InBUSINESS CSR Awards 2017 by Ashville Media Group

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Thursday 7th September Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin 4

CSR AWARDS

There are currently over 1,300 families and 2,800 children homeless in Ireland. In our fight to end family homelessness, we at Bord GĂĄis Energy have committed â&#x201A;Ź1.2 million to our charity partner; Focus Ireland.

In the first year of our partnership...

2,500

families at high risk of homelessness were reached out to with preventative assistance

2,283

parents and children received vital support in emergency accommodation

400

hours staff volunteered in our community

339

families on the brink of homelessness received specialist advice and support to keep them in their homes

Focus Ireland

â&#x201A;Ź1,200,000

One million & two hundred thousand

Please make a donation 1850 204 205 or focusireland.ie

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President, Chambers Ireland

he CSR Awards are an important annual recognition of the best practice Corporate Social Responsibility work taking place across Ireland. This special CSR brochure showcases the range of companies and the high quality of projects shortlisted this year. Particularly as an active participant in the National CSR Stakeholder Forum, we strongly support the recently launched National Plan on CSR 2017-2020, ‘Towards Responsible Business’. The importance of Government leadership and the commitment shown to driving forward the CSR agenda nationwide should not be underestimated. The Chambers Ireland CSR Policy Council also plays an important role and recently focused attention on promoting CSR practices to SMEs. Policy Council members have offered expertise to supporting SMEs to develop their own CSR policies across the Chamber Network. This year applications from small and medium sized businesses have doubled, this is a trend that we hope to see continue. I commend all companies shortlisted for this year’s awards. Each shortlisted company has demonstrated that it is achieving excellence in CSR.

Ian Talbot Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland

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elcome to the 2017 Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards brochure. Chambers Ireland is proud to host the CSR Awards each year and to celebrate the achievements of organisations across Ireland in delivering important CSR projects. It’s wonderful to see so many organisations in Ireland working to become good corporate citizens by ensuring that their businesses are responsibly run, that they treat their workforce well and act responsibly towards the communities and environment in which they operate. We know that socially responsible businesses make a positive impact on the communities in which they operate and greatly enhance Ireland as a place to live and work, but we also know that for the organisation, this leads to positive business results, amongst them competitive differentiation, the ability to recruit and retain top talent, enhanced stakeholder support and the long-term sustainability of their businesses. The CSR Awards are partnered with BITC Ireland, sponsored by BAM Ireland and run in association with the Department of Rural and Community Development and we thank them for this support. Chambers Ireland would also like to thank our category sponsors – the Environmental Protection Agency for sponsoring the Excellence in Environment Award and One4All for sponsoring the Excellence in the Workplace Award. With such a high standard of applicants it is a great achievement in itself to be shortlisted and we wish the best of luck to all in this year’s awards.

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Forewords & Contents

Goals Worth Setting CSR in the Chamber 2017 CSR Awards Shortlist Judging CSR Bank of Ireland Arthur Cox Abbott KPMG Eversheds Sutherland ESB Group Intel KBC Bank Ireland Bord Gáis Energy Aldi DHL Express Ireland Vmware International Boots Ireland HEINEKEN Ireland Friends First Companies Shortlisted

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 2017. 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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Goals Worth Setting Is Ireland capable of ranking in the top ten of the Sustainable Development Goals Index? Bernadette Phelan, Head of Advisory Services at Business in the Community Ireland, takes a look at how it might be achieved.

ourteenth out of 149 countries isn’t bad in any global index for our small nation, especially when the Nordic countries are in the running. That’s Ireland’s ranking in the SDG Index which provides a ‘traffic–light’ report card for countries against the United Nation’s new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goals describe everything from the ambitions for the health of our oceans, to what we design for considered consumption, to addressing poverty. If the goals were achieved (if it’s not already too late for some of them such as our carbon count), then living in 2030 and beyond would be a very appealing prospect. The thing is that they’re not just for academia or government. Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, is a leading advocate for the goals and surmises that businesses “that adopt the new models the SDGs demand will have an edge over their competitors”. More and more companies are now mapping their performance to these global goals and using them to develop and transform their business strategy. In Ireland, we see Musgrave Group, Marks & Spencer, BT, SSE Airtricity and others working on understanding how they will impact on, and be impacted by, the goals in the future. To help countries understand their state of readiness to achieve the goals Professor Jeffry Sachs’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network, together with the Bertelsmann Stiftung, developed the SDG Index. Sweden, Denmark and Norway are the top three performing countries and are therefore closest to fulfilling the goals. Germany

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and the United Kingdom are the only G7 countries in the top ten performers. The United States is ranked 25th, Brazil 52nd, China 76th and India 110th. So how do we score? As mentioned, of 149 countries, Ireland ranks 14th. This shows that there are notable positive aspects within our economic, social and environmental fabric. We have ‘green lights’ in the indicators that assess poverty, good health and wellbeing, and peace and justice. These are strengths we can build on. However, we need to consider whether these indicators are a predictor of our future success, or simply a reflection of our current state. We have ‘red lights’ related to gender equality (percentage of women in national parliament), decent work and economic growth (percentage of youth not in employment, education or training), and life below water (the status of our fish stocks) and life on land (the change in our forestry cover). These gaps will limit our capacity for sustainable economic growth and social cohesion if not actively addressed.

