, the education and skills day with Junior Achievement and the Special Olympics games days were two of the most popular projects. Both charities were delighted with the response from Northern Trust Partners.
volunteering days with local charities. The primary focus is engaging with nonprofit organisations that support education, children and the environment. An example of the type of projects Northern Trust participates in is its partnership with City Quay National School in Dublin. Thirty-five volunteers take part in an assisted reading programme and maths games with primary school children, on a weekly basis during their lunch hours. Another example is the ongoing programme of
support for Special Olympics Ireland, supported by Northern Trust’s Limerick office. Twenty volunteers were specially trained and spent four days officiating as referees at the games. The core ethos is participation and it has been highly rewarding for Northern Trust employees to see the athletes’ energy and enthusiasm shine through. Then there are the hours that Northern Trust volunteers dedicate to cooking meals at the Ronald McDonald House in
ENGAGING COMMUNITIES This year, Northern Trust Community Partners is nominated in the Community - Volunteer (MNC) category at the CSR Awards. The objective of the programme is to improve engagement with both Northern Trust employees and the communities in which it operates. Northern Trust takes great pride in working with its local communities, offering time, facilities and skills to support and work with charities, schools and hospitals in both Dublin and Limerick. All permanent Northern Trust employees are encouraged to take two paid days each year to participate in Northern Trust Community Partners | CSR AWARDS 2015
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CSR PROFILE NORTHERN TRUST
Crumlin Children’s Hospital; a consistently humbling and moving experience for those involved. There is a diverse volunteer participation in this project, from new joiners to senior management. Together with the immediate benefit to the community, the programme has become a great way of engaging and motivating partners, helping to make Northern Trust an employer of choice. In fact, in 2014 81 per cent of Northern Trust employees who gave feedback on the programme reported that they felt more committed to Northern Trust following their volunteering day. In 2014, Northern Trust supported 21 schemes in Dublin and 16 in Limerick, with almost half of the company’s employees participating
in the programme. This is testament to the importance Northern Trust places in Northern Trust Community Partners.
EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT Northern Trust employees are involved in all levels of Northern Trust Community Partners, starting with idea generation for volunteering days right up to organisation and management of the events. Senior managers continuously encourage staff to develop new ideas for the programme and often staff with personal connections to local charities introduce Northern Trust to new and varied causes. For example, a dedicated rolling programme of assistance, fundraising and volunteering has been developed with Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross, Dublin, in light of a member
of staff’s own personal experience with the hospice. Another personal connection has led to an ongoing partnership with Headway. This relationship expands across both offices. In 2014, 10 Limerick volunteers helped with a group trip to Bunratty Folk Park while in Dublin, 12 volunteers held a summer barbecue with Headway supporting engagement. The Northern Trust volunteering committee meets on a monthly basis to plan, organise and establish teams to participate in various projects within the community. The senior management team values an all-encompassing structure with participation from new graduate starters right up to the head of the office. The committee selects a diverse team for each upcoming programme.
POSITIVE IMPACT Northern Trust has measured the impact of Northern Trust Community Partners by continuously monitoring the hours given by staff and the funding committed to each project. In 2014 Northern Trust’s Irish business contributed nearly 2,984 hours to the local community along with over a20,000 worth of investment. Through volunteer feedback, 75 per cent of Northern Trust employees felt that they had developed new or improved existing skills in communication, adaptability, time management, leadership and decision-making. They also found that volunteering increased 95 per cent of staff ’s sense of wellbeing, understanding | CSR AWARDS 2015
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Feedback “Northern Trust Volunteers were at the forefront of the fun and excitement that the games delivered. They were determined and ensured that every person that came to the games was greeted with a warm smile and an enjoyable experience. Like our athletes, these volunteers were extraordinary and the Games simply could not have happened without them.”
and empathy with others following their volunteer day. Employee engagement across all levels of the business has improved and multi-faceted partnerships with local community organisations have developed as a result of the programme. The volunteering committee is continuously seeking opportunities to expand Northern Trust Community Partners. It plans to initiate relationships with new charities and grow its existing ones. Through its commitment to CSR, Northern Trust strives to continue to build stronger relationships. There are plans in place to raise the programme’s profile by hosting coffee mornings. This informal setting away from the office environment will create a relaxed and fun atmosphere for staff. Presentations will be held on previous projects with time for Q&A sessions. More importantly, it is an opportunity to highlight the programme’s benefits and to sign up new volunteers and leaders for upcoming schemes.
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CSR PROFILE eircom
A COMMUNITY-LED Approach
Through its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, eircom strives to enable people to be their best and reach their true potential.
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t the forefront of corporate responsibility in Ireland for many years now, eircom works to provide a positive impact on the communities in which it operates and strives to achieve a workplace where diversity is valued, where employees treat each other with respect and where everyone works with integrity.
EQUAL FOOTING As such, eircom remains committed to the provision of an open and equal workplace, an essential aspect of the company’s culture. eircom was among the first Irish businesses to join the Diversity Charter in 2012, and earlier this year the company became
a member of GLEN, the Gay & Lesbian Equality Network, a group of employers committed to LGBT inclusion in the workplace. Working with GLEN, eircom Group HR has commenced a programme of review of relevant HR policies. As part of these new strides in diversity, the eircom team joined GLEN on the open top bus at the front of the largest Pride parade in Dublin city, highlighting its support for the historic marriage referendum and equal rights and treatment for the LGBT community in Ireland. “Supporting an open and inclusive working environment not only ensures eircom has access to a broader talent pool but we understand
Carolan Lennon, MD, eircom Wholesale
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that teams of diverse employees offer a variety of viewpoints and a wide range of experience. Those views and experiences are more representative of our customer base,” says Carolan Lennon, MD, eircom Wholesale.
LONG LASTING PARTNERS In 2015, eircom is also celebrating 30 years of partnership with Special Olympics Ireland (SOI). There are many reasons as to why this partnership has lasted for so long, including the willingness of employees to become involved. eircom utilises its people and its products to support and promote SOI, quite successfully, as sports engagement levels for people with an intellectual disability in Ireland are higher than any other country in the world. “eircom has been committed to Special Olympics Ireland for thirty years. Since 1985 we estimate our business has contributed over a15 million. We are extremely proud that this is the longest Corporate Social Responsibly partnership of its type in Ireland,” says Lennon. “The difficult economic reality of recent years has created a tremendous challenge for every charity but in spite of this, and with the continued support of
eircom, Special Olympics Ireland is as committed as ever to expanding the reach of its operation. The impact of the success of Special Olympics Ireland is best demonstrated by the fact that in Ireland, 30 per cent of people with an intellectual disability engage in sport; compare that with 3 per cent in Europe and 2 per cent for the rest of the world.” Both organisations share similar attributes – their business is local, both have roots in every community throughout Ireland, and both have similar goals. Special Olympics Ireland provides athletes with benefits that go far behind the physical – athletes undergo physical and emotional development, they make new friends and become the best that they can be. It’s a sentiment echoed in eircom’s operations and is at the very core of what the company does. eircom sees it as its role to enable and facilitate people to connect, using its technology in homes and businesses to make the way we live and work easier, and its CSR strategy places the Special Olympics Ireland ethos at its core – helping people to realise their potential. “This is the longest running charitable partnership of its kind in Ireland and something both organisations are | CSR AWARDS 2015
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CSR PROFILE eircom
CSR at eircom eircom’s corporate social responsibility programme is built around three interconnecting strands:
immensely proud of. It is a relationship that has grown, developed, strengthened and changed with time. The a15 million sponsorship, over the last 30 years, has enabled hundreds of Irish athletes to compete in the Special Olympics globally, across all provinces and right around the world – so from all of those athletes and their families thank you eircom,” says Matt English, CEO, Special Olympics Ireland. “eircom’s long term commitment has been crucial to our continued development and the confidence that comes from such a strong partnership has allowed
Special Olympics to think strategically, plan and implement a long-term, cohesive strategy. Simply put, Special Olympics and many thousands of athletes associated with the organisation over the past three decades could not have achieved the levels of success enjoyed without eircom’s unwavering commitment. Our partnership means we can plan – knowing we have the resources and support to deliver our strategy – something quite unique for any charity in Ireland these days.” 2015 is also a significant year in that 88 Irish athletes
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travelled to compete at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles. It was there that Team Ireland enjoyed their most successful performance at a World Games to date, bringing home 86 medals. Being the largest sports and humanitarian event across the globe this year, considerable investment was required to bring Team Ireland and their support team to LA. At the beginning of the year, eircom set a goal of raising an additional a100,000 and, by June, more than a150,000 had been raised through fundraising events, bake sales, race nights and more. 2015 has been a wonderful year for this partnership and eircom looks forward to continued success in the years to come.
• eircom in the Community: Along with its partnership with Special Olympics Ireland, eircom also supports many other charitable Irish organisations, such as Dress for Success, Childline, the Samaritans and Rehab. The company also provides support for SMEs and entrepreneurs through a range of innovative programmes like Lab353, the eircom Spiders and Junior Spiders, and eircom Business Solutions. eircom is also a sponsor of Inspirefest 2015, an international event connecting professionals interested in the future of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. • eircom’s Diversity and Inclusion programme: ensures that each person, regardless of gender, race, physical ability or sexuality, is both valued and treated equally in the workplace. eircom was one of the first companies to sign up to the Irish Diversity Charter and is a member of Gay, Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN). In 2015, eircom employees joined the largest ever Pride parade to take place in Ireland. • Sustainable Business: The issues of sustainable energy and conservation are at the core of eircom’s operations. Its SURe campaign, for example, aims to provide eircom employees with tips and hints on how to reduce energy at work and at home. eircom’s head office is also an award-winning green building, setting an example from the top for the rest of the eircom team.
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CSR PROFILE ESB GROUP
Powering CHANGE ESB is leveraging its substantial resources and profile in Ireland to make real change, both within and outside the organisation.
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s a matter of strategy, ESB Group remains as committed to the social and environmental dimensions of its business as to its financial performance. Since the publication of its first Corporate Social Responsibility report in 2004, the organisation has continued to deepen its understanding of the concept, ensure that responsible action underlies all decisionmaking, and is committed to being a successful, responsible and progressive company contributing to the economic and social life of Ireland and of those countries in which it operates abroad. In business for the long term, ESB aims to ensure all its actions have a positive, fair and ethical impact on all of its stakeholders.
WATER STRATEGY The ESB Networks Conservation Programme is one such initiative. ESB has recognised that water is a valuable resource that shouldn’t be wasted, solidifying this principle in its Sustainability Strategy 2020, committing ESB to reducing water usage by 30 per cent by that date. Based
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around the installation of a system providing real time water usage and facilities monitoring at ESB Networks depots, ESB has worked with a third party to develop Automatic Meter Reading data via meter.ie, allowing the organisation to easily track its water consumption. The system uses ESB pulse output meters and data loggers that piggyback on existing infrastructure meters, meaning that limited civil works were required, resulting in minimal impact on the surrounding environment. ESB would like to acknowledge the support it has received from local authorities and Irish Water in implementing the project. Monthly reports are generated for ESB managers and, in addition, alarms are raised in circumstances of abnormal water usage levels, or possible leaks. In one case during the Christmas holiday period, a 5,000 litres per hour leak was identified, which could have resulted in the loss of up to 1.2m litres had it gone unnoticed for a week. A number of local Advanced Technology Water Conservation Pilots have been carried out with
success, and it is planned to roll it out to further ESB depots moving forward.
PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVING With 5,500 staff members, ESB Group is one of the largest organisations in Ireland. Under its expansive CSR programme, ESB has also sought to improve the welfare and morale of its personnel in relation to positive mental and physical health, recognising that, similar to the national population, the incidence of stress and mental illness may be on the increase among its workforce.
To that end, a range of supports have been developed to encourage self-awareness, to develop coping strategies and, where necessary, to provide access to more acute intervention routes. ESB has launched a new health and wellbeing website as a staff communications platform, with quick and easy access to all relevant information staff may need to deal with the challenges and pressures of life. The company is also running a series of mental health and team resilience workshops for all teams, a series of seminars on mental health and resilience, as | CSR AWARDS 2015
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CSR PROFILE ESB GROUP
COMMUNICATION
well as a monthly bulletin providing information on various themes covering physical and mental health. It has also developed the Well-being Champions Network, comprising 40 staff members who have volunteered to promote and support the wellbeing team as well as managers and staff in their own locations. In order to extend the reach as much as possible, the website is widely published throughout the company, and its context explained to staff. The content is updated on a monthly basis and to date 1,696 staff members have accessed the wellbeing website. ESB’s health and well-being team, and the well-being champions, have promoted and organised various pro-active initiatives, and the service is supported by six employee assistance officers located throughout the country, as well as a 24/7 confidential counselling support service.
LIGHT FROM DARKNESS As the supply division of ESB Group, Electric Ireland’s CSR strategy mirrors that of the overarching organisation, striving to make a difference in its external communities and addressing some of the key social issues facing Ireland today. Through its CSR fund, Electric Ireland has been working with Pieta House since 2003, a charity that provides a professional, face to face, free of charge therapeutic service for people in suicidal distress, or those who engage in self-harm. Since 2013, the charity’s flagship fundraising event, Darkness into Light, has been Electric Ireland’s main CSR initiative, an awareness event that takes place every May, when thousands of people gather across the country at 4am to walk or run a 4km route, raising funds and generating discussion around suicide and promoting hope and solidarity in Irish communities.
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Electric Ireland has been working with Pieta House since 2003, a charity that provides a professional, face to face, free of charge therapeutic service for people in suicidal distress, or those who engage in self-harm.
To ensure all goals were reached, a comprehensive communication campaign was required, to spread the word both internally and externally. Electric Ireland drove support for the initiative internally, holding two staff launches and 30 regional launches where Electric Ireland was represented by a staff member, pre register events for staff members, as well as a six-week TV, radio, digital, PR, outdoor and social media campaign to raise awareness. Externally, radio and TV ads featured a voiceover from Westlife’s Kian Egan, bill inserts were sent to Electric Ireland’s 1.4m strong customer base, an innovative outdoor campaign was developed, featuring sensor projectors that displayed a darkness into light message when people walked past, promotion through social media assets, and a digital campaign with an online media banner that lit up the more people tweeted from it. Electric Ireland also donated a further a1 for every tweet made from the banner, and utilised its ezine, which has a 50 per cent open rate and goes to 300,000 customers. As a result, in 2014 Darkness into Light expanded to 39 locations across the country, with over 70,000 people taking part. The events raised a1.7m in funding, a huge sum for a charity that is 90 per cent publicly funded. A survey of 1,000 people conducted afterwards reported that 69 per cent of all adults were aware of the campaign, while 63 per cent knew someone who had participated. The event is symbolic of Pieta House – bringing people from darkness into light – and Electric Ireland is proud to support it.
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CSR PROFILE KPMG
Sharing the SKILLS TO SUCCEED KPMG’s Bright Ideas project is providing expert, targeted assistance to charities by utilising the broad range of knowledge and experience that KPMG has to offer.
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t KPMG CSR is more than just philanthropy. We believe we can make a substantial difference on real life issues by harnessing the enthusiasm, experience and skillsets of our people in the right direction. Each year our new graduates show a keen interest in what the firm does from a CSR perspective and our commitment to CSR is a key differentiator from other companies. Our CSR activities are
charity employees and tackle issues they would otherwise not have an insight into.
