CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY - THE BUSINESSES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY - BizPlus
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AUGUST 2017 SURVEY
CORPORATE THE BUSINESSES THAT
SOCIAL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
RESPONSIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY
ILLUSTRATION: GARY BLATCHFORD/ILLUSION ANIMATED PRODUCTIONS
BP SURVEY C O R P O R AT E S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y
Responsible Business
CSR is no longer an optional add-on but is becoming a necessary part
of mainstream operations, writes Emily Styles
I
reland’s Second National Plan on corporate approach. The spectrum of involved in organising a range of
Corporate Social Responsibility social issues that corporate and SMEs fundraisers. Aramark’s charitable fund
2017-2020 articulates a vision for are involved in include education, was established in 2008 and has
Ireland to be recognised as a Centre community projects and social raised €385,000 across Ireland.
of Excellence for responsible and inclusion. Within these areas, there is
sustainable business practices. The plenty of scope for imaginative Dublin Airport
‘Towards Responsible Business’ policy partnership models to be formulated, Dublin Airport recently launched a
document, launched in June 2017, as evidenced by the following projects. €10m Community Fund, with the
underpins the government’s objective promise of disbursing €400,000 per
of building a strong economy and Grant Thornton year over the next 25 years in local
delivering a fair society, according to Grant Thornton’s CSR activities focus projects focused on environment and
Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald. on community, education, wellbeing sustainability, sports and recreation,
At the launch event, the enterprise and environment. Community- social inclusion and community
minister stated: “We need to deliver a focused initiatives include organising development, health and wellbeing,
clear message of encouragement and the annual 5K Corporate Team and culture and heritage. Daa
support to businesses and Challenge Run series in Dublin, Cork employees, supported by the company
organisations around Ireland to and Belfast, with the proceeds going and members of the public, have
embed responsible business practices to charity. Partner Noel Delaney says raised €2m for 18 Irish charities in the
at the core of their business strategies. CSR has been part of the fabric of the past 10 years. This year’s charity
“Businesses who communicate firm before the term was invented. partners are MS Ireland, My Canine
openly and transparently about their Companion and Merchants Quay
practices, who tell their story and Aramark Ireland, and in 2016 staff raised
recognise their impacts on society, Aramark’s charity partnerships, €300,000 for Aoibheann’s Pink Tie,
foster a culture of trust with their chosen by staff, are the Make A Wish ARC Cancer Support and
workforce and their customers. CSR is Foundation and the Irish Red Cross, Childline/ISPCC.
no longer an optional ‘add-on’, but is and up to 15,000 employees will be
becoming a necessary part of Core Media
mainstream operations. I encourage all Radical, Core Media’s content and
organisations to embed responsible CSR BEST PRACTICE digital agency, took an innovative
business practices at the heart of their approach to support Focus Ireland’s
business strategy. This is a whole of Nestlé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Shine a Light campaign in autumn
government issue, and it is a whole of Dublin Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 2016. Digital screens around Grand
business and whole of society issue too.” Gas Networks Ireland . . . . 62 Canal Quay highlighted the plight of
Fitzgerald’s views were echoed by homeless families, while an interactive
Tesco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Tina Roche, CEO of Business in the digital screen in the window of the
Community Ireland, who added: “The KBC Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 company’s HQ enabled people to
plan recognises that sustainability and ESB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 donate with a tap of their debit card.
Corporate Social Responsibility is an Croke Park Stadium . . . . . .68
economic competitiveness issue and a Kerry Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Amgen
strategic business agenda driving the Bank of Ireland . . . . . . . . . . 70 The Amgen Foundation has invested
core principles and decision-making over €600,000 in three science
BT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
within business. It is critical for education programmes in Ireland:
Ireland’s international reputation that Three Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Amgen Biotech Experience, Amgen
we have a robust and credible Amgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Teach and Amgen Scholars
statement that inspires action by Core Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Programme. They provide teachers
business and other key stakeholders.” Deloitte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 with equipment and skills, and
The means by which companies Aramark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 undergraduates with research stints in
engage in CSR are varied, though leading institutions. The programmes
Dublin Airport . . . . . . . . . . 81
employee volunteering facilitated by have supported 59,000 secondary
the employer is a mainstay for the Grant Thornton . . . . . . . . . 82 school students and 533 teachers.
56 BUSINESS PLUS AUGUST 2017
BP SURVEY C O R P O R AT E S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y
ESB’s Energy for Generations Fund has awarded more than €11m and helped over 700 Irish charities since 2005.
In June 2017, the fund donated €43,000 to Blossom Ireland, The Salvation Army and The Iveagh Trust.
Pictured from left are Paul Harrison, The Iveagh Trust; ESB finance director Pat Fenlon; Auveen Bell of Blossom
Ireland; and Stephen Potter, The Salvation Army
Deloitte Bank of Ireland ensure nutritious dairy products are
Deloitte maintains several community Bank of Ireland announced its new sustainably incorporated into the
partnerships, for which its staff flagship charity partnership initiative Home Grown School Meals
volunteer to become mentors and in April 2017, linking up with Age programme in the project area.
training facilitators. Beneficiaries Action, Irish Heart and The Jack and
include Junior Achievement Ireland, Jill Children’s Foundation. Supports BT
Suas and Age Action. Deloitte is will include funding nursing hours for BT Ireland’s employees are offered
also involved with long-standing the children of Jack and Jill families, three paid working days annually for
fundraising efforts for St Vincent de bringing CPR training to all volunteering, and that resulted in over
Paul and the Irish Cancer Society, secondary schools in Ireland and 8,000 hours of volunteering in
among others. supporting older people in every communities across Ireland in 2016.
community where the bank is active. In addition, BT Shop for Change, an
Three Ireland employee-led initiative, has raised
The mobile phone and Kerry Group almost €500,000 for cancer research
communications company leverages Under its Marketplace CSR pillar, and support services in the past six
its technology expertise to assist An Kerry is a founder member of Bord years. BT’s other CSR commitments
Cosán Virtual Community College, Bia’s Origin Green programme and in include its stewardship of the annual
which provides affordable online 2017 the company became the first Young Scientist & Technology
education for disadvantaged major milk processor to achieve 100% Exhibition.
communities. Three’s employees also certification under the Sustainable
provide support and consultancy for Dairy Assurance Scheme. Further Croke Park Stadium
VCC, helping with everything from afield, Kerry is partnering with the Croke Park gives back to its local
website creation to mentoring, as well UN’s World Food Programme on a community through a varied range of
as raising €34,000 for the charity. pioneering project in Honduras to continued on page 58
BUSINESS PLUS AUGUST 2017 57
BP SURVEY C O R P O R AT E S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y
events and services in its Community
Gain initiative. Activities include
computer programming classes for
young residents, while its subsidised
Croke Park Community Cúl Camp
for local children is a community
highlight during the summer months.