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A ‘red light’ that jumps out includes the prevalence of adult obesity; how will this impact the future cost of our health care? What does this mean for the health and productivity of the workforce? In considering our future economic competitiveness, what is the impact of ‘orange lights’ in the indicators under SDG9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure related to mobile broadband subscriptions, internet usage and patent applications? In looking at SDG10 Reduced Inequality, Ireland receives ‘orange lights’ in all three indicators that measure inequality in our society (indicators included are the Gini index, the Palma ratio, and the PISA Social Justice Index). What is the trend within these indicators – is the gap narrowing or widening? Social cohesion and justice are the necessary conditions to create a stable civil society and a thriving economy which is attractive to high skill talent and investors.

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Bernadette Phelan, Head of Advisory Services, Business in the Community Ireland

The Global Goals present Irish business with a new framework that should inform the design, delivery and communication of their sustainable and responsible business practice. Businesses can use the goals to identify growth opportunities, for

example in healthcare, education and renewable energy. Banks, financial services and accounting firms provide the enabling services which the rest of business will rely on if the goals are to be achieved. To manage risk and realise opportunities, Ireland needs to understand its priority areas for change and form a coalition for action. We need to adapt to the global challenges ahead. We need decisive action by a range of actors if we are to maintain a stable Irish economy and society in a world that will be characterised by increased population movements, higher incidence of extreme weather events and rapid technology changes. The Global Goals are a complex and overwhelming web reflecting global risks and opportunities; they do however demonstrate a simple fact – the future of this planet is dependent on all stakeholders acting together in new ways that give equal weightings to economic, social and environmental indicators.

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CSR in the Chamber

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We profile some of the recent CSR winners from within the Chamber network.

GALWAY CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS 2016 BEST SOCIAL ENTERPRISE/ CSR AWARD Sponsored by SCCUL Enterprises Winner: Kirby Engineering

Commenting on the Kirby Engineering’s award win, Mark Flanagan, Kirby Group Operations Director, said: “Kirby Group Engineering is delighted to win the Best Social Enterprise Award. Since our establishment 52 years ago Kirby has always had a strong sense of corporate responsibility. While international in nature, our work is delivered locally with significant interaction with the communities we work within. At all times we seek to increase community integration and promote a legacy of social inclusivity and diversity.” Founded in 1964, Kirby has grown from a small, family-owned electrical contracting business to a leading, international provider of multi-disciplinary engineering services with eight offices across Ireland, the UK and Europe, employing over 600 personnel and earning an annual turnover of 160 million. “Corporate Social Responsibility is an integral part of our business and is deeply embedded within our company and our culture - it is how we do business,” added Flanagan. “Helping people to be the best they can be within our company and the communities we work within is part of the Kirby DNA. It is an honour to receive this award and have our CSR contribution recognised by our peers.”

SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY BUSINESS AWARDS 2016 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD Sponsored by Roadstone Winner: PM Group

PM Group, winner of the CSR Award at the 2016 South Dublin County Business Awards, has a wide range of community support initiatives which are an integral part of its business strategy. The significant donation of man hours to community projects and willingness to participate demonstrates the company’s commitment to being a highly responsible corporate citizen. PM Group is an Irish headquartered, international project delivery company with a 44-year track record in engineering, architecture and project management for leading multinational companies. It has a reputation built on great people and its Tallaght office works closely with the local community in two main areas – education and pro bono services.

Mark Flanagan was among those accepting the Best Social Enterprise Award on behalf of Kirby Group Engineering

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KILDARE CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS 2016

Wexford Corporate Social Responsibility Award Sponsored by BNY Mellon

Corporate Social Responsibility Award Sponsored by Hanahoe and Hanahoe Solicitors

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WEXFORD BUSINESS AWARDS 2017

Winner: Datapac Winner: Intel Datapac received the CSR Award in recognition of its commitment to community enhancement and empowerment, and its development of an internal culture of CSR involving all employees. Datapac’s commitment to supporting the local business community, as well as its charity partnerships, skills development and environmental responsibility, impressed judges and convinced them to present the award to the ICT solutions provider. Karen O’Connor, General Manager Service Delivery, Datapac, said: “At the core of our business strategy is our culture of continuous enhancement at Datapac. It is this same strategic focus that gives us our impetus for making positive contributions to the communities we serve. We carefully select projects where Datapac can engage in the initiative at all levels of our organisation, and that every team member can contribute.” O’Connor continued: “CSR transcends all aspects of our business, from our newest starter to our most experienced employee. Our CSR programme mirrors our corporate values by placing emphasis on partnerships, quality and people development. We will continue to use our resources, time and expertise to enhance and empower our colleagues and local communities.”