KEY OBJECTIVES focused on reflecting our brand and run parallel with KPMG’s purpose: ‘Inspiring Confident, Empowering Change’. We want to engage in projects that are embedded in our culture, have a long-term sustainable element that can have a positive impact on society by really engaging our staff. The Bright Ideas initiative is a great example of how our CSR strategy has embraced that. The programme shows how we utilised the skills of our staff
and made a real and valued difference to the ten charity partnerships involved in the initiative. This project inspires confidence in giving the charity employees the knowledge and know-how to implement solutions to their specific challenges and empower them to make positive change going forward. Our people have also benefited from the initiative by developing their business development skills, giving them an opportunity to engage with senior
The main aim of Bright Ideas is very simple – to provide useful, expert, targeted assistance to charities by utilising the broad range of knowledge and experience that KPMG has to offer. The big focus is on skills-based volunteering. The community, charitable and voluntary sector is going through tough times with public confidence at an all-time low given the recent crises with a number of charity groups. This loss
Pictured at the launch of the KPMG Bright Ideas initiative were the Bright Ideas team: Gerry Buckley, Ali O’Mara, Paul McNally and James Delahunt
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CSR PROFILE KPMG
of confidence has led to a substantial drop in fundraising income, and coupled with reduced government funding, charities find themselves severely challenged. With the appointment of the Charity Regulator in February 2014 and the establishment of the Charities Regulatory Authority, non-profit organisations need to focus on leadership and operational excellence in key areas such as governance, business, financial and risk management, and revenue diversification to ensure their long-term sustainability. KPMG’s experience in these areas is core to our business and this project gives us the opportunity to engage with charities to focus their thinking on these critical areas and give them the supports necessary to make them successful. The ten organisations that KPMG chose to work with over the last two years as part of this project are the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Coeliac Society of Ireland, Little Museum of Dublin, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, Youth Work Ireland, ALONE, Central Buildings Development, Ballymun Partnership, Coolmine Therapeutic Community and East Wall Youth. These organisations are all doing exceptional work in their relevant areas, providing vital services and supports to their target audiences in very challenging times. The charities were chosen as having a strategic fit with all aspects of KPMG’s expertise. Projects included HR, marketing, tax, annual report, financial
and governance advice. KPMG’s Bright Ideas project helps equip the senior staff in these charities with ideas, skills and advice on how to best serve the needs of their organisations and their clients/members. As one KPMG volunteer put it: “What was provided to the charity in terms of advice is very realistic, feasible and achievable for them to act on.” By supporting these organisations, KPMG staff are in turn having a significant and relevant impact on the wider communities in which they operate.
“A really great session. Thanks to your great staff for their wonderful ideas and insights into how we can bring our service to the next level.” “Thank you very much for the expert support. It was very helpful and it gave us perspective that will inform our work going forward, that will be extremely productive.” “This was a very valuable experience, a great environment to have development ideas tested and evaluated.” “KPMG were very generous with their knowledge and time. They really took it seriously and worked hard with us to address our challenges.”
IMPACT Survey results are proof of the project’s success. KPMG, with the assistance of Business in the Community, prepared surveys for both KPMG volunteers and charity participants to complete at the end of the Bright Ideas Blitz Day. The feedback obtained was overwhelmingly positive and KPMG collected the following statistics: • 100% of KPMG volunteers said they would volunteer for this initiative again in the future • 86% of charity representatives thought the work carried out on the Blitz Day was “excellent” with the remaining 14% grading it as “very good” • 93% of charity representatives felt that the work provided by KPMG would have a “big impact” on their charity Given the success of the project, which has been shortlisted in the Community – Volunteering category (LIC) at this year’s
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Feedback from charity representatives who took part in the Bright Ideas project
The main aim of Bright Ideas is very simple – to provide useful, expert, targeted assistance to charities by utilising the broad range of knowledge and experience that KPMG has to offer. The big focus is on skills-based volunteering.
CSR Awards, plans are now in place to make the Bright Ideas initiative an annual event. KPMG will also build on the success of the project by having more charities and volunteers involved in its next phase. Commenting on the Bright Ideas project, Ann Howgego, CR Consultant Community Outreach from Business in the Community said: “This KPMG initiative has been warmly welcomed by the charities involved. The feedback has been hugely positive. Professional skills is KPMG’s core expertise, and as a leading professional services firm it is a good fit with their CSR strategy and a great way of engaging their people. The charities have gained vital knowledge, expertise and significant value to their projects.” From a KPMG perspective, it is easy to write a cheque, but the real value is getting involved in skills-based volunteering and working closely with charities to build the relationship and give them expert advice.
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CSR PROFILE BANK OF IRELAND
RESPONSIBLE Business
Bank of Ireland’s CSR strategy revolves around responsible business practices and giving back to their internal and external communities.
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t Bank of Ireland, having a sustainable business model and being responsible is viewed as one and the same. The organisation recently set out their CSR approach across five main pillars – Customers, Community, Colleagues, Environment and Governance. Their CSR agenda comprises initiatives from each of those pillars and, taken together, forms the DNA of the organisation.
GIVE TOGETHER Through the Give Together initiative, Bank of Ireland
supports its employees in fundraising, volunteering and donating to the charity of their choice, with matched fundraising and paid volunteering leave. Launched in 2007, over 37,000 volunteering hours have been recorded by the Bank, making a very tangible difference to charities in their communities. Volunteers work with one of five flagship charities, including St Vincent de Paul (SVP) – in December 2014 the organisation co-ordinated a national fundraising and volunteering effort,
working in SVP shops and depots, that saw Bank employees provide over 1,000 food hampers, 350 wish-list presents and 452 hospital packs/hostel bags to help SVP meet the needs communities across the country face. A Christmas fair was also held in aid of SVP in College Green Dublin. 230 Bank of Ireland employees used their volunteer day, and they are seeking to expand these volunteering opportunities going forward.
BE AT YOUR BEST While many of Bank of Ireland’s CSR initiatives are aimed at external partners and organisations, the Be At Your Best (BAYB)
programme is focused on promoting personal resilience in Bank employees. Revolving around three pillars of wellbeing – mind, body and career – the programme supports colleagues in making the transition through the financial crisis that began in 2008. Formally launched in January 2014, BAYB involves an extensive range of activities aimed at providing employees with the tools to support and enhance their physical, mental and professional wellbeing. Working with psychologist, writer and broadcaster Dr Maureen Gaffney and fitness consultant Karl Henry, one year on BAYB has become a firm fixture in the way the Bank engages and motivates its staff, with almost every member of staff having engaged in at least one BAYB initiative. Staff numbers studying to attain professional qualifications have increased by 80 per cent since the launch, while the Bank reports reduced instances of absenteeism and grievances.
THE LEARNING ZONE
BoI’s Staff Third World Fund has been funding projects in developing countries for over 30 years, a recent example was the provision of safe drinking water for 3,000 people in Lofa County, Liberia.
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Bank of Ireland delivers its training through a strategic partnership between the Bank and Accenture, providing a comprehensive range of capability and | CSR AWARDS 2015
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CSR PROFILE BANK OF IRELAND
development skills to employees across the Group. This project enables employees to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver their customers’ needs, delivered via web-based training. This initiative also has the effect of deepening the Group’s relationship with Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI), of which it is a founding member, as it has allocated a number of training days per year for courses for the voluntary sector – 525 so far – via LearningZone in collaboration with BITCI, equating to 130,000 in in-kind support from the Bank. Response from staff has been overwhelmingly positive, who view it as a key highlight of life at Bank of Ireland.
INTERNATIONAL GIVING The Bank’s CSR strategy has also seen them adopt an international viewpoint, particularly in relation to their staff Third World fund, which was launched in 1982. Aimed at alleviating suffering across Third World countries by providing funding for sustainable projects, the annual income of the fund is approximately 70K, facilitating around 35 projects each year. A registered charity, the funds are raised through salary deductions from over 4,000 contributors, distributed among organisations such as Concern, Worldvision, Bóthar and Oxfam. Bank of Ireland covers the administration costs under its Give Together initiative,
ensuring that every cent donated goes directly to overseas projects. A number of management personnel are also involved in the fund while others run the various location specific committees. Almost 1,200 individual projects have been supported over the past 30 years, with over 17m in funding raised to date. To ensure continued success, the Bank has launched a communication campaign in its large population sites and across the branch network, and the fund was also recently profiled in the organisation’s Responsible Business Report.
Cover of BOI report.pdf
Bank of Ireland’s CSR programme is long established and features initiatives of varying age – from the Florin Fund, a payroll giving scheme that celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2015, to the Be At Your Best scheme launched in 2014. None of these initiatives would be so successful if it weren’t for high levels of staff engagement, and, just as important, an effective communication strategy. Having reviewed their CSR communications in 2014 against best practice in the financial services industry, and in other sectors, the Bank noted a growing trend towards published CSR reports. Also mindful of legislation that would introduce mandatory reporting on certain aspects of CSR, such as CO2 emissions and diversity, by 2017, the organisation saw a clear opportunity to
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Responsible Business Report 2014
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
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Father and daughter – Ciaran and Annmarie Delaney, both BoI employees, pictured at the Give Together Charity Cycle
Pieta House is one of the Bank’s flagship charities and each year BoI employees participate in Darkness into Light
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The Bank’s inaugural Responsible Business Report, published in February 2015
bring all elements of its diverse CSR story, as detailed above, together into one coherant narrative – brought to life in the form of their inaugural Responsible Business Report that was launched in February 2015. Communicated internally and externally, the report is available in paper format for customers and other interested stakeholders, while an online version and an inspirational video can be found on their website.
The Bank has decided to publish this information in the interests of transparency with their stakeholders about everything that is happening in the organisation. Going forward, the report will be published on an annual basis. A recent staff survey highlighted that 92 per cent of staff were aware that the report had been published, while 79 per cent reported that they had a better awareness of CSR initiatives. CEO Richie Boucher commented on the diverse range of activities undertaken by the Bank as a positive sign for the future. “While the report contains many interesting elements, the stand out feature for me is that there is so much happening across the Group,” he said.
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CSR PROFILE ORACLE
SHARING SKILLS
Empowering Communities Oracle has worked tirelessly with internal and external communities to share their skills and knowledge base.
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racle Ireland CSR operates in line with four main corporate pillars – Diversity, Education, Community and Environment. Within this strategy, Oracle’s ‘Skills based volunteering is our “Mantra”’ project represents the next step in the company’s commitment to driving CSR, marrying the needs of their community to the skills and competencies of their employees. Over the past six years, the project has undergone substantial transformation – from one involving casual volunteering to a project driven by skills-based volunteering. At the very beginning, struggling to attract voluntary support, the CSR leader in Oracle, Veronica Bodano, was at the time attempting to establish how the company could support their community and find new initiatives. With the help of Business in the Community – Ireland (BITCI), Master Class was developed, skills based CSR that empowers Oracle employees to work with one of 20 community and voluntary organisations; using honed sales skills to improve their fundraising activities.
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A huge success, Master Class began a programme of real change within Oracle’s CSR strategy. Based on this achievement, the CSR team decided to focus on the skills-based approach, and conducted an ambitious review process to change their CSR efforts. During the proceeding five years, a further eight initiatives were improved and created for Oracle’s internal and external community.
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY When executing initiatives, Oracle needs the ‘heart and body’ of their employees, as well as their skills and competencies, in order to ensure a successful deployment. Renewing
knowledge is an expensive process and Oracle’s community, alongside their partner community and voluntary organisations, face difficulties in availing of costly training. As a result, under the umbrella of ‘skills transfer’, Oracle supports the internal and external community through: • Training the trainer (community and voluntary groups) • Training the people (employees, local community and the aforementioned groups) By training the trainer, Oracle empowers NGOs and transfers a skillset that those groups can then share with their community. Initiatives within this framework include social media programmes, employment workshops, and partnerships with the Community Afterschools
Project and Aware. In addition, training provides for growth in personal competencies and skills of individuals or organisations, enabling self-empowered change. Initiatives in this arena include Junior Achievement, a mental health awareness programme, Language Exchange and Connect @ Lunch, Green Movement & Sustainability, as well as social media programmes and employment workshops. This approach taken by Oracle represents an important concept: ‘The potential growth of the community is based on the potential of its people.’
STAFF SUPPORT Developing positive initiatives that could yield significant benefit is one thing; however, these initiatives wouldn’t be the success that they are
Oracle Ireland CSR partnering with Aware to run educational workshops around mental health
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CSR PROFILE ORACLE
without the invaluable contribution from Oracle staff members. With the company’s new CSR mantra, employees play two clear roles, as a result of which they remain motivated and personally invested and interested in the initiatives: • They represent Oracle’s internal community, and define the areas where support is required. • They also deliver the skills required to Oracle’s external community, and community and voluntary organisations. The results are quite impressive. For example, over 300 Oracle volunteers have become teachers in the long-running Junior Achievement programme, providing students in local schools with the key skills they will need in an everchanging world. Volunteers have also worked for five years on the Community After Schools Programme, providing educational assistance to adults and children in need, while Oracle recruitment and management personnel have provided their experience in supporting unemployed individuals and NGOs working with jobseekers through employment workshops that have been running for the past two years. In addition, Oracle HR and management has continued to fight the internal stigma of mental health through educational workshops and an employee support service, while 400 Oracle employees have volunteered to network and connect to mutually exchange language
Oracle‘s Language Exchange and Connect Programmes
Skills based Volunteering with Junior Achievement
skills, promote personal growth and educate on internal cultural differences via the Language Exchange & Connect @Lunch programmes.
IMPACT Volunteering was chosen as the most effective method by which the company can deliver their CSR agenda to promote work-life balance, retain talent as well as the recognition that the successes of business are intrinsically linked to the health of the local community. Oracle’s employee wellbeing survey has since registered an improvement in present happiness and future perspective, a clear proof that adequate volunteering supports skills development, quality of life, socialisation, self-belief and selfworth, and provides for a fun environment. The company has also received outstanding feedback on the impact of CSR initiatives from NGOs and the external community. The result of these programmes on both internal and external communities is wholly positive. The change
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Members of Oracle Ireland’s CSR Team
in approach has seen a successful change management for an organisation of 1,200 employees, while the participation and overall number of volunteers has grown by 30 per cent. In addition, many NGOs now have the practical skills and efficiency to overcome the challenges they face, the external community has been and continues to be empowered and supported via skill and competence-sharing, while employees have gained an understanding of the voluntary sector, a sense of purpose, personal development and overall self-worth.
LOOKING AHEAD For Oracle and their CSR strategy, the future is one that is bright, and the company aspires to build on their recent success and reach new heights. Further expansion and growth will be determined by the internal and external communities, based on their needs. Oracle has also developed two extra commitments going forward – to continue supporting the needs of the community and to seek partnerships with other companies, and to extend the reach both internally and externally for participation in existing initiatives.
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CSR PROFILE DUBLIN PORT
Early Support FROM DUBLIN PORT Through its CSR strategy, Dublin Port Company continues to build on the strong and longstanding connection it has with local communities.