Meanwhile, The Croke Park
Community Fund has allocated over
€800,000 to local groups since 2009.
Tesco
The Tesco Community Fund has
donated over €2.4m to more than
9,000 local projects and good causes
around the country since 2004. Local
sports clubs, schools, animal shelters,
elderly care services, community
crèches and community care centres are
some of the projects that benefit. The
Nesté Ireland staff Rachel Kumar (left), Christopher Dowdall and Rachel
retailer’s charity partner is Temple Galligan taking part in a static cycle to raise funds for Down Syndrome
Street Children’s Hospital. Since Ireland. Over 700 employees from Nesté Ireland, Citywest and Nestlé’s Wyeth
October 2014, over €2.5m has been Nutrition infant formula plant in Askeaton have committed to raise €70,000
raised, and staff fundraising initiatives for DSI over a two-year period
have included the Great Irish Bake Off,
which raised €130,000 in one day. Dublin Bus drawn from a wide variety of applicants.
Since 2003, Dublin Bus has been They included the Irish Guide Dogs for
Gas Networks Ireland putting unclaimed customer change the Blind and Esker Celtic Football
Gas Networks Ireland has a number to good use through its Community Club, who used the grant for a frame
of strategic partnerships with Spirit Awards. The awards have football programme for children who
community and voluntary groups. helped fund more than 1,800 groups use frames as their means of mobility.
One involves delivering the ‘Our across the company’s network, which Ballymun Men’s Shed was another
Universe’ programme in partnership covers Dublin and parts of counties recipient; the organisation used its
with Junior Achievement Ireland. It is Wicklow, Kildare and Meath. Each Dublin Bus grant to run carpentry
a classroom-based ‘learning by doing’ year grants of €5,000, €2,000 and workshops for members. Other
style science education programme €1,000 are awarded to grassroots beneficiaries were ARTzheimer's,
that was delivered to over 5,000 voluntary and community groups to which brings Alzheimer’s disease
primary school students last year. develop new projects, grow services education into a classroom setting
Other initiatives include partnering and help raise community spirit in through art, and Tree of Hope which
with BITCI to deliver Time to Read their local community. plants trees in communities as a
programmes in primary schools. There were 85 recipients in 2016, symbol to all affected by a suicide or
living with mental health issues.
KPMG
Improving literacy and education is a
big CSR goal for KPMG, and on World
Book Day in March 2017, 500 books
were donated to four schools. KPMG
Families for Literacy is a volunteer
programme with several strands,
including a paired reading programme
with students at CBS Westland Row
and support for Doodle Dens after-
school programmes in the East Wall
and Sheriff Street.
Law firm A&L Goodbody sponsors
Catherine Ann Cullen as Writer-in-
Residence at St. Joseph’s National
School in East Wall in Dublin. Here
she’s pictured with 3rd class pupil
Kayleigh Kelly
58 BUSINESS PLUS AUGUST 2017
BP SURVEY C O R P O R AT E S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y
Vodafone
The ISPCC will benefit greatly from a
five-year partnership it secured with
Vodafone Ireland. The partnership
will provide the charity with €2m in
direct funding from the Vodafone
Foundation, with the telco covering
the Society’s call costs until 2026. The
charity will also benefit from funds
raised by Vodafone employee efforts.
Bord Bia
Launched in 2012, Origin Green is the
only sustainability programme in the
world operating on a national scale.
Independently verified by SGS, this
voluntary programme enables
Ireland’s farmers, food and drink
producers and retail and foodservice
operators to achieve measurable
A 60-strong relay team of KBC Bank staff raised €40,000 for the Alzheimer
sustainability targets. Health and Society in a 600km relay race held in June 2017. The bank matched the
nutrition became a mandatory target amount raised, bringing it to over €80,000. Pictured are KBC’s Sarah Nolan
area within all Origin Green plans in and Ray Cregan, a member of the Dementia Carers Campaign Network
2016. Musgrave, McDonald’s, Sodexo,
Lidl, HMS Host and Compass Group hours to help Coolmine with Podiatry Unit in Merlin Park Hospital.
participate in Origin Green. fundraising, mentoring and assisting Efficiency strategies deployed on this
in ground works. project resulted in a reduction in
Google energy use of over 6,000kWhrs, and
Google has been working with Business Done Deal the prevention of over 160 tonnes of
in the Community Ireland’s Local In Done Deal’s Charity Month material waste.
Leadership programme, which matches initiative, three charities are selected by
the skills of Google employees with the employees every second month. For the Lindt
needs of NGOs. Google staff in Dublin duration of that month, 10% of the cost Lindt Chocolate Ireland celebrated a
put their technological expertise to of placing a classified ad with Done successful Easter fundraising
good use by helping organisations to Deal goes directly to the chosen charity. campaign with Temple Street at
improve their websites. The CSR gesture has raised more than Dundrum Town Centre this year.
€1.2m for charities since 2010. Shoppers were given the chance to
Mediolanum personalise their own Lindt chocolate
The financial services firm focuses its Carey Building Contractors bunny, with funds raised going to
CSR efforts on children and partners The company was a 2016 winner in Temple Street Children’s Hospital. The
with Coolmine because of the work the Chambers Ireland annual CSR campaign raised nearly €29,000.
the charity does helping families Awards thanks to its commitment to
affected by drug addiction. efficient practices for construction Dropbox
Mediolanum staff volunteered 1,000 projects. The award related to a new The US online files facilitator directs
its Dublin CSR activities towards
The Solas Project and CASA.
Dropbox staff volunteer as mentors in
the Solas Business programme,
teaching life skills to children and
encouraging entrepreneurship and
creativity. CASA organises regular
visits to the Dropbox office, where the
groups meet with Dropbox employees
to gain an insight into the office
environment.