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Intel was delighted to win the Corporate Social Responsibility Award at the Kildare Chamber Business Awards. Through donations, grants, and volunteer services, Intel strives to be an asset to the communities where people live and work. Through the Intel Global Volunteer Programme, more than 40 per cent of employees volunteer their time at least once a year. From participating in classroom activities to providing IT expertise, the impact of employee volunteer efforts are felt across the country. In 2015, Intel Ireland employees volunteered over 80,000 hours. The Intel Involved Matching Grant Programme awards cash grants to eligible organisations based on the number of hours that employees volunteer. Since the matching grant programme began in 2008, more than 3.5 million has been awarded to non-profit organisations and schools. In 2016, 30 per cent of the organisation were from Kildare. Through its Site 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. Over the past five years, Intel Ireland employees have raised over 300,000 for non-profit organisations through the programme.

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• Aldi Stores Ireland Limited Aldi and FoodCloud Partnership • Arthur Cox ‘Who Wants to be a Volunteer?’ - the Arthur Cox Volunteer Champions (ACVC) • Bord Gáis Energy Give a Helping Hand to Prevent Family Homelessness #AHelpingHand • Core Media Focus Ireland and Core Media – Ireland’s first Contactless Donation Station Shines a Light on Homelessness • Microsoft Ireland Microsoft Ireland supports Hour of Code • Ulster Bank Communicating how we’re making a difference in our communities

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY – LIC*

• Applegreen The Applegreen Charitable Fund Programme

• Arthur Cox Working with Suas to bring technology to Zambia • Bord Gáis Energy Focus Our Energy Partnership

• VMware VMware Foundation and Age Action

• Dalata Hotel Group Plc Dalata Digs Deep • Earth’s Edge Kilimanjaro Equipment Lending Programme • Electric Ireland Electric Ireland Darkness into Light • ESB Group Collaboration with Science Gallery Dublin • Friends First Friends in the Community • Voxpro, powered by Telus Voxpro partnership with Breakthrough Cancer Research 2016

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY – MNC**

• Boots Ireland Boots in partnership with the Irish Cancer Society

EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENT – LIC*

• KBC Bank Ireland KBC Environmental Responsibility Programme • Lidl Ireland Origin Green Project

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING – LIC*

(Sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency)

• Bank of Ireland BizWorld

• Bord na Móna Eco Rangers Schools programme

• Bord Gáis Energy Bord Gáis Energy, Focus our Energy - Christmas FM Project

• Carbery Food Ingredients Carbery Green 50 Landfill Diversion Project • Dublin Airport Central Sustainable Buildings • Dawn Meats Strategic Sustainability

EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENT – MNC** (Sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency)

• Deutsche Bank Partnership with the Simon Community

• HEINEKEN Ireland Brewing a Better World in HEINEKEN Ireland – Our Sustainability Vision

• Microsoft Ireland Mission 3000: Microsoft and Special Olympics

• Intel Ireland Embracing biodiversity at Intel

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• Oracle Oracle Applications ‘Walk of the Onesies’ for Temple Street Children’s Hospital

| *Large Indigenous Company LIC | **Multinational Company MNC

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Complete 2017 Shortlist

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• Earth’s Edge Explore Experience Evolve Programme • KPMG KPMG’s Family for Literacy (KFFL)

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING – MNC**

• AbbVie AbbVie’s Week of Possibilities • Cisco Systems Age Action Volunteering programme • Deloitte Professional Skills Volunteering with NCBI • IBM Ireland Leadership for Teens

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• VMware VMware Cork Giving Network - VMware Foundation

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY - COMMUNITY PROGRAMME – LIC*

• Amgen Inspiring the scientists of tomorrow

• Law Society of Ireland Diploma Centre Law Society of Ireland’s Street Law Programme • Ulster Bank One Week in June • Version 1 Version 1 Community Trust

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY - COMMUNITY PROGRAMME – MNC**

• Abbott Ireland Abbott Ireland – A Passion for STEM

• Intel Intel Pride of Place

• IBM Ireland ‘I like it here!’

• KBC Bank Ireland KBC Bright Ideas Programme

• Johnson & Johnson Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing & Design (WiSTEM2D).

EXCELLENCE IN WORKPLACE – LIC*

• Lidl Ireland Work Safe. Live Well.

(Sponsored by One4all)

• Arthur Cox Supporting a brave personal battle against Motor Neurone Disease - the Loretto Dempsey Legacy • eir eir Challenge Supporting Special Olympics Ireland • ESB Group ESB Power Challenge • Friends First Friends in the Workplace • KPMG KPMG Inclusion & Diversity Programme • Ulster Bank Ireland DAC Academy – Building capability for what matters

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• Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town

• ESB Networks Stay Safe Stay Clear with ESB Networks

EXCELLENCE IN WORKPLACE – MNC**

• Boston Scientific Boston Scientific Ireland STEM Programme

• Lidl Ireland Lidl Community Works

• Earth’s Edge Guide Exchange Programme

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• SSE Ireland The SSE Ireland Be the Difference Volunteering Programme

EXCELLENCE IN SUPPORTING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT

• ESB Networks ESB Apprenticeship Programme • Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson Bridge to Employment (BTE) • Magnet Networks Business in the Community