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ublin Port Company’s commitment to its corporate social responsibility programme is underpinned by the policy set out in the company’s strategic plan 2012 to 2016. Within the strategic plan, Dublin Port Company (DPC) recognises their role in local communities with which they have strong connections stretching back generations. The CSR policy strives to strengthen these links and re-establish the
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historical integration of the port with the City. DPC’s CSR aims to contribute to sustainable economic development by working with employees, the local community and society at large to improve the quality of life, in ways that are both good for the business of the port and good for Dublin city, its citizens and visitors. In keeping with this commitment, Dublin Port Company is proud to support the Early Learning Initiative (ELI) at the
National College of Ireland (NCI). The programme, which has been shortlisted in the Excellence in the Community category (LIC), engages with parents, educators and the community as a whole in encouraging children’s learning journey at preschool level and preparing them for later success in school. The ELI mission is to address educational disadvantages through the provision of an integrated programme for children, their parents and families, and educators from the early years up to third-level. The long-term vision is that ELI will lead the way in providing first-class educational support programmes within
local communities, thereby enabling children, young people and their families to develop the dispositions, skills and knowledge needed to achieve their educational, career and life goals. Research has shown that early learning is the foundation of all subsequent learning and a child’s intellectual development is closely linked to the amount and quality of verbal interaction they receive. As part of the overall initiative, the Parent Child Home Programme is designed to strengthen the natural bond between parent and child and to encourage a love of learning. It employs a non-directive approach and encourages the parent as the child’s first and best teacher. The Parent Child Home Programme promotes positive interactions, which are child-focused and led between children, parents and local practitioners in the home. Home visitors provide a key component of this programme. They are all local people who have been employed and trained by NCI. They visit participating families twice weekly, providing educational tools and guidance for parents. During 2013 and 2014 they made an average of 48 visits to the 78 families participating in the programme. Twelve staff members from the DPC attended volunteer | CSR AWARDS 2015
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CSR PROFILE DUBLIN PORT
programmes and have acted as mentors and role models to some of the older children in the ELI. This involvement has been noted as a key motivational factor for the children involved. DPC staff also assisted the NCI to secure further funding for various ELI programmes by hosting a breakfast briefing which brought together other business in the port area. Eleven companies were represented at the breakfast briefing and as a result NCI entered into partnerships with two other companies and are in discussions with a third about forging a partnership. They also received a significant donation from another company within the port.
IMPACT As the Parent Child Home Programme is part of a broader educational initiative, results are recorded and monitored regularly. The home visitors measure the Child’s Behaviour Traits (CBT) in the month of November and again in May. The findings published by NCI found that 83 per cent of the children in the programme were meeting their developmental milestones in May 2014 compared with only 17 per cent when the programme began in November 2012. Feedback from families participating in the programme has also been very positive. One parent cited a significant
improvement in her daughter’s language skills who is now sharing those skills with her sister who is not on the programme. Another parent said she had learned a lot and now makes more time for her son after realising how important it is for him. The next step for the ELI is the Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme which DPC is delighted to support. The programme’s key objective is to develop the numeracy levels of children in the Docklands area to bring them in line with the national average as well as providing parents with numeracy skills and confidence to enable them to be involved in their child’s education.
DPC recognises the positive impact of thework of the ELI and is proud to support the initiatives, not only financially but also by providing volunteers who act as positive role models. The DPC will continue to provide a forum for NCI to showcase the work of the ELI. DPC’s Corporate Social Responsibility agenda is a cornerstone of the organisation’s overall strategy. It is the commitment of DPC to contribute to sustainable economic development for the years ahead and through its CSR policy, aims to heighten the awareness of the positive role the port plays in the daily life of the city and its citizens.
1,710,000 passengers welcomed to the heart of Dublin City annually
www.dublinport.ie
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Abbott Ireland Inspiring Tomorrow’s Innovators
www.abbott.ie www.abbottfund.org
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CSR PROFILE ABBOTT IRELAND
Life. To The
FULLEST Abbott is a global company with a focus on improving their local communities.
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globally diversified healthcare company, whose central purpose is to help people through better health, Abbott has been operating in Ireland since 1946, employing 3,000 people across 11 sites. Investment in Ireland has been consistent and regionally spread. We have six manufacturing facilities located in Clonmel, Cootehill, Donegal, Longford and Sligo and a third-party manufacturing management operation in Sligo. We have commercial and support operations in Dublin and shared services in Dublin and Westport. Abbott serves the Irish market with a diverse range of healthcare products including diagnostics, medical devices and nutritionals.
COMMITMENT TO CITIZENSHIP At Abbott, we believe that innovative, responsible and sustainable business plays an important role in building a healthy, thriving society. We strive to foster economic, environmental and social wellbeing through our operations. It starts with responsible and sustainable business. Every day, people around the world depend on our products to live healthier
lives. That’s why we run our business the right way, for the long term – for the benefit of the many people we serve. By building a more inclusive business, we aim to reach more people, in more places, than ever before. From strengthening the capacity of suppliers to creating products that address local health needs, we are always finding new opportunities to expand the positive impact of our people, products and business in communities around the world. We can’t tackle every challenge. But what we can do is address the critical issues that best match our scientific expertise, business acumen and unique resources, applying innovation and ingenuity to find the answers.
CITIZENSHIP STRATEGY Our approach to global citizenship is aligned with our strategy for business growth and grounded in several key priorities that are most important to our stakeholders and to our growth strategy.
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OUR STRATEGY IN ACTION IN IRELAND Delivering Product Excellence: Abbott’s vascular manufacturing plant in Clonmel is Europe’s first recipient of the prestigious Shingo Prize, awarded to organisations that exhibit operational excellence. Improving Access: In 2014, eight Abbott experts from our diagnostics units in Longford and Sligo spent five weeks in Tanzania, volunteering their time, knowledge and skills to help train and mentor local laboratory teams. Their primary objectives: to implement an integrated IT system for patient registration and lab sample management; to train local staff to use the system; and to tighten the links between the 23 national labs and the Ministry of Health. Safeguarding the Environment: At our Cootehill manufacturing plant, we recently converted our boilers to burn natural gas rather than diesel fuel, reducing our boiler carbon emissions by 22 per cent. As this gas arrives by pipeline, a more environmentally friendly source, the need for advance ordering and storage is eliminated.
Responsible Business Practices: In Ireland, as in every other country where Abbott operates, we want to be known as a great place to work. We offer progressive work practices and innovative employee programmes that help our people reach their full potential and live healthy, well-balanced lives. Our LiveLifeWell programme inspires, engages and empowers employees to embrace a holistic approach to their physical and mental wellbeing. Strategic Philanthropy: Abbott Fund Family Science is one of our major initiatives to pique children’s interest in science and scientific careers. Primary school children, along with their parents and teachers, are taught about science and innovation through exciting experiments and activities led by Abbott scientists and engineers. Operation Discovery brings secondary students to an Abbott facility, where our scientists and engineers guide them through hands-on lab experiments. Shared Value initiative: As we explore shared value at Abbott, we seek to establish proactive partnerships that enable us to deliver tangible business value, create positive social impact at scale.
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www.friendsfirst.ie
You’re amongst friends with Friends First
Mates. Buddies. Amigos. Call them what you will. You can’t live without them. But every now and again you need to be a friend to yourself. Your future is important both to you and those around you. Talk to your financial broker about our range of Pensions, Investments and Income Protection products that are tailored to suit your needs. Through thick and thin we’ve been looking after our customers for over 180 years, here in Ireland. You’re amongst friends with Friends First.
ffgeneral Pensions Friends First Life Assurance Company Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Terms and conditions apply.
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Investments
FFGENERAL
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CSR PROFILE FRIENDS FIRST
CSR for a Sustainable
& Successful Business Brian O’Neill, Strategic Marketing Director, Friends First, outlines how the company has benefited from embedding social responsibly and sustainability principals across all parts of the business.
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truly successful business is one that develops and maintains long-term value for all stakeholders, including customers, staff, distributors, regulatory authorities as well as wider society. Friends First formulated a new three-year business plan in 2012 during which we reviewed our existing business model and results. We recognised the need to deliver increased long-term value to all of our stakeholders and in doing so developed a more sustainable business model. Like most other retail business sectors in Ireland, the recession led to less new customers acquiring our products. We also experienced more customers
cancelling or reducing contributions into existing products and schemes, which had an adverse impact on our financial results and value created. To address this we took a number of steps: • altered our business model and changed the way we paid financial advisers • increased our educational support to financial advisers to help them to change their business and transition to a customer-focused financial advisory model • reduced the costs across products • added further low-risk investment choices and simplified the charges • promoted our products and brand more effectively to our brokers and customers
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Our owner, the leading Dutch insurance group Achmea, highlighted the need for us to deliver value to a broader range of stakeholders including the wider community. They also stressed the need for Friends First to embed social responsibly and sustainability principals across all parts of the business. As a co-operative group, Achmea has always had a strong societal focus and so CSR principles and activities are fully integrated across their business. For example, they operate their own charitable foundation, and in 2012 signed up to the United Nation Principals for Sustainable Insurance Charter. While Friends First needed to make significant changes to transform the business into a sustainable one, we knew what we needed to do and had some of the building blocks in place. We were already active in supporting charities and had a welldeveloped environmental programme. But we were fully aware that being a truly socially responsible and sustainable business involves far more than increased charitable and societal activity. To ensure the integration of all CSR related activities into the company we established a new programme to monitor and co-ordinate activities
across the business. The structure of our programme was influenced by a review of best practice in CSR across major Irish and international companies and in Achmea. Our new CSR Committee decided to manage CSR activity in Friends First under four key headings: friends in the market, workplace, environment and community. We developed a fully integrated CSR plan commencing in 2013 with objectives and activities agreed for each of the four streams supported by a reporting and monitoring process. In our community programme we appointed charity, schools and community co-ordinators to initiate and manage a significant range of new initiatives. In 2014 we raised over a120,000 for our four chosen charities. Our staff engaged in a wide range of community and charitable activities including a visit to Uganda by a group of us and a cycle from London to Amsterdam. Our charitable and community activity is core to our CSR programme but is only part of a broader transformation of our business which aims to deliver long-term value to all of our stakeholders. By achieving these goals we believe we can become a truly sustainable and successful business.
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© 2015 Citigroup Inc. Citi and Citi with Arc Design are registered service marks of Citigroup Inc.
The world’s city isn’t New York or London or Beijing. It’s not Lagos or Sao Paulo or Dubai. Today, the world’s city is wherever you are. Wherever you bring your ideas, drive, passion, and a hope that someone will believe in you. What if a bank made that its job? Wherever people come together to create or build something, we’re there to help make it real. For over 200 years. All around the world.
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CSR PROFILE CITI IRELAND
Healthy
Citi Living Citi Ireland is aiming to improve the wellbeing of its employees by promoting a culture of health for all.
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he resounding success of Citi’s Wellness Programme 2014 is evidence of Citi’s commitment to providing an integrated holistic approach to employee health and wellbeing. The programme saw the launch of two significant campaigns in 2014; Heart Aid and Think Well, which helped raise awareness of the importance of both physical and mental health. Citi had already introduced several initiatives aimed at improving employee wellbeing, including private medical insurance, occupational health, an employee assistance programme and an onsite gym, as well as healthy menu options, the Cycle to Work Scheme and the Citi Fitness Challenge. “It is perhaps due to the fact that Citi was already so strong in its commitment to a culture of health that the Heart Aid and Think Well programmes were so well received,” says Martina Williamson, Citi Head of Human Resources. The Citi Ireland Heart Aid campaign supported Citi’s global health initiatives and was designed to raise awareness around the
prevention, diagnosis and control of cardiovascular heart disease. In 2014, Citi launched a global heart health awareness campaign, Nourish Your Heart, which encouraged employees around the world to celebrate heart health awareness. Over 150,000 people took part across 33 countries worldwide. Citi Ireland’s Heart Aid campaign focused on physical health and wellbeing. The campaign saw over 900 employees complete cardiac screenings, which represented 40 per cent of Citi Ireland’s workforce. Further consultation resulted from 10 per cent of these screenings, which allowed for the early detection of serious or potentially fatal conditions. In addition, 50 per cent of those screened received various recommendations including lifestyle changes and GP review. “Along with raising employee awareness of their own health and wellbeing, the Heart Aid campaign also partnered with our Community Affairs Group to support fundraising events for our charity of the year – The Irish Heart Foundation, for whom more than g100,000 was raised over the course of 2013 and 2014,” says Williamson.
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The Citi Think Well team
The second initiative of the Wellness Programme 2014, Think Well, was also a great success. The campaign was designed to address the increasing trend of psychological and mental health issues in Citi (73 per cent of occupational health cases related to mental health issues). In recognition of the increase in stress-related issues as a result of external and internal environmental factors, Citi’s Think Well campaign focused on positive thinking as well as raising mental health awareness. Sponsored by Citi’s CEO Aidan Brady, as well as Mike Rush and Maria Whelan, champions of the Citi disABILITY network, the Think Well campaign covered topics relating to psychological health including managing stress, work-life balance and the challenges of speaking openly about mental health issues.
The impact of Citi’s Wellness Programme 2014 is much wider than originally thought, with both the Heart Aid campaign and the Think Well initiative creating positive impact on a global scale. According to Williamson, it’s all about building on the CSR initiatives already in place at Citi and enabling employees to engage with the programmes on offer. “The facilities that were already present in Citi to encourage mental and physical wellbeing, along with the top-down support of the campaigns from senior management at Citi, certainly aided the realisation of the campaigns,” she says. “However, the level of employee engagement with the two initiatives, which measured 75 per cent of employees at Citi Ireland, was instrumental in the success of the Citi Wellness Programme.”
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The Mater Hospital Foundation shaping the future of healthcare.
The Mater Hospital Foundation proudly funded these vital projects and services: ● The Mater Hospital’s Cancer Day Unit ● A Research and Diagnosis Clinic for SADS ● The Maurice Neligan Heart and Vascular Theatre
Today we urgently need your help to continue supporting life-saving projects. Did you know the Mater Public Hospital is …
Ireland’s only Heart and Lung transplant centre
The National Spinal Injuries Unit
A leader in Cardiac Care
A centre of excellence for Cancer Care
We would welcome an opportunity to discuss partnership options. Please contact Lydia on 01-8303482. The Mater Foundation, 53-54 Eccles Street, Dublin 7. CHY9768. www.materfoundation.ie
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CSR PROFILE MATER HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
Choosing a WORTHY CAUSE The health sector in Ireland is in need of support – by partnering with the Mater Hospital Foundation we could help shape the future of healthcare together.
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n effective corporate social responsibility policy is increasingly becoming more and more important to companies as they gain awareness of their community and the social responsibilities within it. CSR doesn’t just benefit the partner companies and organisations – a good CSR strategy can develop employee morale, contribute to sustainable business practices as well as generate goodwill towards the company in their local community. By becoming a supporter of the Mater Hospital Foundation you will directly help to enhance patient care and life-saving projects within the hospital, boost employee morale within your company by showing your commitment to CSR and, ultimately, strengthen
your own corporate image. Choosing the healthcare sector and the Mater Hospital Foundation in particular would provide a much needed boost – while in the UK it is taken for granted that other forms of funding are a necessary and crucial part of the health system, in Ireland there is a significant requirement for investment in healthcare as the Government can only do so much. There are many different ways you can get involved.
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP We have several high profile events and campaigns held each year that offer diverse and unique sponsorship opportunities with tangible and measurable benefits. These include favourable PR for both parties concerned, positive brand association,
Breaking boundaries in healthcare with the Maurice Neligan heart and vascular theatre
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a chance to show your company’s dedication to the local community and assistance in connecting with a targeted audience, all while supporting the largest adult hospital foundation in Ireland.
support, the involvement of your company in our events throughout the year, and the opportunity to take part in the Adopt a Nurse programme and have a nurse come and visit your workplace.