Survey continued on page 60
One of the key activities of law firm
Arthur Cox’s CSR programme is its
trainee-led Zambia Project, with its
focus on education and community
self-empowerment
BUSINESS PLUS AUGUST 2017 59
C ORP ORAT E SOCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROFI LE
Nestlé in ireland
Creating Shared Value is the way we do business. NutritioN1 HealtH aN2 kellNess
N
We are stepping up to
estlé is the world’s largest food and beverage the sugar challenge
company. We have more than 2000 brands and are and aiming to
present in 1A1 countries around the world. In Ireland, contribute to public
Nestlé employs over 950 people at our infant and maternal health by stripping out 10 of sugar from our confectionery
nutrition plant at %skeaton, Co. )imerick which has been in portfolio by 201&. Khis will largely be achieved by replacing
operation since 1A9‘ and our commercial offices in Citywest, sugar with higher 3uantities of existing ingredients or other,
Dublin. Creating Shared Balue YCSB– is the way we do nonPartificial ingredients and ensuring products are below
business. It’s an approach based on respect for people, a certain amount of calories.
cultures and the natural environment. We want to help shape uituat now contains extra milk, extra cocoa and reduced
a better and healthier world. We also want to inspire people to sugar F it can be identified by newly designed 76xtra (ilk -
live healthier lives. Cocoa’ packs on shelves.
MilwbKar has increased the amount of milk in its new core
sustaiNa ility recipe from 2V to 9.5 , making it the No.1 ingredient.
Our aim is to grow our business while reducing our impacts rofntree,s has unveiled new 0 less sugar versions of
on the environment. We have a sustainability strategy that brdit Pastilles and randoFs.
underpins each of our brands, as well as for our company
as a whole, to ensure that our impacts on the environment CHarity ob tHe year
are reduced. Our staff at Citywest and at Wyeth Nutrition in %skeaton
selected Down Syndrome Ireland as their 7Charity of the Gear’
until end 201&. DSI supports ,500 members across Ireland
through its services in healthcare, education, early
development, speech and language therapy and independence
Brian Shiel, Wyeth’s Safety, Health & Environment Lead
with Kate Blessing and Alison Finnucane from Askeaton
National School.
Nestlé’s Wyeth Nutrition Infant jormula plant in %skeaton
engages in a comprehensive range of environmental
sustainability activities and is a member of 4ord 4ia’s
Origin Ereen. We were the first business in Ireland to create Andrew Shaw, Country Manager, Nestlé Ireland and
a butterfly meadow and insect lodge to enhance local Mary Doherty, President, Down Syndrome Ireland,
biodiversity. Alex Smith and Beula Lynch.
Our Nescamé Plan is a global initiative with commitments
in responsible farming, production - supply and 2u liN sPCa
consumption. It aims to create value throughout the coffee qurina provide all of the meals for the cats and dogs in
supply chain, from farmers to consumers. We have DSqC%’s care and adoption guides for 2,000 new pet owners
committed to invest approximately €25Am in coffee proTects each year. Khis year qurina announced it will provide ‘0,000
worldwide and distribute 0 Fillion coffee trees by 2020. meals for the cats and dogs at its facility.
Our Nestlé Cocoa Plan aims to improve the lives of cocoa
farmers and the 3uality of their products and develop a
sustainable supply of highP 3uality cocoa for Nestlé. In 2015,
we became the first confectionery company in Ireland to use
y00W certimied sdstainaKle cocoa for our confectionery.
siMoN CoMMuNities
We are proud to assist the staff at Cork Simon and Dublin
Simon in their tireless commitment to providing
services to homeless people. Over the past seven years
we have provided almost million cups of Nescafé coffee
and 8it8ats to the Simon Communities. Holly Brady with DSPCA puppies Marlo and Lacey.
60 BUS INES S PLUS A UG UST 2017
C O RPORAT E SOCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROF I LE
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus’ Community Spirit Awards foster strong community relationships and find a way to put
unclaimed customer change to good use.
D
WE’VE FUNDED OVER 1,800 VOLUNTARY AND
ublin Bus is the largest public transport provider in COMMUNITY GROUPS.
Ireland and the Community Spirit Initiative reflects our OUR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY C0-ORDINATORS
commitment to play an active role and give back to CARRIED OUT 300 SCHOOL VISITS LAST YEAR AS
the communities in which we operate. Our CSR vision is ‘to PART OF OUR SCHOOLS EDUCATION PROGRAMME.
drive Dublin life forward by supporting, improving and
enhancing the lives of the people and the communities that OUR COMMUNITY SPIRIT INITIATIVE BUSES MADE OVER
we proudly serve’. 280 TRIPS IN 2016, BRINGING THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN
ON SCHOOL TRIPS AND TO SUMMER PROJECTS.
COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARDS
In 2003, Dublin Bus took the initiative to put unclaimed
customer change to good use by returning it to communities
across the Greater Dublin Area through the Community Spirit
Awards. Each year, grants are awarded to grassroots voluntary
and community groups to develop new projects, grow services
and help raise community spirit in their local community. To
date, over 1,800 groups have benefited from the programme.
The aim of the awards is to establish relationships within the
communities in which we operate services and to actively
support those communities. Some of the 85 recipients
awarded in 2016 include:
Family Carers Ireland, a national charity for family carers in
Ireland, who used their grant for their Young Carers Programme. Pride in our employees - Dublin Bus unveiled a colourful new
This supports carers aged 18 and under by providing practical addition to its fleet to celebrate Dublin LGBTQ Pride 2017
and emotional support, allowing them to balance their caring
responsibilities with being a young person and growing up. The co-ordinators visit national schools across Dublin and use
Southside Travellers Action Group, who work on issues different techniques to communicate how to use and respect
relating to Traveller welfare and rights. The group used its public transport in their area, including safety talks, exhibiting
grant for a programme to rebuild the cohesion of the Traveller an anti-vandalism DVD and on-bus CCTV demonstrations. We
community in South Dublin. also have two dedicated buses fitted with seatbelts to support
Inner City Enterprise (ICE), a not-for-profit charity schools in transporting children on trips and to summer
established to advise and assist unemployed people in Dublin’s projects. As part of this programme, Dublin Bus holds an
inner city to set up their own businesses or create their own annual Children’s Art Competition and winning entries are
self-employment. published in an annual Dublin Bus calendar.