EXCELLENCE IN CSR BY AN SME

• Oracle OPEN @ Oracle

• Earth’s Edge Kilimanjaro Equipment Lending Programme

• Vodafone Ireland ThinkWell, LiveWell, FeelWell

• EMIT EMIT & Play for Paddy: Giving Cancer the Boot

EXCELLENCE IN MARKETPLACE

• Fitness Freak Free Fruit For All in South Tipperary General Hospital

• A&L Goodbody A&L Goodbody’s pro bono programme

• Recycle IT Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative Limited

• Bank of Ireland Workbench

• Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland RIAI Simon Open Door

• Eversheds Sutherland Robbie Sinnott

• Stelfox Soar

• KPMG KPMG supports Going for Growth

• Technically Write IT Ltd Charity and Community Involvement Committee

MNC **Multinational Company | LIC *Large Indigenous Company |

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This year’s judges share their views on the merits of practising CSR in business.

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Judging CSR

CSR AWARDS 2017 JUDGING PANEL ROUND ONE JUDGING PANEL

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JUDGING PANEL ONE Judging Panel One scrutinises all application to the awards. The judges review the applications independently and provide a score. This judging panel then meets to discuss the highest scoring projects and create a shortlist of the strongest projects. These projects are then passed on to Judging Panel Two for review.

• CHAIR: John Cunningham, Chair, Immigrant Council of Ireland • Prof Sheila Killian, Assistant Dean, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick • Cathal Divilly, Partner, Great Place to Work

ROUND TWO JUDGING PANEL • CHAIR: Tomás Sercovich, External Relations Director, Forética • Roger Warnock, Programme Lead, The Young Foundation • Maura Quinn, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors in Ireland • Martin Tobin, Chief Executive Officer, ERP Ireland

John Cunningham, Chair Immigrant Council of Ireland “2017 has proved that Irish business can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world in CSR practice. CSR is a permanent and positive part of our complex business environment. It makes a real material contribution to communities, good causes and our workforces that make Ireland, for most people, a better place to work and live.”

Sheila Killian, Assistant Dean, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick “The companies featured in this year’s CSR Awards show that size or sector pose no barriers to thinking differently about responsibility, and doing business in a way that is good for the whole ecosystem.”

Cathal Divilly, Partner Great Place to Work “As the aspiration to provide real purpose for all employees in their work becomes a key driver of talent recruitment and retention, having CSR as a strategic imperative is a must for all organisations. Business leaders can set the tone within their organisation with their actions and intentions in this space.”

• Eilis Murray, Executive Director, Philanthropy Ireland

OVERALL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CSR Each year, one company wins this award for overall excellence in CSR. The companies shortlisted for the overall award are invited to make a presentation on their company’s CSR strategy to a panel of judges selected from the judging panels. This presentation helps the panel to decide the winner of the Excellence in CSR Award 2017.

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JUDGING PANEL TWO Judging Panel Two independently reviews the shortlisted projects and then meets to deliberate and decide on the category winners. This judging panel will also shortlist a small number of companies for the Overall Award for Excellence in CSR.

Tomás Sercovich, External Relations Director, Forética “As the Chambers Ireland CSR Awards continue to grow in strength, we need to be aware of the impact that the practices we recognise have on the company’s overall performance and business model. We need to value companies that have fully integrated CSR and are future proof.”

Roger Warnock, The Young Foundation “CSR is vital if we are to solve the ‘wicked problems’ that are holding back many sections of our communities in Ireland. Innovative businesses can help through transformative CSR by utilising staff, resources and knowledge to tackle inequality in Ireland.”

Maura Quinn, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors in Ireland “CSR programmes offer a myriad of societal and business benefits and take many forms including employee engagement, community integration and environmental impact. Embedding CSR into organisational strategy is key and business leaders should be setting the tone from the top in this regard.”

Martin Tobin, Chief Executive Officer of ERP “As a judge, I am greatly impressed by how the business community has gotten behind this competition. The circular economy will require all sectors of society – from consumers through to companies – to embrace new concepts. CSR has an important role in the circular economy and global environmental health as a whole.”

Eilis Murray, Executive Director, Philanthropy Ireland “Businesses that give to society in a strategic, purposeful and planned way – philanthropically – can have real impact, not just for the business but for the causes being supported. And here we have some inspiring examples, thank you!”

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CSR PROFILE BANK OF IRELAND

Creating Connections:

Enabling Enterprise Bank of Ireland believes that a responsible business follows a strategy that delivers sustainable profitability for the company and its customers. It seeks to do this by supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and community participation and by promoting inclusivity and diversity.

ith its 250-strong branch network, and as Ireland’s largest lender, Bank of Ireland has a strong commitment to communities nationwide. In addition to providing financial advice and lending support, the bank also runs a very active programme of diverse supports – from fostering start-ups, to the provision of digital workshops tailored to suit community groups, older people, students or customers, and a busy schools outreach programme. At all times, a key focus for the bank is helping people to find new ways to market through facilitating connections.

