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Diageo NI - At The Heart Of The Community
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Diageo NI - At The Heart Of The Community
Claire Hutchinson, Corporate Relations Manager at Diageo Nl, with Sharon Thorpe from the Springboard Charity and Nicola O’Hare, Guinness Learning for Life programme participant.
Diageo is an integral part of the community in Northern Ireland both as a major exporter and employer and is best known for a wide range of brands including Guinness, Harp, Hop House 13, Rockshore, Smithwick’s, Baileys, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Gordons and Tanqueray.
Employing over 320 people across three sites in Northern Ireland, the company’s footprint includes a beer packaging plant in East Belfast, the Baileys global supply facility at Mallusk and corporate headquarters in Belfast city centre.
In November 2020, Diageo launched ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress,’ a 10-year action plan to help create a more inclusive and sustainable world. The plan includes a range of bold and ambitious goals designed to make a positive impact in the ‘Decade of Action’ to 2030.
Building on a long track-record of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) progress globally, Diageo is focusing its action over the next ten years in three core areas, carefully selected to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. by celebrating moderation and continuing to address alcoholrelated harm, expanding our programmes that tackle underage drinking, drinkdriving and binge drinking.
No amount of underage drinking is safe, which is why by 2030 we will educate over 10 million people on the dangers of drinking underage through SMASHED, our award-winning alcohol education programme.
SMASHED has returned to in-person performances in schools throughout Northern Ireland throughout March and April 2022 and will be delivered to 10,000 students this year
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with the initiative set to reach and empower a total of 60,000 young people here since it was first launched in 2016.
The theatre-based programme relates to and challenges young people about the dangers of underage drinking in a creative, engaging, and impactful way. The performances equip young people with the information, awareness, and confidence to make responsible choices with additional teaching resources for schools that have been endorsed by The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations, and Assessment in Northern Ireland.
Championing inclusion and diversity
We believe the most inclusive and diverse culture makes for a better business and a better world; so we will champion inclusion & diversity across our business, with our partners and communities, to celebrate diversity and help shape a tolerant society.
Part of this commitment includes creating an inclusive and thriving hospitality sector that works for all. We are providing skills and resources to 1.5 million people through the Diageo Bar Academy and improving employability and livelihoods of a further 200,000 through Learning for Life, our business and hospitality skills programme for those seeking employment in the hospitality industry or associated industries but who may have faced barriers to employment.
The Guinness Learning for Life - Gateway to Hospitality programme was run in Belfast in October 2021 with employment charity Springboard and the Andras Group. A free 15-day preemployment training programme, it was designed to help young people access employment in the hospitality sector, while investing in the skills needed to support the industry’s economic recovery. Those involved gained targeted industry and business skills, achieved an accredited industry qualification, and were provided with CV and interview technique support and an industry interview.
Education Minister Michelle McIlveen joined year 10 pupils at Glastry College, Ballyhalbert, to see for herself how the Smashed programme can help young people make the right choices around alcohol.
Pioneering grain-toglass sustainability
We want to be the industry leader in grain to glass sustainability by setting ambitious targets to preserve water for life; accelerate to a low carbon world; and become sustainable by design.
In Ireland, the Baileys and Guinness brands will lead the implementation of Diageo’s 2030 targets. Every drink produced will take 30% less water than it does today, packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable and the production operations on the island of Ireland will become net carbon neutral. The brands will also work in collaboration with farmers and those in its value chain to halve their indirect carbon emissions by 2030.
Diageo’s packaging facility in east Belfast is integral to Diageo’s plastic packaging ambition and has replaced plastic ring carriers and shrink wraps from multipacks of canned beers with 100% recyclable, sustainably sourced and biodegradable cardboard. Since switching to these new beer packs, 600 tonnes of plastic have been removed from the site’s operations each year, with more new opportunities in the pipeline for making the business more sustainable.
James Davies, Country Director, Diageo NI comments: “We believe doing business the right way contributes to a fair and just society. In Diageo Northern Ireland, we are accredited at a gold level in Business in the Community’s CORE programme – Northern Ireland’s only standard for responsible business. While proud of our achievements to date, we know that there is much more that we can do, which is why we have set clear targets as part of Society 2030: Spirit of Progress to grow as a business in the right way from grain to glass.”
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HIV charity Positive Life launches new £500k fundraising initiative
Positive Life, Northern Ireland’s only charity dedicated to supporting anyone affected by HIV has launched a brand-new project at an event at the Europa Hotel hosted by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl.
The Northern Ireland Buyers Club aims to tackle the stigma associated with HIV in Northern Ireland. The Club is membership based and aims to bring together organisations and like-minded philanthropic individuals to support Positive Life, allowing for growth over the five year project.