Since its inception, we have seen a significant reduction in
incidents of anti-social behaviour in the areas where the
co-ordinators carry out this annual programme.
CULTURAL SUPPORT
This year, Culture Night takes place on September 22. Dublin
city’s museums, galleries, artists’ studios and cultural centres
will open their doors late into the night and offer a free night of
entertainment for all the family. We will provide a free shuttle
bus service to the venues on the night, with traditional music
performances taking place on board during the journey.
Past winners celebrate the importance of true community spirit
to launch this year’s Community Spirit Awards CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
To celebrate Dublin LGBTQ Pride 2017, Dublin Bus had a
SCHOOLS EDUCATION PROGRAMME bus specially wrapped in the Pride flag. The bus was part of
A team of Schools and Community Co-ordinators carry out an overall campaign to ‘Get on board with Pride’ and
the Schools Education Programme, which involves educating celebrate Pride week and employee diversity in Dublin Bus.
young people about the importance of the bus in their lives, The bus featured in the annual Dublin LGBTQ Pride parade,
their families’ lives and in their local community. which took place on Saturday, June 24.
B U S I N ES S PL U S AU G U S T 2 0 1 7 61
C ORP ORAT E S OCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROFI LE
Gas Networks Ireland
Gas Networks Ireland is committed to responsible business practice, ensuring that environmental,
ethical and social principles are at the core of business decisions.
G
as Networks Ireland, part of the Ervia Group, owns, agricultural slurries, crop residues, and food/beverage industry
builds, and maintains the natural gas network in wastes. The process of extracting gas (called Anaerobic
Ireland connecting over 680,000 homes and Digestion) also eliminates environmental emissions including
businesses to a safe, efficient and secure supply of natural greenhouse gases and pollutants that affect air and water
gas. With over 550 employees, Gas Networks Ireland is quality. The output from the AD process also includes a very
committed to growth, innovation and sustainability and is one effective bio-fertiliser which is more readily absorbed by
of only 25 companies in Ireland that holds the Business agricultural land than typical synthetic fertilisers, and is also
Working Responsibly Mark. far better than spreading raw slurry.
The company has a dynamic Corporate Responsibility Industries in Ireland are looking for renewable heating
strategy for 2017-2019 in place and the programme is solutions, and renewable gas represents the most cost-effective
managed, delivered and measured across the pillars of solution, and there is also a growing demand for renewable gas
Marketplace, Environment, Community, Workplace and as a fuel for public and commercial transport. Gas Networks
CR Governance and Communications. Some highlights Ireland is promoting a solution based on renewable gas
from the programme are outlined here. injector points on the national gas network. Once the gas is
injected into the network, it is the same as conventional natural
COMMUNITY IMPACT KEY FACTS gas and is available for use by all customers.
Gas Networks Ireland delivers a number of nationwide
community programmes focusing on the areas of education
and employability. The programmes highlight the importance of
education and encourage students to stay in school to realise
their potential. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
are at the core of the business and the company supports a
number of STEM related educational programmes.
The company supported 83 community initiatives in 2016.
Over 5,000 students nationally participated in their
educational programmes in 2016.
In 2016, one in five employees volunteered on community
programmes with a total of 1,073 volunteer hours.
The company donated 4,500 carbon monoxide alarms to
Age Action. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle outside Gas Networks
Ireland’s office in Finglas, Dublin
COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS VEHICLES
Commercial vehicles using diesel account for 3% of the
vehicles on Irish roads but 20% of total energy used and 30%
of total transport emissions. If these vehicles were converted
to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), the benefits would include
cheaper fuel for fleet operators, lower air pollution, and
reduced noise pollution.
This year Gas Networks Ireland has started to develop the
first of 14 stations of a planned network of 70 CNG filling
stations around the country. In addition, the renewable gas
Christina van der Kamp, CSR Manager, during an ‘Our Universe’
injection points will provide support to commercial vehicle
workshop, which fosters interest in STEM subjects among owners wishing to purchase dedicated CNG vehicles,
schoolchildren ensuring that renewable gas will become part of Ireland’s
transport fuel mix.
RENEWABLE GAS According to Denis O’Sullivan, Head of Commercial, Gas
Reports published in 2017 by the European Commission and Networks Ireland: “CNG, and renewable gas, will play a major
the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland highlight the role in Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Gas
potential of renewable gas to supply 20% of Ireland’s gas Networks Ireland is determined to play our part in facilitating
needs using the existing infrastructure by 2030. the development of a new, cleaner CNG transport network for
Renewable gas can be produced from a wide range of commercial vehicles and also in ensuring that renewable gas in
sustainable organic residues such as domestic organic wastes, our existing network becomes a reality.”
62 BUS INES S PLUS A UG UST 2017
C ORPORAT E S OCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROF I LE
Tesco
Supporting Local Communities
Donating surplus food to over 250 charities nationwide and supporting over 9,000 community projects through
the Tesco Community Fund are key parts of Tesco’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.
A
t Tesco Ireland we are proud of the role we play in
supporting our local communities. We are one of
Ireland’s largest private employers, employing over
13,000 colleagues across our 149 stores, our Gistribution
Centre and Head Office. Ensuring that we make a positive
contribution to the communities in which we operate and
being a good neighbour are important to us.
TACKLING FOOD WASTE
As the first retailer to launch a surplus food donations
programme in 2014 with our partner FoodCloud, we are Kevin Smith of Tramore Cliff Rescue, one of the 9,000 local
proud to be leading the way in tackling the issue of food projects to have benefited from the Tesco Community Fund
waste in Ireland.