Bank of Ireland provides many opportunities to do this, particularly through its active enterprise programme of community engagement. Bank of Ireland has received two nominations in the Excellence in Community pillar at this year’s CSR Awards – the Enterprise Town initiative in the Community Programme, Large Indigenous Company category and the bank’s partnership with BizWorld in the Volunteering, Large Indigenous Company category – as well as a third nomination under the Marketplace pillar for its Workbench initiative.

ENTERPRISE TOWN

Niall McCafferty, co-founder of Colmac Robotics Ltd., at Bank of Ireland Workbench in Galway

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Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town supports local communities and helps to drive business for SMEs in their locality by providing a platform to showcase their products and services. Two thousand colleagues support the initiative, with 10,000 businesses, over 3,000 sports and community groups, and 400 schools participating in 2017. Enterprise Town is essentially about creating a sense of pride, identity and passion in people

about their local town – rediscovering all that is great about living, working and thriving in that place. The initiative, created by Bank of Ireland in 2013, aims to help people to get local economies and communities flourishing and has grown from one town to a nationwide programme of 150 towns in 2017, representing an investment of over €1.2 million by the Bank this year. For each Enterprise Town a bespoke schedule of events is developed by a local committee made up of Bank of Ireland branch staff, residents, local businesses, and community organisations. Each town’s programme of events includes business, sports and community expos, participation from local schools, and a broad range of family friendly activities. Each Enterprise Town also undertakes a fundraising project for a local cause with donations being matched by Bank of Ireland through its ‘Give Together’ community and charity initiative. In addition to supporting each town with funding, charitable donations, event organisation and business mentoring, Bank of Ireland

also provides high profile guest speakers – including Gavin Duffy, Rachel Allen, Dáithí Ó Sé and Marty Morrissey – for many of the events. These speakers address topics such as business success, teamwork, motivation and leadership.

BIZWORLD BizWorld Ireland promotes entrepreneurship skills through workshops in primary schools nationwide, with pupils learning about enterprise in fun and creative ways. The Bank of Ireland partnership has provided the charity with an enthusiastic army of volunteers enabling more primary schools to get involved. One hundred and fifty colleagues have been trained as tutors by BizWorld to run two-day workshops. The partnership delivered 300 workshops to 9,000 primary school children in the 20162017 school year. Bank of Ireland’s volunteering partnership with BizWorld began in 2015 and has significantly enhanced the delivery of entrepreneurial workshops in primary schools nationwide. The participation of volunteers has resulted in a fourfold increase in the number of schools participating. Workshops feature everything from brainstorming to business development and even a | CSR AWARDS 2017

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CSR PROFILE BANK OF IRELAND

Dragon’s Den style pitch of the business. In addition, this year saw the first BizWorld regional showcase events, brought by Bank of Ireland, which took place in May with a National Showcase final in June. Speaking about the initiative, Fiona McKeon, CEO of BizWorld Ireland said: “Having Bank of Ireland on board is a real game-changer given the bank’s extensive branch network in over 250 locations nationwide. The partnership enables us to deliver workshops on a much greater scale to primary schools around the country as Bank of Ireland staff members commit time, enthusiasm and energy to the initiative.” Bank of Ireland is delighted and proud to be bringing BizWorld workshops to schools all over Ireland. In addition to sowing the seeds of enterprise, creativity and innovation, BizWorld tutors help primary school children learn skills such as critical thinking, decision-making, risk analysis, teamwork, active learning, entrepreneurship and leadership – whilst also having fun.

WORKBENCH Bank of Ireland has always been a huge supporter of enterprise and job growth and Workbench, which has been nominated in the Marketplace category, is a clear example of this. Workbench is a unique concept that connects entrepreneurs, Bank of Ireland staff and local organisations by offering a free dedicated space for coworking, product launches, and events that support

Presentation Primary School in Listowel was crowned overall BizWorld winner and winner in the Most Original Business Idea category

the success of Grand Canal workbench an additional five Workbenches have been opened across the Derek Shannon, Carlow Branch Manager with an exhibitor and attendee at Carlow country with Enterprise Town two more in Dublin (Montrose and Trinity) and one in Galway, innovation, the community Limerick and Cork. and new ideas. Over 200 The Workbench offers businesses have used the state-of-the-art facilities, hot Workbenches in Galway, desks, interactive screens, Limerick, Cork and Dublin. complementary WiFi and The bank’s innovation team unlimited access to Irish works with area managers and international startto understand start-up ups looking to develop and enterprise needs and their businesses. Since explore how Workbench becoming operational, they can address these issues. are fast becoming a baseIt has reinvented what of-choice for numerous people expect from a local start-ups, benefiting from bank branch. The first access to branch facilities Workbench was opened for meetings, events and in January 2015 in Grand presentations, and serving Canal Square. This proved as an antidote to the office. to be of enormous success with over 360 events and People have been using 13,000 people using the the Workbench every day space in the first year it for things as simple as opened. Following on from checking their email or

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meeting a potential client to developing a brand new business concept, step by step, in great detail. While sitting at the Workbench, people learn about the schedule of free after-hours events that the branch hosts for the benefit of start-ups, charities and individuals where they can get an insight into the latest thinking in a specific industry, learn a particular skill and meet up with others with similar interests. Since it launched, the Workbench has been the starting point for many successful new businesses which have gone on to win investment to develop their ideas further. Bank of Ireland’s Responsible Business Report has become an important part of communicating with all of its stakeholders and more information on its approach can be found at www.bankofireland.com/ responsiblebusiness.