The event was compered by journalist Amanda Ferguson and over 100 invited guests heard from founding members of the Northern Ireland Buyers Club including Mark Regan, CEO of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group and Ciaran Moynagh, Partner at Phoenix Law.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl and the Chief Executive of Positive Life, Jacquie Richardson also made contributions.
Research by Positive Life has shown that support for people living with HIV in Northern Ireland is chronically underfunded and is seldom a priority for the public when considering charitable donations. It is expected that the £500,000 funding raised by the ‘NI Buyers Club’ will target the challenges of HIV related stigma through increased awareness and education, funding research and supporting new projects to meet the changing needs of Positive Life service users.
Jacquie Richardson, Chief Executive of Positive Life said: “We are thrilled to have launched the NI Buyers Club, an innovative initiative and bring together organisations and like-minded individuals to support the work of Positive Life.”
“This is an ambitious new project that will create a shift change and place us in a position to independently launch new projects and undertake research to meet the changing needs of our service users. This is an exciting proposition for us as an organisation.”
“Operating in an often-challenging funding landscape, we have felt restricted in our ability to impact the society-wide change needed to how we think about HIV here in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Buyers Club will see us able to step outside of these financial restraints and build a vibrant network of corporate donors and individual supporters.”
Reflecting on the event at the Europa Hotel, Jacquie Richardson added: “I would like to thank everyone who attended our launch event at the Europa Hotel and our panellists for their valuable contributions. Special thanks to the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl for hosting our event and choosing us as one of her mayoral charities.”
Panellist and founding member of the Northern Ireland Buyers Club, Ciaran Moynagh, Partner at Phoenix Law added: “For many years now, Positive Life have been playing a truly vital role in supporting individuals, families and whole communities impacted by HIV in Northern Ireland.” “Phoenix Law wants to commend the innovative and sustainable approach that Positive Life is taking to addressing the harm and social isolation caused by stigma. We look forward to working with Positive Life to target the challenges of HIV related stigma through being involved with the Northern Ireland Buyers Club.”
One of the founding members of the Positive Life Buyers Club, Mark Regan, CEO of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group said: “We are very pleased to step out in support of Positive Life to ensure the long-term sustainability of the charity and the vital support it provides to this region.” “As a project that aims to build lasting relationships that will serve an issue many feel is no longer a major crisis, The NI Buyers Club represents a bold new initiative from Positive Life in its mission to tackle the crippling levels of stigma that still exist in Northern Ireland and through our own Kingsbridge Foundation we are delighted to support this cause.”
(L – R) Ciaran Moynagh, Partner at Phoenix Law; Jacquie Richardson, CEO of Positive Life; Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl; and Mark Regan, CEO of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group
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Experience The Camino with Self Help Africa
Ulster Rugby and Ireland international & Self Help Africa Ambassador Rob Herring joins Denny Elliott, Head of Self Help Africa Northern Ireland, as he prepares for the charity’s Camino Walk.
Ever imagined walking one of the most historic routes in Europe while raising funds for charity?
Well this September, Self Help Africa Northern Ireland is hosting a 120km walk on The Camino Inglés (English Way) which is the first historic maritime route to Santiago de Compostela. The pilgrimage was an essential part of life for medieval European Christians when there was a host of routes, both by land and sea, to satisfy the spiritual longings of believers from all over the continent.
The walk will begin on Sunday 4 September in Ferrol, with participants expected to raise £2,000 in sponsorship to assist Self Help Africa Northern Ireland’s development programmes in Africa. Denny Elliott, Head of Self Help Africa Northern Ireland, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone who has dreamt of walking the Camino. It’s a chance to get some great exercise in a unique and breathtaking setting, an opportunity to meet new people in glorious sunshine and most importantly to raise vital funds for Self Help Africa Northern Ireland.”
The week long walk will take participants from the fishing village of Ferrol, to Neda with views of the estuary of Ria de Ferrol and the town of Neda. The next stage of the journey will take walkers to the beautiful medieval town of Pontedeume and then on to Betanzos, with a steep climb! The following day is the most challenging and rewarding as it takes in a path through the Galacian landscape of forest trails and fresh avenues. The terrain of As Mariñas. Next up is a day of walking along quiet country roads and gravel paths with plenty of refreshment stops along the way. The final stretch is a 17km walk on the Sigueiro to Santiago de Compostela where walkers are encouraged to savour every stride as they reach the city of Santiago and see the unmistakable silhouette of the city’s cathedral ahead.
Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture to end hunger and poverty. The organisation works in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. In 2018, Self Help Africa’s work in Africa supported millions of people to grow more food and earn a better living. Self Help Africa has been working to end hunger and poverty amongst rural communities in Africa for over 30 years. It seeks to empower local communities with training and knowledge, and to support small-holder farming families to produce more, earn more, and access new markets and better prices for the crops that they grow. Your participation in this year’s Camino Walk will provide a valuable contribution to the charity’s work.