At the end of each day, unsold food in our stores that is centres are just some of the projects that can benefit.
nearing its ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date is donated to local Every eight weeks, three local good causes per store are
groups and charitable organisations. The system works by nominated by customers by using blue tokens, regardless of
using dedicated technology in stores – Tesco staff notify spend. At the end of the eight weeks, the tokens are counted
registered charities within the store catchment area when and the fund (up to €1,000 per store) is divided between the
surplus food is available to be collected. three good causes. We encourage anyone who knows or
Over 250 charities and community groups are now works with a cause that could benefit from the Tesco
registered and actively benefiting from the nationwide Community Fund to go to their local Tesco store to nominate
programme. Every week, we redistribute up to 40,000 meals them and participate.
to the registered local community groups. So far, we have
donated over four million meals, resulting in savings of over CHARITY PARTNERSHIP
€5.6m for good causes nationwide. Beneficiaries include We have been working with Temple Street Children’s
youth services, homeless organisations, colleges, schools Hospital as our charity partner since October 2014. We have
and the elderly, all of whom can access good quality food. raised over €2.5m for the hospital, which has been invested
Community groups or local charities that could benefit into buying life-saving hospital equipment. To ma imise
from receiving surplus food donations are encouraged to fundraising, we implement key fundraising campaigns across
email foodwastemovementJtesco.ie or visit their local Tesco our business every year.
store for more information. Over the last year, Tesco employees have led the way in
fundraising activities, including the xreat Irish Bake Off, which
raised €130,000 in one day. Tesco staff and customers baked,
bought, ate and sold an abundance of culinary creations to
help raise funds for Temple Street Children’s hospital.
In une 2016, Tesco Ireland launched the Temple Street
Bouquet for €10, from which a donation of €1 per bouquet
sold is donated to the hospital. To date, sales from this
bouquet have raised over €100,000 for Temple Street.
Philip Conlon, store manager of Tesco Extra in Drogheda, with
Mairead Davis and Clionadh Cunningham of The Connect Family
Resource Centre in Drogheda, which is supported by Tesco
Ireland’s surplus food donations programme.
TESCO COMMUNITY FUND
Since launching the Community Fund in 2014, we have
donated over €2.4m to more than 9,000 local projects and
good causes in the communities around each of our 149
stores. Local sports clubs, schools, animal shelters, elderly
care services, community crèches and community care Anthony Lannucci from Sallynoggin showcases Tesco Ireland’s
bouquet in aid of Temple Street Children’s Hospital
B U S I N ES S PL U S AU G U S T 2 0 1 7 63
C ORP ORAT E S OCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROFI LE
KBC Bank Ireland
A four-pronged Sustainability approach from KBC
Bank Ireland now includes a Bright Business Ideas
fund to support social entrepreneurs.
A
s the Bank of You, we want to support colleagues,
customers, communities and society in a way that
matters most and makes a positive, lasting impact.
To deliver this, our sustainability programmes focus on
four main areas: entrepreneurship, financial literacy,
environmental responsibility and health and wellbeing.
Employees, friends, family and Alzheimer Society celebrate
raising €100,000 for the charity at the KBC Hub2Hub finish line
WELLBEInG
Health and wellbeing took centre stage at KBC earlier this
year when we became the primary sponsor of WellFest,
Ireland’s only health, fitness and wellbeing festival. In
continuing our journey to help others enjoy better health, later
Bernard Brogan Gaelic Footballer and the KBC Team enjoying all this year, KBC will officially join see Change, complete the
the ‘Wellvibes’ at Wellfest, for which KBC was the headline sponsor Green ribbon Workplace initiative and receive our See
Change 6-Step Pledge. This promotes open conversation
EntrEprEnEurshIp
around mental health and challenges stigma in the workplace.
Entrepreneurship is part of what makes KBC tick. We like
to develop innovative products for customers and we
COMMunItY
encourage our people to be creative thinkers and doers.
We’re passionate about the communities we work in, and
We also recognise the bright sparks with standout ideas that
we’re committed to giving all 1,000 KBC employees in Dublin,
can make a difference in communities.
Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford, Kildare and
KBC’s Bright Ideas is a funding initiative that has
Wicklow the means and opportunities to fundraise, volunteer
rewarded over €250,000 so far to the most innovative and
and fly the flag for great causes close to our hearts.
entrepreneurial ideas in communities around Ireland. This
This year, over 70 employees ran 600km cross country in
year, we launched Bright Business Ideas to support social
60 hours for the Alzheimer society of Ireland to raise over
entrepreneurs who are in the business of doing good. All
€50,000 for the charity, with KBC matching donations to
told, our Bright Ideas initiative will provide €200,000 this year
bring the total to over €100,000. And that was just one
alone for inspirational projects across Ireland.
initiative in a growing calendar of events that touch on all
aspects of community life, and where KBC is working to
FInAnCIAL LItErACY
make a difference for the better.
Financial literacy can empower people to make informed
choices, especially when it comes to buying a home. This
year, we welcomed over 200 people to our Mortgage
Lounge, a free education event designed to guide home
buyers through every step of the process.
EnVIrOnMEnt
The results speak for themselves. This year alone, KBC’s
Environmental Strategy received the IsO14001 accreditation,
we reduced our carbon emissions, were shortlisted for
Sustainability Team of the Year and won the Excellence in Pictured at the KBC Enactus Internship Pitch, part of the KBC
Sustainability and Client & Service Provider Partnership entrepreneurship focus were (from left) Sanchit Jain, Donnacha
Award 2017 for our sustainable green workplace initiatives. Murphy, Kerri McCaughey KBC, Luke Byrne and Maebh Hanrahan.
64 BUS INES S PLUS A UG UST 2017C ORPORAT E S OCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROF I LE
ESB
Building a Brighter Future
CSR remains at the core of what ESB does, as the company seeks to build a brighter future for both itself and
the nation.
L
SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE
ast year ESB was awarded the overall award for Anne Cooney explains: “It’s a very good fit for us. As a leading
Outstanding Achievement in CSR at the 2016 Irish employer, it makes sense for us to support young people
Chambers Ireland CSR Awards. ESB was given the top in developing the skills to succeed in tomorrow’s workplace.
honour for having CSR practices embedded in the company’s In common with many other Irish companies, ESB requires
core, and for ongoing dedication to community engagement access to people with strong science, technology, maths and
and responsible business practices. literacy skills. All of these are grounded in providing young
CSR is not something new to ESB. The organisation has people with the best education possible.”
been engaged in responsible business practices since its Anne adds that ESB is also conscious that the company
foundation in 1927, long before the term CSR was coined. and staff have been the beneficiaries of historically high
With such a strong legacy, one of the crucial principles of the standards of educational delivery. “We have a duty to
organisation’s CSR policies is that ESB never works in a acknowledge and repay that investment made in us and we
vacuum. National policy and structured ways of adding value are pleased to be the national partner with An Cosán Virtual
to existing, high-quality services are always considered before Community College,” says Anne. “There are many barriers
embarking on any new CSR programme. for people across Ireland in accessing further and higher
education. This innovative programme has the power to break
down these barriers and offers a great opportunity for anyone
wishing to develop their skills and achieve their full potential.”