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CSR PROFILE ARTHUR COX

Creating a

CSR Legacy Leading Irish law firm Arthur Cox has a long tradition of philanthropy, beginning with its founder and namesake and continuing right up to the present day.

rthur Cox is deeply committed to the ideal of corporate social responsibility, and has been ever since its establishment in 1920. Its founder, Arthur Cox himself, was a well-known philanthropist whose ideas and actions have directly shaped the identity of the firm as it is today, nearly a century after its founding. In the intervening years, Arthur Cox worked hard on the design and implementation of its CSR policy, which has become a fundamental pillar of how the firm operates and defines itself. The policy is overseen by

Arthur Cox and Suas volunteers

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the firm’s CSR committee and is managed by its CSR Advisory Board. It is made up of four main pillars – pro bono work, volunteering, charitable activities and the environment – and it underpins all of the firm’s work. As CSR executive Jean Maxwell puts it: “We have an ethos of giving back to society and we want to have a positive impact on the community.” These endeavours have been recognised at this year’s CSR Awards. Arthur Cox has been nominated in three separate categories – Excellence in Community, Partnership with Charity, Large Indigenous

Company; Excellence in Workplace, Large Indigenous Company; and Excellence in CSR Communication. Each of the three nominated initiatives was designed with the company’s history of CSR and philanthropy in mind. They are carefully planned projects designed for the betterment of the communities within which the firm is based, and they serve to express the firm’s fundamental values.

THE ZAMBIA PROJECT The Arthur Cox Zambia Project was founded in 2008 by the firm’s trainee solicitors, in order to raise standards of living in some of the country’s most rural regions by developing sustainable health, education and agricultural infrastructure. In 2014 the project expanded its focus on education – a key theme throughout the firm’s CSR policy. Arthur Cox began constructing schools in the Chikuni region and developed a rural radio school initiative in conjunction with the Jesuitrun Canisius Secondary School and Chikuni Radio. Radio schools provide a government-approved curriculum to children who cannot attend formal schools due to geographic and financial barriers. Since 2016, the project has partnered with the charity Suas to pilot the

use of award-winning iSchool teaching software, delivering classes through the use of durable teacher tablets and projectors. In 2016, the iSchool tablet was piloted in Hakalinda village school, the first radio school constructed by Arthur Cox trainee solicitors two years prior to that. Following its successful implementation, it is now proposed to roll out the iSchool tablet to each school constructed by the project. The project’s initiatives are developed in conjunction with the communities they benefit. The community leads decision-making and implementation through committees set up for that purpose – an important aspect to the project’s success, as Brian O’Gorman, Managing Partner at Arthur Cox, points out. “It’s very much done in conjunction with the local community out there,” he asserts. “The trainees are not just providing funds – they’re actually out there every year, building relationships with the local communities and working with them.”

LORETTO’S LEGACY Following a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in March 2014, Loretto Dempsey, an Arthur Cox employee, embarked on a personal battle that was fully | CSR AWARDS 2017

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CSR PROFILE ARTHUR COX

supported by the firm. After a bravely fought battle with the disease, Loretto died in March 2017. Inspired by her work as an ambassador for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA), Arthur Cox partnered with the charity to create a lasting legacy for Loretto. The Loretto Dempsey Placement was established in March 2016 and today provides the IMNDA with valued day-to-day support as it helps many others in Ireland battling MND. Following her diagnosis, Arthur Cox did everything it could to allow Loretto to continue her work with the IT helpdesk for as long as she was physically able – arranging for Loretto’s workspace to be reconfigured for better wheelchair accessibility and installing voice recognition software on her PC. The firm arranged for taxis to bring her to and from work each day, and it also installed a lift in her home when Loretto could no longer climb the stairs. Though these actions were taken to directly aid Loretto in her battle with the disease, the lasting impact will be the firm’s decision to partner with the IMDNA – a decision that Rachel Hussey, Partner at Arthur Cox and Chair of the firm’s CSR Advisory Board, believes was pivotal. “The cornerstone of the support [for the IMDNA] has been the placement,” she says. “We pay for an executive to work in the charity to provide administrative support,

which I think they find hugely invaluable.” This person is employed on a 12-month contract providing much-needed additional resources to the IMNDA, and ensuring that Loretto’s memory and legacy live on.