HOW YOUR SUPPORT COULD HELP
EMPLOYEE FUNDRAISING
Support from corporate partners can help buy essential items. For example:
Fundraising for a charity can be fun, simple and a great motivational tool. It suits all companies, no matter the size, and is guaranteed to help encourage, inspire and bring together your workforce. While the events are fun for staff they also show the company to be projecting a positive image to customers, staff, suppliers and the local community.
• Mobile Ultrasound Scanner – f39,000 could buy this • Patient Standing Aid – f11,000 could buy this • Electric bed & accessories – f4,000 could buy this • Reclining Chair – f1,000 could buy this • Oxygen Flow Meter – f120 could buy this.
CHARITY OF THE YEAR PARTNERSHIPS We believe that we are an ideal choice for a Charity of the Year partnership (COTY). By adopting the Mater Hospital Foundation you will be raising money to help the thousands of people who pass through the doors of one of Dublin’s busiest hospitals both locally and nationally. As part of the COTY partnership we will help to develop the relationship while ensuring to suit the needs of your company. This will include help with the planning of events, the enhancement of your company profile both locally and nationally, helping to motivate your staff and increase the sense of team spirit and peer
VOLUNTEERING Here at the Mater Hospital Foundation we rely on volunteers in a variety of ways. Whether it is in the office helping out a few hours a week or selling heart badges during our two-week campaign, your help is invaluable. In return you can meet new friends, learn new skills or develop existing ones. The Mater Hospital Foundation is totally autonomous to the Mater Hospital, with a board of directors. For more information on how your company and the Mater Hospital Foundation can work together, please call us on (01) 830 3482 or email contact@materfoundation.ie
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Let’s make the world better together – we’re hiring, so apply today. C
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CM
MY
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CMY
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paypaljobsireland.com 1800 944 570
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CSR PROFILE PAYPAL
Supporting our People
& our Communities PayPal’s CSR strategy is about ensuring that the company makes a positive and lasting impact on local communities, as Louise Phelan, Vice President of Global Operations, EMEA, explains.
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his is PayPal’s first time entering the Chambers Ireland CSR Awards and we were thrilled to be shortlisted in the Excellence in Workplace category. Corporate social responsibility is an intrinsic part of what we do and it’s great to see our efforts being recognised externally. To me, corporate social responsibility is about giving back to our local community, supporting local businesses, encouraging entrepreneurism and looking out for, and after, our greatest asset – our people. Our teammates decide which charities we support and they often get actively involved with the charities too. Our teammates are passionate about giving back and sharing their skills. In the past 12 months, we have contributed a142,000 to a wide range of Irish charities. Our teammates are always fundraising for different causes and many of them took part in the Age Action Ireland
Louise Phelan, PayPal
volunteer programme that teaches computer skills to older people in our local communities. A number of our French and German speaking teammates tutored children from Saint Ultan’s Childcare in Dublin 10 in the run up to their summer exams. That shared sense of community spirit and comradery is part of what makes us a great place to work. In PayPal, our people are our greatest resource and that’s why we have a Wellness Plan that puts their wellbeing front and centre. We run annual health assessments onsite, take part in RTE’s Operation Transformation initiative, offer healthy meals in our onsite restaurants and provide access to a fully equipped gym onsite. Our healthcare partners ensure that our teammates have
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access to round the clock emergency service, and we also have a maternity strategy and parental network to support our parents. Everyone deserves a break and on top of providing generous holidays we give our teammates four additional weeks paid leave every five years. It’s a great benefit that our teammates really appreciate. PayPal was once a start-up so we know how important it is to encourage and support entrepreneurs. That’s why we mentor a number of fintech start-ups. PayPal sponsors initiatives like the Coder Dojo Coolest Projects which is a fantastic event to encourage and celebrate the innovators of the future. We also support Starting Strong, which encourages more women and young people to look at entrepreneurship and technology as potential
career paths. We work all the time with small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them grow their online business and capitalise on the opportunity mobile commerce offers. Our latest service, Braintree v.zero SDK, is the ideal platform for smaller companies looking to expand into mobile payments as we offer free processing on the first a50,000 worth of transactions. Our corporate social responsibility strategy is about ensuring that PayPal makes a positive and lasting impact on our local communities. That means supporting local businesses, encouraging entrepreneurism, and rewarding and recognising our people for the fantastic work they do each and every day.
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CSR PROFILE INTEL
CSR:
Business as Usual at Intel Intel in Ireland has been enriching communities through volunteerism and matching grants.
education programmes is the Intel Mini Scientist which is a competition for primary school students in which they develop science related projects that are then exhibited at fairs and within their own schools. In 2014, 5,560 students from 14 different counties took part in the Mini Scientist competition.
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t Intel we deliver some of the world’s most advanced technologies, but the company’s focus is not simply on the products we make – but what we can make possible. Corporate responsibility is an important part of who we are and at Intel Ireland this means respecting people and the world around us and working to deliver initiatives that enrich communities, advance environmental sustainability and support education transformation.
INTEL INVOLVED Intel Involved gives our employees the chance to give something back to the communities in which they live and work. Through the programme, employees can volunteer to help with a wide range of projects, which in the past have included teaching people how to use computer applications, environmental conservation, painting and refurbishing community buildings, assisting with youth and senior citizen groups and helping local charities. In 2014 Intel employees volunteered over 58,000 hours as part of this programme in over 220
schools, charities and nonprofit organisations across the country.
SIGNATURE CHARITY PROGRAMME Each year Intel Ireland selects two signature charities in order to give employees the opportunity to dedicate their efforts towards providing volunteer time and funds, raised through specially organised activities, to these chosen organisations. Employees then engage in a series of different activities and events throughout the year to raise awareness and funds for the signature charities – these events include the annual Intel Charity Cycle, 5km Fun Run, coffee mornings, our Golf Classic and Family Day to name a few. In 2014, Intel supported the Jack and Jill Foundation and Irish Autism Action and all funds raised from our site wide events, which amounted to over a56,000, were distributed among the two charities. For 2015,
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Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) and the Friends of St. Luke’s have been selected as Intel’s signature charities.
FOCUS ON EDUCATION At Intel Ireland our overall vision is to contribute towards a world-leading education system which supports a world class, knowledge economy and a cohesive, modern and open society. We have invested more than a32 million into the Irish education system over the past 25 years providing initiatives that allow students to experience and explore project-based learning linked to science and technology. We continue to engage with stakeholders across the education community and to provide local and national education programmes that include programmes for primary and secondary school students, science exhibitions, post-graduate research projects and equipment donations to schools and universities. One of our key
DELIVERING INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMES Intel Security, with employees based in Co Cork, developed a Digital Safety Ambassador programme that is a peer-led initiative aimed at empowering youths with the vocabulary and skills they need to engage a younger generation in meaningful conversation about cyber security, cyber safety and cyber ethics. Intel volunteers, with the help of Foróige and transition year students, actively engage the community with our content and training, delivering robust community youth representatives. This passes ownership of digital safety back to the community, embedding the conversation, all the while itself underpinned by support from Intel’s collective expertise. In this way young people start a peer-led conversation delivering a message of self-respect, selfprotection and pride in their digital reputation.
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teamwork. We couldn’t have done it without our great team‌ Thanks to them we gave 2,000+ hours pro-bono to good causes across the world in 2014.
International Office Network
Belgium China Czech Republic India Ireland Poland Russia
Saudi Arabia Singapore Slovakia Turkey UK USA
The project delivery specialists www.pmgroup-global.com
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17/08/2015 08/09/2015 12:08 13:15
CSR PROFILE PM GROUP
Taking Sanctuary
in CSR
PM Group’s CSR programme is a permanent commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates
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ommunity support is an integral part of PM Group’s CSR programme. The company is committed to giving back to organisations in its local, regional, national and international communities and to supporting their employees’ work with these organisations. “We are very aware that as a company specialising in the provision of engineering, architecture, project and construction management, we are in a unique position to provide specialist advice and skills on community-based projects that can be even more beneficial than direct financial donations,” says Mags Dalton, CSR Coordinator, PM Group. “2014 was another amazing year in the development of our programme with a particular focus on continuing our goal to involve as many of our offices and staff as possible in both group-wide and locally driven initiatives.” PM Group has been shortlisted at this year’s CSR Awards for the Sanctuary Project at Tallaght Hospital. The Sanctuary Room in the William Stokes Unit at Tallaght Hospital was
officially opened in May 2015, providing a small corner of sanctuary for families and loved ones of people at the end of life, away from the day-today busy hospital spaces. PM Group provided interior design, project management services and furniture, working alongside partners BAM, who carried out the renovations. A bright, comfortable space with relaxing decor, the sanctuary room also offers tea and coffee-making facilities, as well as a shower and sofa-bed for those visiting for longer periods. Over the course of 12 months, the teams worked closely with the Irish Hospice Foundation, staff at Tallaght Hospital and many others who kindly provided their services pro bono. The design of the room follows the recommendations of the Irish Hospice Foundation’s Design & Dignity programme. This programme aims to transform the way hospital spaces are designed for people at the end of life and their families. The national programme also looks to set the standard for other hospitals to follow. It’s not only the people
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Ann Hickey, Assistant Director of Nursing, Tallaght Hospital; Shauna Sweeney, Architect, PM Group; Ger Moloney, BAM; Mags Dalton, CSR Co-ordinator, PM Group; Eilee Lee, Operations Manager Dublin, PM Group; and Grace O’Sullivan, National Development Coordinator, Irish Hospice Foundation
using the service who are benefiting. The volunteers who dedicate their time to the project have reported it to be an extremely rewarding experience. “The feedback from our teams has been incredibly positive,” says Dalton. “Although our projects can involve some quite difficult subjects, essentially what we’ve heard back is a huge sense of achievement and joy at being able make a difference.” Such has been the success of the PM Group’s CSR strategy that their programme is now oversubscribed in almost every location, which shows what a natural fit it has been with the teams. Their CSR work doesn’t stop at Tallaght Hospital, however, and other initiatives for PM Group
included volunteering and financial support to improve the Guangci Orphanage in China; provision of design services to improve facilities at the Lodz Foundation in Poland; mentoring young people to encourage them into the engineering profession in the UK and supporting the Junior Achievement teaching programme in Ireland. “Our CSR programme is a permanent commitment to supporting our communities,” says Dalton. “We want to continue to build on the great foundation we’ve established and to deepen the close relationships with our existing charities. We will also continue to widen out the programme across our international office network.”
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08/06/2015 13:16 17:23 08/09/2015
CSR PROFILE SHANNON AIRPORT
CSR in Full Flight Shannon Airport’s desire to give something back is strongly embedded in its corporate culture, as Neil Pakey, CEO, Shannon Group plc explains.
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t Shannon Airport we recognise the social impact we have on local communities and acknowledge our responsibility to them and the environment in which we work and do business. The company’s CSR programme is integral to what we do, and the desire to give something back is strongly embedded in our corporate culture. Our seven pillar CSR programme encompasses the following: community engagement; fundraising and supporting local charities; protecting our environment; supporting our business community; sports sponsorship; fostering education and innovation; supporting public art and culture. Under each of these headings we actively identify
projects we work to support. These have included: • sponsorship of the Munster GAA Primary Games • a partnership with Business in the Community to assist with job creation initiatives • the hosting of a Young Innovators initiative as part of the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) forum • organising flights for local special needs groups which gave more than 2,500 children and their parents the opportunity to meet Santa • PR promotion around the International Transplant Games to highlight the importance of organ donation These are just some of the key projects Shannon
Shannon Airport Midnight Runway Run
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Neil Pakey, CEO, Shannon Group plc
Airport was involved with in 2014. Another initiative, which incorporates two of our CSR pillars – community engagement and supporting local charities – was the Midnight Runway Run. The event, which is nominated in the Community - Charity (LIC) category at this year’s CSR Awards, was the first ever runway night run to be undertaken at an Irish airport. The historic 5km charity run, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, was devised as a novel way of raising funds for the Samaritans, and took place on July 4th 2014. Through a sustained Shannon Airport PR, marketing and social media campaign, people of all levels of fitness, from experienced to novice runners, were encouraged to participate in the Midnight Runway Run. The initial target number of participants was 1,000, but it proved so popular that this was extended to
1,200. The event garnered huge support from the airport community and stakeholders. On the night, a team of 200 volunteers, including 50 airport staff and local running and sports clubs, acted as marshals for the event. Representatives from the Samaritans were on hand to raise awareness of their charity and distribute goodie bags at the finish line containing soft drinks, energy bars, souvenir giveaways and information on the Samaritans, the airport’s chosen charity for 2014. On arrival at the airport, a warm-up exercise session with a motivational fitness guru took place in the terminal building. Runners were led out on to the novel runway-lit course by Irish rugby legend Keith Wood. The sense of excitement was palpable as the runners began their historic run on the airport’s main runway. All participants were chip-timed and the fastest finisher covered the flood-lit course in a remarkable time of just over 15 minutes. The event was a huge success, raising over a15,000 for the Samaritans in Clare, Galway, Limerick and Tipperary and generating awareness of the services of this tremendous and commendable charity. A second Shannon Airport Runway Night Run, once again sponsored by Bank of Ireland, took place on June 19th 2015. To accommodate the unprecedented demand generated from our first event, the 2015 night run was expanded to cater for 2,000 participants.
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CSR PROFILE BT IRELAND
Volunteer
for Change BT continues to use its skills to help charitable organisations thrive and grow, and to help its people make a real difference.
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t BT we believe in volunteering. We believe in the positive effect that it has on the charities and local communities we support through our Better Future programme as well as our own people and our business. As a company, our aim is to use our skills to help charitable organisations thrive and grow, and to help our people make a real difference to the lives of others. We want to be a company where people are proud to work and where they feel a sense of achievement and purpose. Volunteering is at the heart of this mission. Over the past year, BT
Ireland people have spent more than 1,300 working days volunteering, which we are proud to support by giving our people three paid days per year towards volunteering activities. Volunteering is the foundation on which our Better Future programme is built, and in the past year we’ve delivered some exceptional activities with the help of our people.
THE BT YOUNG SCIENTIST & TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION For the past 15 years, BT has both organised and sponsored this world class STEM event. In January 2015, our 200 BT Red Coat volunteers managed 60,000
visitors, 550 project exhibits, 60+ exhibitors and 60 interactive audience shows. Without our volunteers the delivery of this, our most successful exhibition to date, simply would not have been possible. Fr Tony Scott, founder of the Young Scientist Exhibition said: “At the closing ceremony, the loudest applause each year is for the BT Red Coats, the volunteers who cheerfully give their time and help in a major, if sometimes unseen way, to make the annual exhibition the success that it is.”
THE GREAT BT CHARITY SHOPS CHALLENGE In October 2014, 168 BT people raised a total of a128,000 as part of our all island cancer awareness fundraiser on behalf of the Irish Cancer Society and Marie Curie Cancer Care. The funds raised through this volunteering initiative will go towards funding almost 150 nights of care for those in their final days, staying at home being cared for by an Irish Cancer Society night nurse.
CHRISTMAS GIFT BOX APPEAL In December 2014, 262 BT people gathered over 700 gifts to support the St Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army appeals for families in need at Christmas.