The ESB team collecting their award for Outstanding
Achievement in CSR at the 2016 Chambers Ireland CSR Awards
ROBUST SOLUTIONS
“We look at national problems, and at how we can support
robust solutions”, says Anne Cooney, Group CSR Coordinator.
“One of the key areas of work in the past decade has been
around suicide prevention and support, and ESB has given
over €5 million towards suicide prevention services over the ESB Chief Executive Pat O’Doherty, Minister Denis Naughten
past ten years.” and An Cosán Virtual Community College’s Liz Waters at the
Earlier this year, ESB pledged support to Aware’s Life Skills launch of ESB’s three-year partnership
for Schools programme. Company staff decide on priority
areas for Corporate Responsibility activities, and how to LOW CARBON FUTURE
support positive mental health in young people is particularly As a utility company, ESB believes it has a responsibility as a
close to their hearts. More recently ESB has extended its corporate citizen to support Ireland in addressing the
focus to include education as a core area for funding support. challenges of climate change while ensuring an energy supply
for Ireland that is clean, reliable and affordable. To this end,
ESB aims to lead the charge in addressing the challenge of a
low-carbon future, investing and innovating in new
technologies and business models to increase efficiency and
drive forward the decarbonisation of the electricity system.
The company is developing wind farms and constructing a
biomass plant in the UK. ESB has also invested heavily in the
Irish electricity network to create a smart grid, capable of
supporting increasing levels of intermittent renewable
generation and enabling the connected customer to take more
control over their energy use.
Pat O’Doherty, ESB Chief Executive, and Dominic Layden, Aware “As ESB looks to the future, I am in no doubt CSR will
Chief Executive, with students from St Paul’s College Raheny continue to evolve and develop”, says Anne Cooney. “The
and St Mary’s Holy Faith Killester, announcing ESB’s support of term ‘CSR’ is really unimportant: what matters is the meaning,
the national rollout of Aware’s Life Skills for Schools programme the movement and the action behind it.”
B U S I N ES S PL U S AU G U S T 2 0 1 7 65B P S URVE Y C OR P O RATE SOCI A L RE SP ONSI BI LI TY
Creative Solutions
The government provides matched funding for donations to the Social Innovation Fund,
writes Emily Styles
distributed €150,000 to the four
winning applicants. Among them were
Pieta House Resilience Academy and
Intercultural Language Service.
SIF also runs an Education Fund,
providing cash and support for ten
projects improving education
attainment for people experiencing
educational disadvantage. SIF provides
matched funding only if the project has
secured private or philanthropic
backing. According to SIF CEO
Deirdre Mortell, private project donors
for this fund range from individuals to
SMEs and multinationals.
In 2016, SIF raised €1m in corporate
and individual donations, with Google
accounting for half of that. Mortell says
that individual and corporate
donations have increased significantly
in 2017, and the organisation has a full-
SIF chief executive Deirdre Mortell with minister Eoghan Murphy (left), Mason year funding target of €1.5m. In 2016,
Hayes & Curran managing partner Declan Black and students Mithran the government signalled that it is
Tharmendran and Isabella Keogh prepared to go beyond its current €5m
SIF funding commitment, but first the
T
he Social Innovation Fund (SIF) surplus stock from businesses and organisation has to raise private
might sound vague in name but reuses them as art materials. The funding to that level.
there’s no mistaking its worth to Medtronic Foundation now partners
the organisations it supports. Its for Animate and will provide funding Social Growth Fund
brief is to provide funding and soft this year to ten social innovations “We can work with a range of
supports – including mentoring, driving healthier communities. companies and we want to be
planning and promotional aid – for nationwide with our private
‘creative solutions to critical social Google Donation supporters,” says Mortell. “Companies
issues’. SIF also partnered with Google for might find that the social innovation
For SIF, a social innovator is an ThinkTech, which sought out projects align with their brand or
individual or group that tackles social technology solutions for social problems. corporate values. We do the hard work
problems in a more effective and Google contributed €500,000 in 2016 by seeking out suitable projects.”
sustainable way than existing and the government matched it. That As well as renewing its existing
approaches. SIF’s funding model relies provided funding of around €250,000 initiatives, SIF is planning to launch a
on corporate input: for every euro in in cash and supports to The Alone growth fund with big socially focused
business support the organisation Platform, which provides wellbeing ventures in mind. The new growth
receives matched funding from the monitoring for older people; fund will aim to provide growth capital
government’s Dormant Accounts Fund. Foodcloud, which alleviates retail food of up to €1m per investee over two to
The first initiative announced by SIF waste; and iScoil, which provides four years, as well as non-financial
was the Animate programme in 2015. online education for early school supports. “We’re seeking a partner for
This non-profit accelerator provides leavers. this fund,” says Mortell. “We want to
€10,000 cash and soft supports to Other funding streams launched by provide large-scale grants to
projects or organisations addressing SIF include the Engage and Educate individuals or organisations to scale
health and social issues. Four winners Fund, a three-year, €450,000 and grow, much like a VC firm can.
were announced in 2016, among them education-promotion initiative that’s We want to talk to corporates and
a charity shop bookselling platform being supported by law firm Mason foundations that might want to get
and ReCreate, a venture that takes Hayes & Curran. This fund recently involved.”
66 BUS INES S PLUS A UG UST 2017B P S URVE Y C O R P O RATE SOCI A L RE SP ONSI BI LI TY
Reusing Computers
Redundant office IT
equipment can help
improve education in
disadvantaged communities
around the world, writes
Karina Corbett
D
isposing of unwanted IT
equipment in a safe and
sustainable manner provides
useful opportunities for
companies to supplement their CSR
efforts. Instead of e recycling PCs in a
traditional manner, many businesses
and organisations further the lifespan
of their tech assets by donating them to
causes that will benefit others.