WHO WANTS TO BE A VOLUNTEER? Arthur Cox has a strong tradition of volunteering, working, as it does, with numerous charitable organisations. With the selection of five charity partners by its staff in 2015, a whole host of additional opportunities were opened up. Thus, the decision was taken to expand the firm’s volunteering programme. In order to assist with this expansion, a new communications programme was developed known as Who Wants to be a Volunteer? – The Arthur Cox Volunteer Champions. The programme functions on the basis of a number of selected representatives – the Volunteer Champions – working across the firm, tasked with becoming a focal point for volunteering within their teams and practice groups. Each Volunteer Champion acts as a point of information and encouragement for their team in relation to the CSR programme’s schedule of volunteering activities for the year. Internal communication and face-to-face interactions are key to the success of this programme. At a time when staff are inundated with large volumes of

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Loretto Dempsey

Volunteer Champions

email correspondence, it was decided that a more personal and traditional approach would work best, as Jean Maxwell explains. “We tried to make sure that each area of the business had their own Volunteer Champion, that they were fully equipped with details of forthcoming opportunities, and that they could tell people what was involved, what was needed – basically to be ambassadors for the

volunteering programme,” she says. The variety of CSR activities undertaken by Arthur Cox would not be possible were it not for clear lines of communication within and outside the organisation. The Arthur Cox Volunteer Champions help to create and facilitate these communication channels, allowing the firm to continue the good work that began with its founder almost 100 years ago.

29/08/2017 16:50

CSR PROFILE ABBOTT

Croí an Óir:

Beating for Ten Years Abbott in Ireland is focused on ensuring that its neighbours and employees can work together to build stronger communities that help people live their best lives.

t Abbott, helping people to live their best life in good health is a central tenet of the business. Abbott keeps people’s hearts healthy, nourishing people’s bodies at every stage of life, helping them to feel and move better, and bringing people information and breakthroughs to manage their health. The business is built around delivering innovative solutions that can push healthcare further, sharing knowledge and empowering more people to achieve their potential. The company believes

that being engaged and active in the community is beneficial to living a healthy and happy life. Local communities – the places where we live and work – shape our experiences and have the greatest potential to enhance our lives for the better. Not only does volunteering provide important health and social benefits to the volunteer, but it also has huge benefits to the wider community. Croí an Óir, Abbott’s volunteering programme in Ireland, is celebrating ten years of employee and community activation

this year. Back in 2007, the company carefully chose the name ‘Croí an Óir’ to reflect the many ‘hearts of gold’ of its employees – reflecting their dedication to helping people live fully and being involved in their local community. The Croí an Óir leaders in each of Abbott’s nine sites across Ireland are instrumental in driving the volunteering programme and encouraging over 3,000 employees to take part. Their success can be seen, not only in the numbers who volunteer, but in the fact that 88 per cent of

Abbott employees believe the firm has an excellent relationship with local communities and charities. On top of this, the rewards of volunteering are vast and 93 per cent of employees have a greater sense of wellbeing and happiness after they volunteer. “I had a great sense of achievement and pride after finishing the Junior Achievement programme,” says Eilish Ferguson of Abbott. “It was more than I expected and I enjoyed giving something back to the community – it most definitely helped with my communication skills and boosted my confidence.” Abbott focuses its philanthropic investments on areas that align with the business’ core capabilities, as well as on opportunities to leverage its employees’ time and skills in their local communities, and on partnerships with stakeholders that enable the firm to achieve sustainable change. Education, health and the environment are important areas of focus for the Croí an Óir teams. Abbott aims to share the time and skills of its employees in ways that can deliver the best results for the many communities within which the company is based.

STEM LEADERS Abbott employees volunteering at the Abbott Fund Family Science Night

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In Ireland, Abbott has engaged more than 10,000 students and families | CSR AWARDS 2017

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CSR PROFILE ABBOTT

through its science and engineering education outreach efforts. Supporting National Science Week since 2009, the Family Science and Operation Discovery programmes deliver vital educational science opportunities for primary and secondary school children in an informal setting to encourage them to be more proficient in STEM subjects. The programmes consistently have a positive impact on participants and their perception and appreciation of science. Both programmes are delivered by Abbott volunteers who are eager to share their passion for science with children, parents and teachers. Since 2014, Abbott’s support for National Engineering Week has seen its engineers engage with students on the vital subjects of math and engineering. By leveraging Abbott’s expertise in innovative research and development, the firm believes that inspiring the young people of today can produce the scientific leaders of tomorrow.

business leaders, who play an essential role in advancing the partnership’s work to improve lives, strengthen communities and

The participants helped me to rediscover the potential that lies in asking ‘why not?’, and that in truth, anyone can change the world! Enactus Ireland National Competition

Abbott employees in Donegal wear green for mental health

develop socially responsible business leaders. Abbott employees are actively involved in mentoring teams, providing training and in judging Enactus Ireland competitions. “As a manager of recent graduates, the programme has enabled me to gain a greater understanding of graduate motivations and needs, which can help to drive engagement and retention,” says Helen Hamilton, Technical Product Manager at Abbott’s diagnostics business in Longford.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS LEADERS

SPIRIT OF CITIZENSHIP

Abbott has been a partner with Enactus Ireland since 2015. This partnership develops future talent by enabling third level students to create and implement social entrepreneurial projects that positively impact local and global communities. These students are supported, trained and guided by educators and Abbott

Every day thousands of people are making a difference and it’s important to promote and recognise their impact. That’s why Abbott has partnered with Europe’s Volunteering Capital programme for 2017. Sligo, as European Capital of Volunteering in 2017, is shining a light on the many positive

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volunteering programmes throughout Ireland. The year-long programme is an opportunity to celebrate the spirit of volunteering

in local communities while encouraging more people to get involved. Throughout 2017, Abbott is working closely with Sligo council officials and the European Volunteer Centre on a range of initiatives to showcase the positive impact of volunteering. It is hoping that local communities, employers, local government, and individuals will come together and see how they can develop a long-lasting spirit of citizenship that meets the needs of their locality.