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THE BT WHEELERS In May 2015, 54 BT people cycled from Dublin to Wicklow and back – a distance of 100kms – and in doing so raised almost a8,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and DeterMND. As well as measuring the impact our volunteering programme has on the charities and communities we support, we have also identified the impact that volunteering has on our people. A recent survey revealed that not only do employees benefit from increased morale and camaraderie with colleagues, but that overall, it increases their level of pride in working for BT. One volunteer says: “Every time I’ve participated in an event I come away feeling extremely proud to be a BT employee.” Looking ahead to the future, our company wide ambition is to use our skills and technology to generate more than stg £1 billion for good causes by 2020. Included in this is the value of time volunteered by BT people to good causes during working hours. And with so many charities and community groups advocating the benefits they’ve gained through BT volunteering, it is a programme we will continue develop and enhance in the years to come. | CSR AWARDS 2015
08/09/2015 12:52
CSR PROFILE DHL EXPRESS IRELAND
Connecting People,
IMPROVING LIVES Responsible business practice is the foundation for the long-term growth and success of DHL, explains Alison Moore, Brand, Communication and Marketing Manager for DHL Express Ireland.
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onnecting people and improving their lives is DHL’s mission as a logistics services provider, and it is the focus of our daily work, whether in operations or in the area of corporate responsibility. In 2014 our Global Volunteer Days across the globe saw around 108,000 of our people donating their time and energy to some 1,700 projects. On a local level here in Ireland, our official charity for the next two years which was voted for by our employees, is
Aoibheann’s Pink Tie who offer practical assistance to families of children affected by cancer in Ireland. The charity was set up in 2010 by Jimmy Norman and Mick Rochford after Jimmy lost his own daughter to cancer. We were eager to work with a charity that is small but has big ambitions and Aoibheann’s Pink Tie was voted for by our employees for this reason. Our employees quickly got to work in coming up with event ideas to raise much needed funds for Aoibheann’s Pink Tie, including a Runamuck challenge, climbing Croagh Patrick, the women’s mini marathon, Hell & Back, and the Race around Ireland. Our largest fundraising event to date was a charity plane pull where over 100 DHL employees
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Alison Moore, Brand, Communication and Marketing Manager for DHL Express Ireland
joined Dublin Aerospace employees to compete in the ultimate tug of war, pulling the DHL Airbus A300 600F – weighing nearly 200,000 pounds – across the tarmac. Ten children currently battling cancer arrived at Dublin Airport with their parents on an open top bus and were escorted by airport police where they were greeted by a crowd of people waiting to pull the DHL plane. The total funds raised from the event were over a20,000. However, it’s fair to say that our employees have done more than just raise funds for the charity; they’ve given up their spare time because they feel a close association to Aoibheann’s Pink Tie. This is not simply due to the fact that it’s a small charity, but also that the co-founders and the families involved with the
charity have made it so. Both co-founders are regular visitors to our head office, where they have outlined their ambitious goals over the next two years and held group talks with employees about what the charity does. They also extend invitations to DHL employees for any events they organise for the kids and families they are engaged with, such as their annual Pink Tie Ball and their Family Tea Party, both held in Dunboyne Castle. This relationship works both ways where we at DHL not only extend invites to Aoibheann’s Pink Tie members to events such as the Family Fun Day at our Dublin HUB, but also invite the children and parents to attend international soccer matches through our local sponsorship agreement with the FAI. Responsible business practice is the foundation for the long-term growth and success of the DHL Group and this filters through to all 220 countries where DHL have a presence. However, the local relationships developed and the impact on both the local communities and families cannot be measured through a corporate strategy or report. By being universally committed to one small charity, the sense of achievement and unity amongst the staff of DHL and the emotional connection that gives is infinite.
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PROFILE JUSTGIVING
The Perfect Platform FOR FUNDRAISING
JustGiving, sponsor of the Charity Category for this year’s CSR Awards, explain how their online platform helps businesses raise money for charities and good causes of their choice.
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ustGiving was arguably one of the earliest ‘social’ applications on the web – though the label had not yet been invented when the website was launched by co-founders, Zarine Kharas and Anne-Marie Huby, in February 2001. Enabling people to collect charity donations securely online seems blindingly obvious now, but JustGiving only stumbled upon it after several iterations of its service. JustGiving’s motivation, however, has always been the same: to use the best the web has to offer to help good causes connect with more supporters and raise more money as a result. Today, we are the fastest-growing fundraising giving platform in the world, with 13 million registered users, thousands of charities, 1,200 corporate partners and s3.2 billion raised for good causes.
EVOLUTION In the last three years, we have seen a genuine revolution in giving and the ability for JustGiving to super serve its community. With the social web and the rise of advanced data analytics shaping every aspect of our lives, JustGiving has been quick to recognise the enormous potential of digital disruption on the world of giving. Over three years ago, we created a data science team to begin to unpack the potential of JustGiving’s 14 years of giving transactions and social network data. Our GiveGraph™, the world’s largest graph of giving behaviour, now contains more than 80 million nodes, thousands of causes and 285 million connections. It models people’s interactions and giving behaviour, mapping out connections
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The Dublin Marathon, one of the many events where participants use JustGiving to raise funds
and analysing patterns and trends. Most importantly, GiveGraph™ now underpins every aspect of our product, and determines what every JustGiving user sees in their personalised home page, and the timing and content of the notifications they receive. Having enabled over s500 million in giving in 2014 – a 23 per cent rise on the previous year – and with a continued focus on the development of world-class technology and innovation, we are excited about JustGiving’s role in transforming digital giving and ensuring no good cause goes unfunded.
COLLABORATING WITH BUSINESSES Many of the businesses we work with want to celebrate how fantastic their employees are. Encouraging, promoting and supporting their people’s fundraising efforts is not only a worthy and noble thing to do, but it makes good business sense. At JustGiving, we are here to help businesses do just that with a free company profile. Since we launched our company profiles back in 2010, businesses
such as Paddy Power and Tesco have experienced the benefits first-hand. It has allowed them to see, manage and promote all their fundraising activity in one place, whether it’s organised by the company itself or their amazing employees. It has also enabled businesses to show the impact their charity partners are making to inspire their employees, clients and shareholders. And finally it has helped them identify and celebrate those employees who have made a real difference through their dedication to fundraising. In short, having a company profile on JustGiving helps you show the world the wonderful things your employees are doing for the causes they care about. And because of our commitment to the latest technology, employees fundraising on JustGiving will reach more people, inspire more giving and ultimately raise more money. If you’d like to find out more about how we can help your business, visit www.justgiving.com/companies or email marco@justgiving.com | CSR AWARDS 2015
08/09/2015 12:54
PROFILE WATERFORD CRYSTAL
Waterford Crystal AT A GLANCE
Having survived over two centuries – through good times and bad – there is huge pride in the Waterford Crystal brand at home and abroad.
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ince the reopening of Waterford Crystal in 2009 and the subsequent purchase by Fiskars, Waterford Crystal has re-established near its roots, on The Mall in Waterford City. Waterford Crystal is now thriving again and it’s a good news story for Ireland. “A company that’s been around since 1783 is going to have difficult times and when we reorganised after 2009 and set up in the city, it was a proud day for all connected with Waterford Crystal,” explains David McCoy, Sales & Marketing Director of House of Waterford Crystal. “Those involved are so proud of the brand which is a product of the work of so many generations of local people over so many years. “We have a manufacturing plant and brand experience in Waterford, where we produce a lot of crystal
Waterford Crystal Retail Store
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and give visitors an opportunity to visit the factory and see how we make our beautiful products. A lot of work goes into producing a oneoff piece including the design and manufacturing. This is something that we have expertise in and it’s the reason why people come to us to design and produce their trophies, unique pieces and awards. We have a 12,000 sq ft showroom which represents everything we make in crystal, including a whole section on golf and sport, which is a major part of our business.” The list of famous awards and trophies produced by Waterford Crystal for the sports industry alone is simply staggering. Waterford Crystal also designs the pieces for the prestigious People’s Choice Awards, as well as the spectacular Times Square Ball – a crystal ball
which forms a prominent part of a New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square in New York, colloquially known as the ball drop. There is huge pride in Waterford Crystal throughout Ireland and it’s little wonder that it is one of the most popular items used to mark such special occasions. Our corporate and gift awards programme can cater for rewarding your employees or clients. We can customise a piece from our core range that can allow you create your own unique message or logo on the item. Should you require your items gift wrapped and individual cards written, we can include as part of your order. Our worldwide shipping service allows you the flexibility to deliver 24/48 hours to Ireland, UK or USA. Our dedicated sales manager Tom Walsh can be contacted at tom.walsh@wwrd.com or +353 (0)51 317043. The factory in Waterford City is home to a brand new continuous melt tank furnace that has been tailor-made for Waterford Crystal’s specifications and melts two tonnes of molten crystal every day. It uses leading-edge technology to deliver molten crystal of the highest quality for our skilled master blowers to hand-shape and mouth-blow Waterford Crystal’s range of premium products. Thousands of visitors travel from around the world, to see the famous crystal being manufactured at the factory in Waterford. Factory tours are available all year round, visit waterfordvisitorcentre.com or contact +353 (0)51 317000.
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Excellence in
CSR COMMUNICATION
The growth in CSR in the last year alone is remarkable.”
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ELECTRIC IRELAND
IRISH RAIL
ULSTER BANK
Darkness into Light
Iarnród Éireann’s commitment to raising mental health awareness
CSR Communications Strategy
Pieta House provides free face to face therapeutic services for people in suicidal distress or who self-harm. Darkness into Light is their flagship fundraising and awareness event which takes place every May. Thousands of people gather in various locations nationwide at 4am to walk or run a 5km route as dawn breaks. It is not just a fundraising event; it looks to drive conversations around the issue of suicide and also represents community, hope and solidarity. Electric Ireland has supported Pieta House through the Energy for Generations fund since 2005. However, as suicide is an issue that affects both their customers and staff, Electric Ireland felt there was an opportunity to do more. In 2013 they made Darkness into Light their main CSR initiative and have been proud to support it ever since.
Acts of suicide on the railway are a sad reality not just in Ireland, but in the railway environment worldwide. They are tragedies for the families involved, but they also have a profound effect on the driver and other staff who deal with the aftermath. Iarnród Éireann wanted to do something that would raise awareness of mental health issues. In 2013 Iarnród Éireann became involved with Green Ribbon Month, the national campaign to promote conversations about mental health. Building on this, and through staff feedback, in 2014 they joined forces with the Samaritans to place signage on every platform in the country displaying the charity’s details for those who may need to talk. In 2015, again emanating from a staff suggestion, over 100 Iarnród Éireann employees will participate in the cycle against suicide to raise awareness of suicide prevention.
For Ulster Bank, CSR communications is all about engaging their employees and transforming the bank into a great place to work. Ulster Bank’s main aim is to be the number one bank for customer service, trust and advocacy on the island of Ireland. Through its CEO staff roadshows, blogs, bulletins, people boards and listening groups, the bank’s innovative approach to communication is the engine that’s already turning its business around. The strategy is shaping positive cultural change and transforming the bank into a truly customer-centric organisation that all its people can be proud of.
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BEWLEY’S
Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning For 22 years Bewley’s has supported Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of local hospice care. Their unwavering support of the hospice movement has been a core element of the company’s CSR strategy. The 2014 campaign was successful on multiple levels. It resulted in significant and positive media coverage for the hospice initiative including a direct experiential connection to the Bewley’s brand. With 2.5m raised, it supported major fundraising by the hospice movement which supports over 3,100 people per month, and 732 new patients per month, in community-based palliative care. The campaign brought Bewley’s Coffee to life in a deeply meaningful way for people and communities all over Ireland, enabling a direct connection with both the corporate and brand values of Bewley’s directly in homes, businesses and hospices nationwide.
COLLINS MCNICHOLAS 250km Charity Run in aid of Pieta House Over the last 25 years it has been central to the ethos of Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group to get involved in the local community. As one of the leading recruitment companies in Ireland, they have seen first-hand the stresses and strains that unemployment can place on people from all walks of life. In 2013, Collins McNicholas established a long-term partnership with Pieta House to help raise awareness for the prevention of suicide and have continued this partnership throughout 2014 and into 2015. To help promote the charity, Collins McNicholas has ensured that Pieta House events are continually featured on their website and social media and they spread the word to their clients, candidates and colleagues on a regular basis.
ELECTRIC IRELAND Darkness into Light
Pieta House provides free face to face therapeutic services for people in suicidal distress or who self-harm. Darkness into Light is their flagship fundraising and awareness event which takes place every May. Thousands of people gather in various locations nationwide at 4am to walk or run a 5km route as dawn breaks. It is not just a fundraising event; it looks to drive conversations around the issue of suicide and also represents community, hope and solidarity. Electric Ireland has supported Pieta House through the Energy for Generations fund since 2005. However, as suicide is an issue that affects both their customers and staff, Electric Ireland felt there was an opportunity to do more. In 2013 they made Darkness into Light their main CSR initiative and have been proud to support it ever since. | CSR AWARDS 2015
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FRIENDS FIRST
SHANNON AIRPORT AUTHORITY
Charity Programme 2015 Friends First has identified four separate charities which we actively support both financially and through volunteerism. They are: Laura Lynn - Cancer Care for Sick Children in Ireland; Barnardos - Supporting Children in Need in Ireland; Irish Cancer Society - Cancer Care and Awareness for all in Ireland; Lessons for Life Educating Orphans in Africa. The charities have been selected using the following criterion: 1) Assisting health awareness and supporting the treatment of those with serious illness. As the leading income protection insurer in Ireland and critical illness insurer we feel that supporting causes of this type are aligned with our core health insurance business. 2) Supporting Children’s Charities. Many of our staff are parents and are in favour of supporting children’s charities. 3) Overseas Support. We believe in extending our support beyond Ireland too.
The Bank of Ireland Runway Night Run at Shannon Airport On July 4th 2014, Neil Pakey, CEO of Shannon Airport, fired the starter’s pistol on a unique event as the first ever runway night run to take place at an Irish airport got underway. This historic 5km charity run, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, was devised as a novel way of raising funds for the Samaritans, the airport’s chosen charity for 2014. The event proved so popular that it was extended from 1,000 to 1,200 entrants. It garnered huge community support and on the night a team of 200 volunteers, including 50 airport staff, acted as marshalls. Runners were led out by Irish rugby legend Keith Wood. The event was a huge success, raising over 15,000 for the Samaritans and generating awareness of the services of this tremendous and commendable charity.
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ACCENTURE
AVIVA
Accenture and An Cosán build Skills to Succeed
Aviva Street to School Programme with Focus Ireland
Since 2011, An Cosán has been supported by Accenture through Skills to Succeed, which aims to equip people from underserved communities with the skills to gain employment. The An Cosán-Accenture relationship started with the delivery of a number of short training programmes. The similarity in culture and ethos of both organisations led to deeper engagement and commitment. Accenture has provided a wide range of supports from cash funding for students to work placements, internships, training and employment support for jobseekers. The pro bono organisational development support for the Virtual Community College was significant for An Cosán’s future development and scalability. The current pro bono arrangement on the Skills to Succeed Academy will allow An Cosán to expand its reach further and target hardto-reach young people to advance their employability skills.
Aviva’s purpose is helping to free people from fear of uncertainty. Through their partnership, Aviva and Focus Ireland recognise that every child living and working on the street has the right to fulfill their potential. All initiatives established through the partnership aspire to help support children and young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Ireland. The main focus is on supporting children’s education by ensuring that they have the skills and supports they need to live independently. In five years the partnership has impacted more than 2,000 children and young people. Since then, more than 600,000 has been invested in Focus Ireland services, awareness of the issues facing children who are homeless has been raised, and Aviva staff and customers have been engaging in a positive social initiative.