Camara Education is a resource for
companies with sustainable IT disposal
needs. Founded in Dublin in 2005,
Camara sends refurbished computers Camara’s Steven Daly and Google’s Claire Conneely with students in St
and provides digital literacy training to Patrick's National School, Chapelizod
schools and other educational
institutions in several African Last year, Dublin City Council Camara to provide technology
countries, as well as Jamaica and Haiti. donated 371 computers and 365 flat- planning, teacher professional
To date, the charity has securely erased screen monitors for reuse. Another 511 development and computers to 44
over 100,000 computer hard drives so computers were salvaged for parts to schools in Ireland and 26 schools in
that the machines can be re-used. refurbish other computers. The PCs Kenya. In Ireland, Camara’s work will
and monitors are now being used to involve the development of a whole
Hard Drive Erasure improve the education of children school technology plan, provision of
According to Mark Fox, business attending schools in Zambia, Kenya, computers, and a suite of professional
development manager, Camara’s USP Ethiopia and Tanzania. learning experiences for teachers and
is that it reuses rather than recycles. Camara Education deals with about principals.
“Our core ethic is to reuse because we 500 clients, among them AIB, PwC, Camara Education doesn’t just work
are primarily an educational Bord Gáis Energy and Salesforce. Dell with the big players, however. “Our
organisation. Each hard drive is erased supported the opening of Camara’s customer portfolio varies and our
using a program that is compliant with education hub in Tanzania in 2012 and bread and butter is SMEs,” says Fox.
US Department of Defence standards, also supplies computers to be used in “Ideally, we are looking for 10 or more
so any data on the PC or laptop is some of Camara’s e-learning centres. computers from a customer.” Camara
beyond retrievable. At no stage is any HP worked with Camara Education charges for collections – generally €50
hard drive data accessed and after the to help establish the first OEM- to €75 for the Dublin area – and also
wipe a new operating system is loaded, approved e-waste recycling facility in charges €5 per hard drive wiped.
either Ubuntu or Windows 7.” East Africa, while IBM employees have Another player in the computer reuse
Every computer that Camara reuses assisted with the old computer space is Rehab Recycle. Its Promise
gives 21 children digital literacy, so the refurbishment process in Dublin before IT programme facilitates companies in
computers discarded in Ireland the machines are shipped to Africa. the secure donation of IT equipment to
annually could provide five million Other tech partners include Intel, Cisco schools, charities and community
children with PC access. Computer and EMC. groups in Ireland. Data on the old
reuse is better for the environment Camara recently announced a new machines is certifiably erased and the
than recycling because some computer venture supported by Google.org, the venture provides employment for
components are made of hazardous philanthropic arm of Google. A people with disabilities.
and toxic materials. €560,000 grant will be used by continued on page 68
B U S I N ES S PL U S AU G U S T 2 0 1 7 67C ORP ORAT E S OCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROFI LE
Croke Park Stadium
Recognised internationally for sustainability excellence, Croke Park Stadium also has a bustling
portfolio of community focused events. Its Community Fund has disbursed €800,000 since 2009.
C
roke Park Stadium, home of Gaelic Games and mecca
to GAA fans across the world, is also an international
leader in sustainability excellence. The stadium, one of
the largest in Europe, hosts numerous high-profile sporting and
musical events annually and welcomes over 1.5 million visitors
each year.
ISO VANGUARD
Croke Park is proud of its
long-established sustainability
Each July, 250 local children enjoy a week-long community cúl
credentials, having already
camp that is subsidised by Croke Park for its youngest neighbours.
become the first stadium in
Ireland and the U to secure successfully applied for support last year. Established in 2009,
both ISO14001 and ISO the community fund has now allocated over €800,000 in
20121 standards. The support to local groups, voluntary projects and special
stadium is an acknowledged community events in the stadium’s 1.5km community radius.
trailblazer when it comes to
aspiring to and achieving the Every Kuly, 250 of the stadium’s youngest neighbours
highest levels of international participate in Croke Park’s annual week-long community
sustainability excellence. In summer camp. Each December, Croke Park also organises a
2016, it became the first special Christmas lunch for 650 elderly neighbours. Now in its
stadium in the world to be 16th year, more than 100 stadium staff and contractors, as
Croke Park was the first stadium in well as local gardaí from ountjoy Garda Station, volunteer
certificated to the updated
the world to be certificated to the
Environmental Standard ISO their time to make this festive occasion a very special
updated Environmental Standard
14001. community event.
ISO 14001:2015 last year
Since 2014, Croke Park has also maintained a ratio of zero per
cent of the stadium’s waste going to landfill. Over the past
three years, Croke Park has diverted over 1,500 tonnes of
waste and simultaneously increased its overall recycling rate
year on year to nearly 80%.
URBAN BIODIVERSITY
In 2014, Croke Park commissioned a report into urban
biodiversity initiatives in the stadium. This assessment
reviewed the uniMue position that Croke Park has in a high- Pupils from nearby St. Columba’s NS, Iona Road, were Croke
density urban area close to Dublin’s city centre. Wased on Park’s Green Ambassadors this year, helping match goers
the report’s findings, the stadium created a wildlife corridor ensure their rubbish went in the correct bin
within the stadium to help preserve urban habitats for local
wildlife7 this development has seen both ravens and blue tits As part of the stadium’s programme of continual
successfully nest in the stadium over the last two years. improvement, Croke Park performed a review in 2016 to
develop the stadium’s strategic sustainability mission for the
Since 200F, Croke Park has also invested heavily in retrofitting next three years. The stadium’s new targets and objectives
the stadium with custom-made management systems, draw on Croke Park’s achievements to date and are aligned
including one specifically for the pitch. Not only does this with international standards.
cutting-edge technology help Croke Park to have one of the
most enviable playing surfaces in the world, but its custom- They represent an evolution of the stadium’s approach,
made management system has also reduced pitch energy from focusing on key aspects to reducing
consumption by over 15%. impact and generating a sustainability
awareness culture. Croke Park will be
COMMUNITY FUND ‘changing the game’ in the next few
The stadium’s annual Community qund of €100,000 continues years when it comes to sustainability.
to go from strength to strength and 59 local groups Jatch this (green) space.
68 BUS INES S PLUS A UG UST 2017C ORPORAT E S OCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROF I LE
Kerry Group
Kerry Group touches the lives of millions of people every day. It aims to make a positive impact on those
people and its sustainability programme is key in doing so.
O
ver the last 40 years, Kerry has grown to become a
world leader in taste and nutrition and a leading
provider of branded and private label food products.