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BOOTS IRELAND
INTEL IRELAND
Boots Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) partnership
Intel Ireland Site Signature Charity
Boots and the Irish Cancer Society are working in partnership, with a vision that every person in Ireland will have access to the best possible cancer services and support available when affected by cancer. For over 19 years in Ireland, Boots have used their pharmacyled expertise to help improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. The aim of Boots’ charity partnership with the Irish Cancer Society is to support people living with cancer in Ireland by increasing awareness, promoting prevention and raising vital funds for the Night Nursing Service. This service provides dignity and comfort to patients through free end of life care in their own homes to families nationwide. It is Boots Ireland’s aim that their stores and expertise they offer will become community-based destinations in the fight against cancer.
Each year Intel Ireland selects two signature charities in order to give employees the opportunity to dedicate their efforts towards providing volunteer time and raising funds through specially organised activities. Over the past five years, Intel employees have raised over 300,000 for nonprofit organisations through the signature charity program. In addition to the funds raised over that time, employees have volunteered a total of almost 13,000 hours in supporting the selected charities.
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LIDL IRELAND
MEDTRONIC
MICROSOFT
Lidl and Barretstown – Working Together
The Medtronic/Irish Heart Foundation Blood Pressure Roadshow
Responding to the problem of youth unemployment Youth2Work provides free access to training for unemployed youth aged 16-26. Following these courses the objective is to ensure the youth secure full-time employment. The programme aims to engage 10,000 youths in three years. After two years 5,000 youth have been trained with over 22 per cent in full-time jobs and over 80 per cent either in further internships or returned to full-time education. This year the programme plans to run 260 courses and reach an additional 5,100 youths. Currently 2,800 students are on courses right now.
Lidl is a young company with the majority of staff in their 20s and 30s, many of whom also have young families. Therefore as a team, Lidl decided to partner with the children’s charity Barretstown. When selecting charity partners Lidl was keen that the chosen charity would connect with the company’s 3,700 employees. In June 2013, Lidl announced a 1m partnership with Barretstown which will see the retailer support the work of the charity for the next three years. Mobilising employees across Ireland, Lidl has successfully raised over 672,000 for Barretstown since the launch of the partnership. Over 85 staff from around the country were recruited to become Barretstown Buddies whereby they volunteered to arrange local fundraising in their stores and offices throughout the partnership. To date over 150 events have taken place.
Medtronic and the Irish Heart Foundation have developed the annual Blood Pressure Roadshow to raise awareness of the importance of having your blood pressure checked for early detection around stroke and heart-related illness. Together they ran an eight-week roadshow making blood pressure checks available free of charge at 70 locations – including four Medtronic sites – in 21 counties across Ireland. The roadshow provided free blood pressure checks and healthy lifestyle advice to 4,271 people in Ireland. The campaign culminated in a World Stroke Day event, offering free blood pressure checks at six points nationwide. Without the support of Medtronic, the Irish Heart Foundation would not be able to deliver these services to the public free of charge or with such broad reach. The roadshow allowed the Irish Heart Foundation to raise awareness around the issue of high blood pressure and engage with thousands of people across the country.
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Youth2Work
MONDELEZ IRELAND
Partnership with Barnardos In 2013 Mondelez Ireland, the company that owns brands such as Cadbury, Oreo and The Natural Confectionery Company, began a three-year partnership with children’s charity Barnardos. The charity was chosen by employees at Mondelez Ireland. The partnership provides vital support through funding and benefit in kind. The financial support provided by Mondelez has enabled Barnardos to build current initiatives such as Buckets for Barnardos and together Mondelez and Barnardos have created new initiatives such as the Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, generating new avenues for fundraising. Since Mondelez began working with Barnardos in 2013, the company has contributed 250,000 to Barnardos. Funds raised by the partnership to date have gone towards supporting Barnardos Little Foot Forward programmes; a pre-school service for children aged 2 to 5 years of age.
RICOH IRELAND
Circular Economy and Fun Ricoh, ReUse, ReCreate Ricoh Ireland’s partnership with ReCreate fits perfectly with the Ricoh Global 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) initiative and community investment strategy. Ricoh has partnered with ReCreate to further develop this strategy while working all the time to help support ReCreate’s creative and environmental endeavours. With ReCreate using materials to support early childhood education, schools, college arts and community centres, the initiative runs in parallel with Ricoh’s worldwide objective to achieve zero waste to landfill. This strategy has a strong emphasis on reusing materials before recycling and supports a communitybased social enterprise that has far-reaching positive effects on 730 preschools, schools, special needs and community groups.
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FRIENDS FIRST
KBC BANK IRELAND
KPMG
Time To Read Schools Programme
Staff Volunteering Scheme
Within the Friends First community there has been a strong focus on education as a means of helping develop sustainable lives. In 2015 Friends First partnered with St. Laurence College and St. Colmcille’s National School, providing an ongoing partnership programme with both local schools. The programme with St. Colmcille’s National School is Time to Read, a reading enhancement programme for second class primary school students to assist them to increase their enjoyment and confidence in reading. With St. Laurence College, Friends First provides a career development programme for fifth year students. The programme is designed to prepare around 20 students for entry into the workplace by developing their interview skills and techniques in a live environment.
KBC Bank Ireland’s Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility programme has been designed to support the bank’s goal to be a responsible business that delivers the highest service to customers. As part of this CSR programme, KBC Bank Ireland operates a comprehensive staff volunteering scheme which empowers staff to make meaningful contributions to charity. In 2014, KBC’s volunteering efforts supported charities which campaign for and work to improve the lives of children and young people in Ireland, in particular in relation to health, social exclusion and education. During 2014, KBC provided support for its chosen charity partners Barretstown and Barnardos. KBC supported educational charities and initiatives such as Junior Achievement Ireland, Enactus and the Business in the Community Schools Business Partnership. All of these relationships provided meaningful volunteering opportunities for employees in 2014 and contributed to directly improving the lives of children and young people in Ireland.
Professional skills are currently in high demand by the community and voluntary sector. Charities either don’t have the skills in-house or the money to buy the expertise. KPMG targeted these needs by organising the Bright Ideas project. Ten charities were selected to partner with KPMG on the project: Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Coeliac Society of Ireland, Little Museum of Dublin, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, Youth Work Ireland, ALONE, Central Buildings Development, Ballymun Partnership, Coolmine Therapeutic Community and East Wall Youth. A Blitz Day was held in KPMG offices, where a team of KPMG volunteers worked with their assigned charity on the challenges faced by each individual organisation. They collaborated with senior charity representatives to implement solutions to their specific challenges and empowered them to make positive change.
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Bright Ideas – Skills based volunteering
MASON HAYES & CURRAN
Community Volunteer Programme Mason Hayes & Curran’s Community Volunteer Programme works to benefit people in their local community by volunteering services and time to local charities and organisations which support and educate the disadvantaged. Education within the community and offering pro bono services are key focus areas of their CSR strategy and have proven to be a positive way to give back to the community. Their charitable activities, donations and pro bono work have benefited over 15 charities and community organisations in the past year. Their Volunteer Programme gives staff the opportunity to connect with people within the community through organisations such as Inclusion Ireland and the Mercy Law Resource Centre.
ULSTER BANK
MoneySense for Schools MoneySense is Ulster Bank’s flagship skillsbased volunteering programme. It harnesses the banking expertise of its staff to deliver personal finance classes to secondary students, reaching over 55,000 students island-wide. 250 Ulster Bank staff are trained to teach the programme and they have donated more than 4,500 volunteering hours to help young people learn about money, banking, borrowing, saving and starting a business. These volunteers are the life-blood of the MoneySense-for-schools programme, giving young people the confidence and skills to build a better financial future. They are helping the bank to build trust and strengthen its brand as a responsible business. They bring to life the bank’s values of ‘thinking long-term’ and ‘doing the right thing’. | CSR AWARDS 2015
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ABBOTT IRELAND Promoting STEM in our communities Abbott Ireland’s commitment to science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) education programmes is steadfast. Abbott’s investment in science education aims to engage and inspire students, families and teachers in scientific settings, encourage young people to be more proficient in STEM and attract more scientists to the field. Partnerships with stakeholders who align with their business encourage and inspire Abbott to continue to reach out and deliver programmes in the 11 locations where Abbott Ireland is based.
BT
DELL
GENZYME
The BT Better Future programme
The Power of 2,300
Partnership with Mount Sion CBS Secondary School
BT’s Better Future programme is all about using the power of communication to improve lives and ways of doing business, and volunteering is central to this. BT believes that volunteering is good for its people and business, as well as making a real difference for charities and local communities. BT is proud to give their employees three paid days a year to work in their community or with a charity. BT staff share their professional skills with not-for-profit groups as well as raising funds for charities and getting involved in community work. BT runs one of the biggest and longest-running school science events in the world – the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. In the last year BT Ireland staff spent over 1,300 work days supporting communities, charitable causes and STEM education. Supported from the top and throughout the business, volunteering is a win-win for BT, local communities and its people.
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With 2,300 team members in Ireland, Dell Ireland is in a position to do a lot to help the community. With 27,246 hours donated in 2014 across its three campuses in Dublin, Limerick and Cork, it lives up to its potential. The company has a global commitment to ‘powering the possible’ – so technology and expertise become tools to help the communities where it operates. From developing an app for the Special Olympics Games in Limerick to providing project management training, and from sharing IT skills with the over-55s to organising fundraisers for a wide selection of charities, Dell goes above and beyond to promote positive change in the community every day.
Initially sparked by a visit to Genzyme Waterford by an energetic group of then third year pupils from the school, a unique partnership with Mount Sion CBS Secondary has flourished over the last two years and continues to develop. Built on sustainable foundations, the partnership has numerous aspects that include advanced work placements for Transition Year students; science and literacy classes delivered at an adjacent primary school with support from Genzyme volunteers; third-level scholarships for high-achieving schoolleavers; engineers from Genzyme working with students and staff to design and plan a new outdoor sports and recreation area at the school and the school using business processes from Genzyme to track and improve outcomes. Already delivering results, the partnership can be replicated by other Genzyme and Sanofi sites globally but also by further companies and schools in Waterford and beyond. Genzyme Waterford is committed to supporting a rollout of the model.
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INTEL IRELAND Intel Involved Deeply embedded in the Intel culture is a passion for community involvement and for volunteering in both the communities where they work and where they live. Intel Ireland employees have a long tradition of community engagement and 2014 was no different to previous years with 58,680 volunteer hours being recorded by employees in Ireland. The involvement of Intel employees in their local communities has made a huge impact on local organisations, clubs and schools. Intel employees have increasingly found opportunities to donate the skills that they have honed at Intel—providing legal, human resources, marketing, finance, and IT expertise to schools, nonprofits, and NGOs.
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MICROSOFT Microsoft and LauraLynn – Neighbours working together for good Microsoft employees support the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice through volunteering, skills sharing and fundraising. The team at Microsoft have donated 34 hours of training to the organisation in the last year. In addition, employees have volunteered 825 hours to support practical needs they have such as painting, Christmas gifts and volunteering at their annual events. The company has hosted seven fundraising events and donated 63,000 to LauraLynn over 12 months in addition to company software donations. Speaking about the relationship, Michelle Byers, Fundraising Manager, LauraLynn said: “Working with Microsoft has been, and continues to be, one of the most rewarding and humbling experiences for me working from the charity perspective with a company. The commitment, passion and heartfelt support from the Microsoft team is inspiring and we are honoured to be working with you all.”
NORTHERN TRUST Community Partner The Northern Trust Community Partners programme in Ireland is a volunteering and community outreach programme that strives to provide employees with positive and meaningful opportunities to help and interact with the local communities in which they work. The aim of the programme is to build a culture of caring and teamwork, engaging partners and enabling them to represent the best of Northern Trust by demonstrating a commitment to service that extends beyond our day-to-day business responsibilities and into their communities. The programme gives employees two paid days out of the office per year to participate on team-based challenges to support Northern Trust’s three core areas of focus: children; education; environment. From the outset, Northern Trust has been working hard to forge relationships with local charitable and community organisations to provide volunteering opportunities, which include gardening, general renovation tasks, day trips with children or with those less able.
ORACLE Skills based volunteering is our ‘Mantra’ Oracle has created, grown and evolved its CSR approach with an empowered partnership with C&V, external community and volunteers. This is the only way they see the future, establishing a mutually beneficial partnership that creates an intrinsic interdependence for all parties. This has allowed them to create eight sustainable and valueadded initiatives. Oracle are proud to say that this is the first time where all parties created and contributed to the CSR puzzle for success of a skill-based activity. Jointly they defined the need, the solution and future of their community. Little steps with big impact improve the world.
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DUBLIN BUS Dublin Bus Community Spirit Initiative The Community Spirit Initiative reflects Dublin Bus’ commitment to play an active role and give back to the communities in which it operates. This is done through the Community Spirit Awards, The Schools and Education Programme, which includes the annual Children’s Art Competition, and the annual Niall Quinn Penalty Shoot Out Competition. To date, over 1,800 groups across the Greater Dublin Area have been awarded grants through the Community Spirit Awards. Each year almost 300 schools are visited by the Dublin Bus’ Schools and Community Co-Ordinators and the Niall Quinn Penalty Shoot Out Competition is now in its tenth year. The Community Spirit Initiative has supported people with disabilities, community development projects, youth clubs and services, football clubs, family resource and community centres, services for older people, boxing clubs, scout groups, dance clubs for young people, schools and youth projects within the Greater Dublin Area for 12 years.
DUBLIN PORT COMPANY Early Learning Initiative Dublin Port Company is a longstanding supporter of educational programmes in the Dublin Docklands area. They have run a scholarship programme for many years enabling local students to pursue the third-level qualification of their choice. In order to further promote the attainment of higher education in the locality, the company partnered with the National College of Ireland to support their Early Learning Initiative and in particular their Parent Child Home Programme. The aim of this programme is to promote learning from an early age and to engage with families to help parents to develop the skills they need to become their children’s first and most important teacher. Home visitors are trained and supported by NCI and between 2013 and 2014 they visited the 78 participating families twice a week to provide the necessary guidance and tools to help parents to strengthen the natural bond between with their child and to encourage a love of learning.
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GEORGE BEST IRISH RAIL BELFAST CITY Broombridge AIRPORT Station Community Community Fund
Partnership
Recognising the important role it plays in being a responsible neighbour, George Best Belfast City Airport (GBBCA) first established its Community Fund in 2009 to support, engage and give back to the local community in Greater Belfast and North Down through funding a range of community projects with a particular focus on education, environment and community development. Since its inception, the Community Fund has provided funding for more than 87 community groups, schools and projects in Greater Belfast and North Down, with future aspirations of branching out further afield. In total, over £180,000 has been invested, with an expectation of hitting the £200,000 milestone later in 2015. The Community Fund welcomes, in particular, projects that provide experiences or opportunities for young people that without financial support from GBBCA would not have been possible.
Broombridge Station had become a notorious site on the network for trespassing and anti-social behaviour. Working with residents groups, youth groups and Gardaí, Iarnród Éireann participated in a community partnership which has seen significant improvements in the Broombridge Railway Station area and a reduction in levels of anti-social behaviour including trespassing. A programme of initiatives has been put in place, including environmental improvements, and initiatives such as partnerships with the local kayaking club and Naomh Fionnbarra GAA Club, to support youth participation in sports. Furthermore, art installations at the stations and on platforms further deepen the community involvement in the station. Incidents of anti-social behaviour have reduced by over 50 per cent since the community partnership was launched and this template is being used in other areas on the network which have experienced problems with anti-social behaviour.
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LAYA HEALTHCARE There are so many things going on behind the scenes that the general public often aren’t aware of, which is why these awards are so important.”
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Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare is a health homework programme developed alongside psychology, nutrition, wellbeing and physical activity experts to support greater physical activity among school children. It is the first ever health homework programme to be run in Ireland. 330 schools throughout the country have signed up voluntarily to the programme, which is teacher-led in classrooms, encouraging activity to reach the daily target of 60 minutes a day. The Super Troopers programme looks to make a positive change for children and families and to create an habitual approach to a healthy lifestyle. Laya Healthcare, Ireland’s second largest health insurance provider, and the future of healthcare in Ireland, is committed to looking after its members always and through the Super Troopers programme, is supporting the health and wellbeing of more than 60,000 children across Ireland.
PM GROUP The Sanctuary – Adelaide & Meath Hospital, Tallaght PM Group, in conjunction with BAM Construction, provided skilled pro bono services to the Irish Hospice Foundation and the Adelaide & Meath Hospital in Tallaght through the Design & Dignity Project. This involved upgrading a visitor room into a space called The Sanctuary, which is dedicated to people at the end of life and their families to help make the experience of dying as positive as it can be. For PM Group the aim was to provide architectural, interior design and project management services that would create a private, calming and peaceful design. The works were completed at the beginning of April 2015 and The Sanctuary was handed over. As a community-based CSR initiative, this project enabled PM Group to use its expertise to help those in our communities who don’t have the skills or resources available to them for whatever reason.
ULSTER BANK Community Impact Fund Working in partnership with the Community Foundations, Ulster Bank developed its Community Impact Fund in 2013. The Fund provides grants to help community organisations deliver financial education, enterprise and employability projects in local communities. To date it has awarded grants of 690,000 to 47 community projects that are helping people to find work, start a business or improve their personal finances. By addressing these issues and reaching those most in need, the fund supports inclusive economic recovery and future growth. By volunteering at the top of their skillsets, Ulster Bank’s employees have supported many of those funded. This involvement builds employee engagement, develops positive relationships with our local communities and strengthens the banks reputation as a responsible business.
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ACCENTURE
CITI
EMC
GENZYME
Skills to Succeed
Junior Achievement Programme
EMC VEX Robotics
Partnership with Project Treo Port Láirge
Skills to Succeed is at the centre of Accenture’s corporate citizenship agenda. It helps address the global need for skills that opens doors to employment and economic opportunity. It is a key aspect of how we embed corporate responsibility into our business in Ireland and worldwide. By the end of fiscal 2020, we aim to equip more than three million people with the skills to get a job or build a business through our Skills to Succeed initiative. Accenture collaborate with organisations that share their Skills to Succeed vision, addressing the entire employability journey, from developing critical employability and enterprise skills to opportunities to gain work experience and employment. They combine pro bono consulting, cash donations, employee volunteering and fundraising to create outcomes-focused and sustainable programmes. Behind the numbers lies the heart of this initiative: the individuals whose lives are transformed by gaining skills and employment opportunities.
Citi Ireland’s partnership with Junior Achievement over the past 17 years has helped create a culture of enterprise within the education system and provided learning opportunities to over 17,300 primary and secondary school students. Over 53 per cent of the schools where Citi volunteers deliver programmes are classified as DEIS. By enabling these students to focus on how they can impact the world around them as individuals and explore future opportunities, Citi volunteers have helped them in the transition to a knowledgebased economy. Citi has facilitated volunteers in bringing life skills, financial literacy, and science and maths skills to thousands of young students who would not otherwise have had this opportunity. By working together with organisations like Junior Achievement Worldwide, they can help put young people – and their communities – on a path towards economic success.
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EMC’s VEX Robotics programme is an exciting collaboration of industry with primary, secondary and third level education, in partnership with non-profit organisations, that targets students aged 8-18 with an emphasis on fun and creativity while stimulating the development of STEM and interpersonal skills. Each year a new engineering challenge is presented in the form of a game, and teams design, build, programme and test their robots to compete against other teams in an event organised by EMC with the CIT and Lifetime Lab. In 2012, EMC introduced the VEX Robotics Competition to DEIS secondary schools in Cork and provided training for teachers, weekly mentoring support for schools, in addition to the robotics kits and know-how. To promote STEM with younger children EMC piloted a new robotics programme for primary level with 17 schools involved in 2014. Over 60 schools are expected to participate in the programme in 2015.
Genzyme, a Sanofi company, operates a growing biopharmaceutical and medical device campus in Waterford. As part of a wider suite of CSR activity, the company has partnered with Project Treo Port Láirge to help deliver a series of training programmes designed to divert at risk young people from repeat offending behaviour. Through the project, the young offenders are equipped with skills that greatly improve their life prospects and reduce the risk of them becoming habitual offenders with huge costs to themselves, their families and wider society. The partnership between Genzyme and Project Treo has a number of dimensions including Genzyme professionals donating time and expertise to work with the young people on the programme (an average of 55 at any given time) and the company donating used wood materials for use at the workshops that are a central aspect of the project.
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INTEL IRELAND Intel Mini Scientist The Intel Mini Scientist programme gives 8-12 year-old students the chance to explore science through project based learning and exhibitions. The students participate in science exhibitions for which they develop visual displays and accompanying project books based on a scientific area aligned with the national primary science curriculum.
INTEL SECURITY (MCAFEE) Digital Safety Ambassador Program The Intel Digital Safety Ambassador Program is a peer-led initiative aimed at empowering youths with the vocabulary and skills they need to engage a younger generation in meaningful conversation about cyber security, cyber safety and cyber ethics. Intel volunteers actively engage the community with their content and training, delivering robust community youth representatives. This passes ownership of digital safety back to the community, embedding the conversation all the while itself underpinned by support from Intel’s collective expertise. In this way, youths start peer-led conversations delivering a message of self-respect, selfprotection and pride in your digital reputation.
ORACLE
Mission Employment Oracle Ireland’s Mission Employment programme is a skills-based volunteering programme which was developed to address the issue of unemployment in the community. It is a replicable and sustainable initiative which empowers Oracle employees to share their skills, competencies and experience with jobseekers. The objective is to support a diverse range of Dublin-based jobseekers to exit unemployment by gaining confidence, learning new skills and leveraging social tools, thus maximising their opportunities to find or re-enter employment.
TESCO IRELAND Tesco Community Fund
In July 2014, Tesco Ireland launched the Tesco Community Fund, an initiative through which Tesco Ireland donates 1m annually to up to 3,500 local good causes in communities around each of their 149 stores over a 12-month period. As well as directly benefiting local community groups and charities, Tesco colleagues are proud to be part of this initiative and their customers are involved every step of the way. Every six weeks, three local good causes per store are nominated by customers and colleagues. Customers then receive a blue goodwill token with each shop that can be used to vote in store. Every six weeks the tokens are counted and the fund, up to 1,000 per store, is divided proportionally between the three good causes. The more tokens a local good cause gets the larger share of the donation they receive.
TRANSDEV DUBLIN LUAS Lecture Room – St Aidan’s Secondary School
In 2014, Transdev combined the efforts of their staff, their business partners and suppliers to refurbish an old science classroom at St. Aidan’s School, Tallaght. Transdev continue to provide a successful Schools Business Partnership of mentoring and aiding in Green Schools Projects with St. Aidan’s School. Six days of hard work culminated in the creation of a high spec LUAS classroom that provides a new and unique learning space for the school and the local community to use. The project was an excellent fit for Transdev’s CSR approach and contributed towards targets as outlined in Going the Extra Mile. It engaged 13 members of the organisation’s staff in local support programmes, contributed 150 volunteer hours towards community-based projects and showcased the leadership role that Transdev takes in bringing other companies together in collaborative and sustainable activities.
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| CSR AWARDS 2015
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Excellence in
LIC
ENVIRONMENT
There is a lot of work still to do to raise awareness of CSR, particularly among SMEs, but there’s no denying that CSR has hit the mainstream.”
CORK UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL Achieving a Sustainable Environment at Cork University Hospital Cork University Hospital Campus is the first healthcare facility in the world to be awarded a Green Flag by An Taisce and the Foundation for Environmental Education for its environmental achievements. Cork University Hospital Group is committed to becoming a leading sustainable, low carbon organisation delivering sustainable healthcare into the future. The SEECO programme at Cork University Hospital seeks to empower healthcare staff to deliver lasting social, environmental and economic sustainable change. It is about efficient energy use, smart water consumption and healthcare waste minimisation and segregation. SEECO seeks to inform and inspire staff to become more energy and waste efficient and adopt and promote a low carbon lifestyle both at work and at home.
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ESB ESB Networks Water Conservation Programme ESB Networks has changed how it manages its water consumption in 39 depots throughout the country. The installation of real-time metering and consumption profiling technology is facilitating far more proactive management of this resource and earlier fault identification. As a result ESB Networks is on target to deliver its commitment to reduce its water consumption by 30 per cent by 2020. This is a team-led initiative, grounded in the objectives of the company’s overall sustainability strategy. It demonstrates innovative and sustainable thinking, and places ESB Networks at the forefront of modern, efficient resource management.
Effectively communicating their CSR initiatives gives companies the chance to get across their way of thinking and highlight the excellent work they are doing in various areas of CSR.” LIC : Large Indigenous Company | 51
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MNC
Excellence in
ENVIRONMENT
Irish businesses are leading the pack in terms of CSR.”
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ABBOTT IRELAND
ABBVIE
ARUP
AbbVie’s 20:20 Vision
Safeguarding the Environment
AbbVie Cork has a vision to reduce carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. This plan was approached head on with two cutting-edge projects undertaken in 2014. The Biomass Boiler Project saw the installation of a 200kW LPHW woodchip boiler, which provides heat for the site. Locally sourced woodchips provide fuel for the boiler, resulting in a 5 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from this cost neutral investment. Their second initiative is the Chiller Optimisation & HVAC Free Cooling Project, which involved the installation of dampers and ducting on main AHUs to take advantage of cool external air and warm internal air. The project resulted in savings of 180,000 in energy bills per year and a 10 per cent reduction in CO2. For a site of its size, an investment of over 1m in sustainability and renewable energy shows AbbVie’s dedication to the environment and community in which it operates.
Sustainable Transport – We shape a better world
Abbott in Ireland is committed to reducing their global environmental impacts across the business. The Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) teams across the six manufacturing sites continue to lead a wide range of projects that positively impact the environment, the business, communities and employees. Abbott has a strong tradition of environmental stewardship and safeguarding the environment continues to be a key strategic priority for Abbott in Ireland.
Arup exerts a significant influence on the built environment and are the creative force behind many of the world’s most sustainable designs. Their founder Ove Arup believed in integrating environmentalism and social purpose into their projects. A commitment to sustainability has always influenced the way they conduct their business, treat staff and interact with society as a whole. To practice what they preach, Arup manages their office operations in a sustainable manner through the implementation of an environmental management system (ISO14001 certified). They place particular emphasis on promoting sustainable transport initiatives. Progress is measured by monitoring specific sustainable objectives and targets across commuting, work-related travel and their carbon footprint. Arup encourages staff to leave their cars at home and use sustainable transport to help reduce our carbon footprint and live up to their mission statement: ‘We shape a better world’.
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ENVIRONMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52
ASTELLAS IRELAND CO. LTD. (KERRY PLANT) Changing Tomorrow – Our journey to Sustainability Astellas is a conscientious, proactive, forward thinking organisation, which is constantly striving to reduce its impact on the environment. Its journey started in 2000, and it has gone from strength to strength ever since. It has excelled in the area of renewable energy, with the installation of an on-site wind turbine and woodchip boiler, and by decreasing its reliance on non-renewable energy sources by 62 per cent and carbon emissions by 69 per cent since 2005. It has also showed initiative in reducing its reliance on landfill by up to 70 per cent since 2000. It has been proactive in its voluntary clean up of legacy landfill, reducing the risk of contamination to the local community. Astellas endeavours to come up with new and innovative ways to reduce its impact, and also add value to its business and community.
TESCO IRELAND
TRANSDEV DUBLIN
FoodCloud Partnership
Sustainable Operator
In July 2014, Tesco and FoodCloud formed a ground-breaking partnership that enables surplus food from Tesco’s 149 stores and Distribution Centre to be redistributed to charities and community groups using the FoodCloud App. Tesco stores register their surplus food at the end of the day on the app, allowing charities to register to collect food from their nearest store. The app quickly and efficiently connects the store with its nearby charities. Using Tesco’s scale, over 300 tonnes of food has been distributed to charities and good causes across the country, equating to almost 800,000 meals. This has resulted in savings on waste disposal costs for Tesco, an avoidance of 960,000kg of CO2 equivalent, and the positive use of food which would otherwise have been wasted.
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Through the Sustainable Operations initiative, Transdev implements and monitors initiatives aimed at reducing its environmental impact and having a positive economic and social influence on Dublin’s community through which LUAS operates. This initiative feeds into the ambitious targets and objectives encompassed in the Dublin Light Rail Sustainability Plan 2011 to 2015, Transdev’s CSR Plan 2014 ‘Going the Extra Mile’ and its wider business management programme. Transdev has reduced the environmental impact of the LUAS operations by increasing recycling by 24 per cent and reducing water consumption by 26 per cent since 2011. In 2014 they made significant reductions in energy consumption despite a 6 per cent increase in passenger numbers versus 2013. Vital to Transdev’s success has been sharing ideas and working closely with staff, management, customers and suppliers, ensuring that the operation of the LUAS is as sustainable as possible and that its impact on the environment is minimal.
Businesses now realise the strategic importance of CSR and the tangible benefits it can have.”
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Excellence in
WORKPLACE BANK OF IRELAND Be At Your Best – Invest in Yourself Be At Your Best (BAYB) is Bank of Ireland’s employee wellbeing programme. Launched in January 2014, it was developed by Bank of Ireland to help their employees to be at their best around three pillars of well-being, namely; mind, body and career. The bank wanted to support its employees to make the transition through the financial crisis that began in 2008 by helping them build their personal resilience as the bank transitioned to a normalised business model. Central to the BAYB programme is the desire to help employees increase their overall physical fitness levels and develop more agile ways of thinking so they can survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive, challenging and changing working environment. To date, over 10,000 staff have become involved in various initiatives designed to engage and motivate them and help them to function at their physical, mental and professional best.
ESB Positive Mental and Physical Health Promotion among ESB Staff Positive mental health promotion among staff is a key priority for the health and wellbeing team within ESB. To that end a range of supports have been developed to encourage self-awareness, develop coping strategies and where necessary, provide access to more acute intervention routes. ESB has recently introduced new elements to its range of support for staff concerned about personal mental health issues or about issues with friends and colleagues; a wellbeing website, wellbeing champions, positive mental health and resilience for teams and individuals and a wellbeing calendar.
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HSF HEALTH PLAN Strategic HR Review Before the structural review in 2011, all HR matters were managed by the then chief executive, and supported by an expensive and constraining outsourced HR advisory service. As there was no designated HR expert to develop initiatives to enhance and develop the culture, there was a risk that employee reward, recognition and engagement initiatives were not keeping pace with employment trends. In order to support the charitable constitution of the organisation and continue to provide a successful business to help fund charitable grants, continued employee engagement was crucial. The new HR manager provided focus for the development of the employee engagement strategy. As a result, progressively over a number of years, arrangements have been reviewed and updated and the foundations for a coaching culture have been put in place, whilst managing to maintain the values and charitable objectives central to all initiatives.