Having begun life as a dairy co-operative, with the goal of
supporting farmer members, we understand the importance
of a sustainable business model. While we continue to work
with many of those same farm families who helped to
establish Kerry, our reach and footprint now extend right
across the globe.
To deliver on our mission of creating long-term value for all
our stakeholders, we have a comprehensive, group-wide
approach to sustainability, built on four key pillars. Through this
programme, we aim to reduce our environmental impacts and
make a positive contribution to the communities around us. Photo:WFP/Hetze Tosta
We have made great progress, surpassing our Kerry and WFP have launched a pioneering project in Honduras
expectations and giving us the platform to expand our goals that aims to improve the nutritional value of school meals
and strengthen our targets. In 2015, we launched the Kerry
Group Towards 2020 sustainability programme, our current ensure the responsible sourcing
five-year plan for further embedding sustainability within the of the raw materials we use and
group’s activities. With a focus on the key issues for our enabling the production of great
business and stakeholders, we continue to improve our tasting and healthier consumer
performance across each of our four pillars. products. We are proud to have been a founder member of
Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme — in 2017, we became
the first major milk processor to achieve 100% certification
under the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme.
WORKPLACE
With over 23,000 employees, our people are central to our
success. At Kerry, we want to create a workplace where
everyone can flourish. Under the Workplace pillar, we aim to
promote greater health and wellbeing and ensure a diverse
and inclusive environment, where all employees can
participate. Across all sites we promote access to training,
creating learning and development opportunities that
support people as their careers progress. Our Graduate
Kerry is the first major milk processor to achieve 100% certification Development Programme has proved hugely successful over
under Bord Bia’s Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme the years — both our current and incoming CEOs began
their careers with Kerry as graduates.
ENVIRONMENT
Under this pillar, we are implementing recognised COMMUNITY
environmental management systems across our sites and We have a proud record of community support, which
have targeted further reductions in carbon, water and waste. continues to be an important value in all regions across the
We also have the goal of achieving zero waste to landfill and organisation. In 2016, we became the first Irish food
already divert over 90% of our waste volumes towards other company to partner with the World Food Programme (WFP),
productive uses. In 2016, our efforts on carbon reduction the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the
were recognised by the achievement of a leadership level world’s leading humanitarian organisation fighting hunger. As
rating from CDP for action to help mitigate climate change. part of a three-year pioneering project in Honduras, Kerry
Group and WFP will ensure that nutritious dairy products are
MARKETPLACE safely and sustainably incorporated into the Home Grown
We understand that consumers are increasingly concerned School Meals programme in the project area.
about how their food is produced and its impact on their For more information on Kerry’s sustainability
health. Under the Marketplace pillar, Kerry is working to programme, visit kerrygroup.com/sustainability.
B U S I N ES S PL U S AU G U S T 2 0 1 7 69C O RPORAT E S OCI AL R E SPONSIBILITY P ROFI LE
Bank of Ireland
For over 200 years, Bank of Ireland has been a part of communities across Ireland. Helping communities
to thrive enables us to maintain a local presence and, in turn, finance local businesses and commerce.
W
e believe that a responsible business follows a suPPoRTInG enTeRPRIse – WoRkBenCh
strategy that delivers sustainable profitability for Workbench is a unique concept that connects entrepreneurs,
us and our customers. We seek to do this by our staff and local organisations by offering a free dedicated
supporting good causes and developing skills, by promoting space for co-working, product launches, and events that
inclusivity and diversity and by supporting entrepreneurship, support innovation, the community and new ideas. Over 200
innovation and community participation. businesses have used the Workbenches in Galway, Limerick,
Our annual Responsible Business Report has become an Cork and Dublin. Our Innovation team works with area
important part of communicating with all of our stakeholders managers to understand start-up and enterprise needs and
and it acts as a catalyst for us to continually improve our explore how Workbench can address these issues.
approach. The report can be accessed at:
bankofireland.com/responsiblebusiness. suPPoRTInG CommunITy – enTeRPRIse ToWn
Bank of Ireland enterprise Town supports local communities
GIve ToGeTheR/ChaRITy PaRTneRs and helps to drive business for SMEs in their locality by
Give Together, our charity and community investment providing a platform to showcase their products and services.
initiative, is celebrating 10 years with over €30 million raised The initiative has grown to a nationwide programme of 150
and over 7,400 staff days volunteered. This year we selected towns, investing €1.2m in 2017. Two thousand colleagues
three new charity partners – age action, Irish heart and support the initiative, with 10,000 businesses, over 3,000 sports
The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation. We are working and community groups, and 400 schools participating in 2017.
closely with each organisation to deliver what will make the
most difference to them, whether that is fundraising,
volunteering, mentoring or providing facilities/training.
Special guest Mickey Harte presenting children from local clubs
with certificates after the GAA blitz in Manorhamilton Enterprise
Town in June 2017
suPPoRTInG youTh –
BIzWoRld
BizWorld Ireland promotes
entrepreneurship skills
through workshops in
primary schools nationwide,
with pupils learning about
Bernie McHale and Miriam Byrne from Bank of Ireland, and expert
enterprise in fun and creative
gardener Tom Fitzgerald, help out during The Great Bank of Ireland
Backyard Blitz.
ways. The Bank of Ireland
partnership has provided the
suPPoRTInG volunTeeRInG – aGe aCTIon charity with an enthusiastic
BaCkyaRd BlITz army of volunteers enabling
Presentation Primary School in
One of the first big events with one of our charity partners more primary schools to get
Listowel was crowned overall
took place in July with the Great Bank of Ireland Backyard involved. 150 colleagues
winner and winner in the 'Most
Blitz. More than 300 Bank volunteers and expert gardeners have been trained as tutors
Original Business Idea' category
gave clients of Age Action a ‘dig out’ to tidy up over 125 by BizWorld to run two-day for Kool Kiddie Packs, an activity
gardens in Dublin, Galway and Cork. The wider Age Action workshops. The partnership pack to keep young children
programme combines volunteering, fundraising and financial delivered 300 workshops to occupied. School students are
support, as well as providing teaching on the basics of the 9,000 primary school pictured with BizWorld Judge
internet and digital world through our Digital Arrows Tea & children in the 2016-2017 Rory Carty, Head of Youth
Teach sessions. school year. Banking, Bank of Ireland
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