ULSTER BANK UB Choice (Ulster Bank Choice Programme) In February 2014, Ulster Bank announced their aim to be the number one bank for customer service trust and advocacy. A key part of this aim is creating a great place to work so Ulster Bank employees are engaged and passionate about their customers. UB Choice is a flexible working programme developed to improve wellbeing and work-life balance, in turn improving employee engagement and motivation. The programme represents a cultural change and has been a huge success. This can be attributed to strong top down support, a robust communications strategy, direct engagement with employees and manager up-skilling programmes. As a direct result of UB Choice, 800 formal flexible working arrangements have been implemented. Every role is seen as suitable for flexible working unless there is a customer reason not to grant it. Flexible working contributed to annual savings of ÂŁ9m for Ulster Bank.
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WORKPLACE
ACCENTURE International Women’s Day Accenture hosted its annual International Women’s Day in the Dublin Convention Centre on March 6th 2015. The event has become widely recognised as part of Accenture’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a diverse workforce and to building confident professionals. This year the event hosted 1,100 employees, clients, students and guests of Accenture where diversity was seen at its best. The feedback has been fantastic and the event was trending on Twitter for over twelve hours. As the highlight on the Accent on Women Calendar, International Women’s Day is incredibly important, giving a chance to learn and be inspired through the celebration of the successes and achievements of a leaders panel, the start-ups and all involved. The theme this year #listenlearnlead was based around research Accenture carried out which explores the role of technology in the workplace and finds that listening is becoming more difficult in today’s digital workplace.
| CSR AWARDS 2015
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ARAMARK IRELAND The Right Track Challenge 2015 The Aramark Right Track Challenge, led by Katie Taylor together with Alan Quinlan was launched in 2015 and provides a specific three tier training schedule targeted at various levels of fitness. This includes nutritional advice and motivational coaching to all Aramark employees and their customer base across the 980 workplaces in which Aramark operates.
CITI
DELOITTE
Citi Wellness Programme 2014
Employee Wellbeing – Mental Health Programme
As part of Citi’s overall Health and Wellness programme, Citi Ireland launched two significant wellness campaigns in 2014; Think Well and Heart Aid. These initiatives were designed to provide an integrated holistic approach to employee health and wellbeing, focusing on both psychological and physical health matters. The Think Well Campaign was designed to encourage employees to think positively about their mental health and wellbeing, in all aspects of their lives. The Heart Aid campaign was designed to raise awareness about the prevention, diagnosis and control of cardiovascular heart disease and offered cardiac screenings for employees. The success of the campaigns resulted in over 900 employees completing cardiac screenings and over 400 employees participating in 14 Think Well events. The Think Well programme will also be piloted in Western Europe based on its local success.
Equilibrium is Deloitte’s wellness programme, aimed at improving employee wellness and wellbeing. It addresses the physical and psychological components of wellbeing by offering information sessions and programmes covering fitness, health, diet, alternative therapies and yoga classes throughout the year on a subsidised basis. The Equilibrium programme aims to offer a more balanced working week, empowering employees to make choices towards a healthier lifestyle and to enhance their time while reflecting the balance of priorities in their lives. Although their Mental Health Awareness Programme is an ongoing year-round initiative, it is highlighted in May in conjunction with the See Change Green Ribbon initiative to get people talking openly about mental health issues. There are a series of speakers and events providing insights and raising awareness on a range of topics pertinent to mental health in the workplace as well as campaigns to raise funds for mental health charities.
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Excellence in
WORKPLACE
Every year the judging gets harder because the standards keep getting higher.”
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ORACLE
PAYPAL
RCI
Health & Wellbeing Programme (HWBP)
Live Well Programme
Helpful Habits
PayPal is a company that truly cares for its employees. That’s why they created a Live Well Programme to ensure that their teammates have the opportunity to live a healthy, active life at work as well as at home. Their generous benefit package includes health cover for their teammates and their families, access to an onsite gym, annual health assessments and onsite restaurants. In 2014 they expanded this focus and devised a brand new initiative to build on the theme of wellbeing. They expanded their health strategy with a Live Well Programme that includes onsite dental appointments, a smoking cessation programme, a holistic fitness and wellness programme. The Live Well Programme also includes a maternity and parental strategy that supports new parents and women on maternity leave. PayPal is committed to building further on the programme’s success to keep their teammates happy, healthy and motivated.
A habit is defined as “a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behaviour that is acquired through frequent repetition.” RCI’s programme uses the basis of positive psychology to fulfil the intention to support employees in making conscious choices that eventually become their helpful habits. The two key incisive questions that guided RCI were: ‘What do I want to achieve?’ and ‘What do I want to avoid?’ In response, RCI developed the wellness initiative: To provide a positive difference to our employees’ lives. To ensure these differences involve the mind and the body. To provide a lasting positive difference. To offer employees choice. The ‘habit loop’ pays attention to cue, routine and reward. RCI’s cue was going beyond their duty of care to employees. It is now their routine to promote helpful habits in creating and promoting initiatives. RCI’s reward is knowing employees blend the helpful information and facilities into their working life.
The Health and Wellbeing Programme aims to increase the knowledge, skills and awareness of health and wellbeing among Oracle employees while providing realistic opportunities for employees to engage in health promoting activities. By equipping our employees and managers with the necessary resources, support and services, it will improve their ability to manage their health in a proactive fashion within a supportive and conducive environment. This initiative enables employees to acquire a set of tools and skills that will benefit them in both their professional and social lives.
| CSR AWARDS 2015
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Excellence in
MARKETPLACE ABBOTT IRELAND
A&L GOODBODY
Essential Elements of Nutrition Care Programme
Collaborative project with the Irish Refugee Council’s Independent Law Centre
The Essential Elements of Nutrition Care Programme (EeoNC) is a fully comprehensive bespoke programme specifically designed to equip healthcare professionals care staff and catering staff with the tools and resources to provide optimum nutritional care for residents in the care home setting. The programme was first launched in 2006 and is now acknowledged as a world class programme by the Irish care home sector. The programme was developed in line with the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) guidelines of nutrition care. The programme has had a positive impact on the nutritional care for residents in the nursing home setting.
A&L Goodbody’s pro bono practice is at the centre of their community programme, called Step Up, providing high quality legal services to community and voluntary organisations working for disadvantaged and marginalised people. A&L Goodbody’s groundbreaking collaboration with the Irish Refugee Council Law Centre is contributing to meeting the unmet legal need of people fleeing persecution in their home countries and seeking asylum in Ireland.
IRISH RAIL Journeys on Us
Journeys on Us is an initiative set up by Iarnród Éireann in 2012 to offer charitable and voluntary organisations from all over Ireland the opportunity to enter a competition to win a group travel rail journey. The prize allows up to 50 members of the winning organisation to travel free on a return journey of their choice from any railway station on the Iarnród Éireann rail network. Each year Iarnród Éireann offers 100 groups of up to 50 people at a time the opportunity to win one of these prizes. Groups in this sector were asked to apply either online, via email or through applications forms, and the lucky 100 winning groups were offered free train travel on an agreed return journey for up to 50 people in each group.
LEISUREWORLD Functional Zone @ LeisureWorld
LeisureWorld has developed a unique ‘Health Fitness’ service within its current facilities, the ‘Functional Zone’. The Functional Zone is a space full of energy where people with medical conditions, chronic illness or disabilities can come to take part in regular supervised physical activity. Staffed by highly experienced, friendly and skilled staff, that work hand in hand with medical and healthcare professionals, to develop and deliver specific physical activity programmes. The Functional Zone allows people to be independent and, for many, to return to regular exercise after having acquired a medical condition or disability, that has prevented them from doing so. The success of the Functional Zone is down to the supportive and encouraging atmosphere created by all LeisureWorld staff, and the close working relationships that have developed with other professionals and support organisations.
MACDONAGH JUNCTION SHOPPING CENTRE Happy to Help Scheme
The Happy to Help project is a community support initiative, which was launched in MacDonagh Junction in 2014. The project was developed by Access (SOS Kilkenny Ltd) in response to a need for social opportunities in the local community for people with an intellectual disability. It gives people from Access the opportunity to use the centre independently as staff in the centre are available and willing to assist or help if the person feels vulnerable. Finding a supportive space to achieve this was essential to making the programme a success and MacDonagh Junction proved ideal. | CSR AWARDS 2015
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INTERNATIONAL CSR BANK OF IRELAND Companies like those shortlisted for awards tonight provide inspiration for companies just learning about CSR and thinking about making the first step.”
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Staff Third World Fund – Small change, big difference In 1982, a discussion among Bank of Ireland colleagues about how to help communities in the developing world became a long-term commitment and led to the Bank of Ireland Staff Third World Fund being established. All staff and retired staff have been invited to make a monthly contribution through their payroll, with any amount they choose to donate. Since then, almost 1,200 individual projects have been supported over the past 30 years with over 17m raised to date. It is estimated that over one million people have directly benefitted in 45 different countries across the developing world. The money collected, through deductions from salary, is allocated to specific sustainable projects managed by a small number of agencies with whom the fund has forged longstanding relationships, such as Concern, Worldvision, Aidlink, Bóthar, Vita, Sightsavers and Oxfam. The fund enjoys consistent and loyal support from a significant population of current and retired bank staff.
DELOITTE
IBM IRELAND
The Consultancy for Change Volunteering Trip
IBM Corporate Service Corps Program
The Deloitte Nurture Africa Consultancy for Change Volunteering trip offers our staff an opportunity to volunteer overseas where they can put their professional skills to use for local community organisations in Uganda. Deloitte employees are able to upskill local Ugandans with computer programmes such as Excel and provide financial advice on basic profit and loss accounts and in completing financial statements. Volunteers help out with strategic advice and planning for grant applications and forming policies as well as helping with some organisational matters for the charity’s offices. The skillset of the volunteers is not limited to just the professional arena and the energetic workforce are able to pour their enthusiasm, energy and other skills into the charity’s various projects including library and sports classes with local schools. Deloitte has engaged in this initiative due to the strong interest among staff to put their time and skills into volunteering opportunities.
IBM’s Corporate Service Corps helps to provide ‘IBMers’ with high quality leadership development while delivering high quality problem-solving for communities and organisations in emerging markets. The programme empowers IBM employees as global citizens by sending groups of 10-15 individuals from different countries with a range of skills to an emerging market for four weeks of community-based assignments. During the assignment, participants perform community-driven economic development, healthcare and education projects working at the intersection of business, technology, and society. IBM’s Corporate Service Corps contributes expertise that’s far more valuable than cash. Yet, this approach doesn’t only solve problems and create value. It also builds skills and capabilities that can contribute real and sustainable solutions to many of the world’s toughest challenges. By the end of 2015, IBM will have deployed 3,500 employees to projects in 40 countries globally.
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Excellence in
SME
CSR BY AN SME BCP ASSET
MANAGEMENT
CERIDIAN IRELAND
DHR
COMMUNICATIONS
HSF HEALTH PLAN
Quarterly Volunteering Project
The PayBack Foundation
Working with and for The Liberties
Review of Grant Making Policy
The BCP Quarterly Volunteering Project enables all BCP employees to work together with their community to create a more beneficial and positive environment. The charities that BCP work with on a quarterly basis are all nominated by their employees and the fundraising and volunteering projects all start with direct communication between BCP staff and the nominated charity. This project has been running for 16 months and already they have helped charities for the homeless, charities for disabled patients, community initiatives and a children’s hospital. This project aims to cross borders between social and environmental sustainability and openness in the workplace and marketplace. By providing the springboard to that allows BCP employees to initiate projects that they might not have otherwise been able to achieve. BCP are creating a motivated and engaged workforce.
The PayBack Foundation is Ceridian’s own charity, funded entirely through voluntary donations and fundraising activities. Ceridian employees run and take part in fundraising activities to support PayBack. The PayBack Foundation aims to help disabled and disadvantaged children who live in the vicinity of Ceridian offices. It endeavours to support named individuals as part of an ongoing and long-term relationship by offering support to children with physical, emotional or learning difficulties.
DHR Communications is a leading PR company, based in The Liberties since 2014. Many of DHR’s clients are local stakeholders and a number of employees are Dublin 8 residents. DHR’s location is a key part of their corporate identity and they are strongly committed to the area. In recognition of this, DHR has built a CSR programme aimed at using their employees’ skills to enhance the local community. By concentrating on what they do best, DHR delivers their CSR programme through their core business activities. They provide PR support to a number of local groups and facilitate employees to participate on boards and provide strategic counsel to community organisations. DHR draws on their experience in media relations, political communications and stakeholder engagement – and their knowledge of Dublin 8 – to promote a better image of The Liberties and work with local people to ensure the community achieves its full potential.
The strategic review (2011-12) transformed the leadership, processes and approach at the Hospital Saturday Fund. With a new chief executive and charity manager, the project created a strategy to ensure the sustainability and greater impact of grant making in Ireland and the UK for many years to come. Changes included: Revised Reserves Policy stating the intention to increase grant making to 1.39m by 2017; strengthening the team with an additional charity administrator to process the increase in grant applications; implementing a new database (Salesforce) to improve efficiency and reporting; increasing the number of larger grants (12,000) for extended impact; visiting medical schools across Ireland and the UK (20 in the past four years), and creating a new policy of disbursing 56,000 to medical schools rather than funding individual students; hosting charity receptions and attending networking events in Ireland and the UK to increase presence and grant making in previously under-represented regions.
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CSR BY AN SME
CSR remains at the heart of Chambers Ireland’s priorities and we continue to work tirelessly to ensure all companies large and small embrace CSR and reap its benefits.” 60 | Small & Medium Enterprise : SME
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LAW SOCIETY THREE Q OF IRELAND PERMS
YELLOW HARBOUR
The Calcutta Run – The Legal Fundraiser
Making What We Do Work For Others
The Legal Fundraiser is a CSR initiative designed to engage all members of the legal profession as well as its own staff to work towards an objective of helping disadvantaged youths in Dublin and Calcutta, and at the same time using the initiative to encourage other CSR endeavours amongst legal firms and barristers. It started as a 10km run 16 years ago but over the years it has developed into the legal profession’s annual fundraising event including an official fundraising day. The event now has a 5km and 10km route, a tennis tournament, a cycling element and a Finish Line Festival which includes a barbecue, music, entertainment, plenty of activities for children and lots more for over 1,200 participants. To date, over 16 years, the initiative has raised 3m for the Peter McVerry Trust and GOAL.
Three Q Perms’ CSR strategy, Making What We Do Work For Others, is the basis for all their CSR projects under their three pillars: unemployed, in-demand jobseekers and hiring charities. Three Q Perms projects are driven by their greatest asset; their people. They know that their time can be invaluable to those who are looking to get into work, move up in their career or support a charity that is looking to hire the best talent. As a recruitment agency, Three Q Perms is in the business of jobs for people and their CSR initiatives are further commitments to this goal. Their CSR strategy is embedded in the way their business and actions must reflect their core vision, mission and purpose for being in business. They operate to achieve a profit but in a way that builds up people in the process. Three Q Perms is a business that believes in valuing people and this is essential to achieving success as a recruitment company.
Charity Company Collaboration: The 3C Principle Joan F. Marques famously once said: “It’s easier to take than to give. It’s nobler to give than to take. The thrill of taking lasts a day. The thrill of giving lasts a lifetime.” Yellow Harbour’s management have put their money where their mouth is and developed a company that has the potential to make a significant impact on society and enable everyone, no matter how rich or poor, to experience that thrill of a lifetime by giving to someone who needs a little help. They enable structure and transparency to ensure that the organisations looking after the most vulnerable have the support, financial and otherwise, to make our society a better one.
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