Abbott in Ireland is very proud of Croí an Óir’s success over the last ten years. Its employees have consistently delivered a wide range of volunteer initiatives that support the important work of charitable organisations across Ireland. Abbott is focused on ensuring that its neighbours and employees can work together to build stronger communities that help people live their best lives – and Croí an Óir will continue to support this into the future.

Abbott Fund Operation Discovery in action at Abbott Vascular Clonmel

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CSR PROFILE KPMG

Vibrant Corporate

Citizenship

KPMG’s three nominations at this year’s CSR Awards highlight the company’s wider dedication to CSR and support for local communities.

been nominated in the Excellence in Marketplace category, and KPMG’s Family for Literacy is in contention for the Excellence in Community – Volunteering category for Large Indigenous Companies award.

DRIVING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Gender diversity, as part of its Inclusion and Diversity agenda, is a strategic focus for KPMG. The firm is striving to build a culture that allows people to balance their career ambitions and their personal lives, and to grow a wider pool of senior female talent – all of which benefits the individual

whilst strengthening the business. The initiatives are wide-ranging, and include intelligent working arrangements, maternity supports, training, coaching, role model launches, executive speaker series, and a range of external programmes. “Being an inclusive workplace is very important to KPMG and helping all our people reach their full potential, both male and female is particularly important,” says Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner. “We have rolled out this broad array of initiatives targeting female employees to create a more supportive environment for our female talent to achieve their

SON Photographic Ltd

PMG is committed to its communities and places a high value on the role it plays in supporting those communities. This support is broad ranging and includes gender diversity and inclusion, youth literacy and much more, and these efforts have been recognised by three nominations in three separate categories at this year’s CSR Awards. The KPMG Inclusion & Diversity Programme has been nominated for the Excellence in Workplace category for Large Indigenous Companies. The KPMG supported Going for Growth programme has

Going for Growth Leads Monika Flood, Fidelma McGuirk, Áine Denn and Oonagh O’Hagan pictured with Paula Fitzsimons, Director, Going for Growth and Olivia Lynch, KPMG Tax Partner

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career objectives.” KPMG is also working to encourage women to remain in senior positions and to ensure they feel valued in their role.

GOING FOR GROWTH Strengthening female entrepreneurship in Ireland is another key pillar of KPMG’s Inclusion & Diversity strategy. Compared to men, female entrepreneurs tend to be less ambitious for their businesses and fewer have achieved significant growth, and this is the challenge which Going for Growth addresses. KPMG partners with Enterprise Ireland in supporting Going for Growth to encourage female entrepreneurs to be ambitious and supports them in achieving their growth goals. The programme’s success is based on several factors, not least the interactive roundtable sessions facilitated by successful entrepreneurs (Lead Entrepreneurs) who have the practical knowledge that comes from first-hand experience of owning and managing a business that has achieved considerable growth. Participants are offered a unique learning environment with a peer| CSR AWARDS 2017

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CSR PROFILE KPMG

Darragh Kane

KPMG employees take part in World Book Day at North Presentation Primary School in Cork

led approach, based on the shared experiences of both a lead entrepreneur and other participants facing common challenges. Going for Growth is designed to be action and resultsoriented. And it works – participants experience increased confidence and motivation to meet and exceed their goals. Since KPMG became involved, over 200 female entrepreneurs have participated in Going for Growth. This has translated into practical changes, with many reporting increased turnover, more export activity and an increase in jobs created. KPMG is committed to continuing its support of this initiative. “As well

as helping address a very worthwhile marketplace objective, it also provides real opportunities for our female employees to truly engage with dynamic, ambitious business people,” Olivia Lynch, KPMG Tax Partner, notes. “In this way it develops their networking and personal development skillset.”

FAMILY FOR LITERACY Literacy is the baseline from which all other opportunities are possible, and it can open up new worlds and instil in children a lifelong love of learning. However, for many Irish people, reading and writing remains a major challenge, limiting potential and causing

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difficulty in getting a good education, securing employment or managing everyday life. Providing quality education is key, and KPMG is continuously looking for new ways to broaden its commitment to lifelong learning. The KPMG Family for Literacy programme was developed to improve literacy rates in local communities, providing children in need with the ability to access books. Reading programmes for second class students provide one-to-one reading support; Doodle Dens supports children’s literacy development via afterschool initiatives; and the Get Cents programme

focuses on financial literacy and highlights the importance of budgeting, saving and attitudes to money. “We have a strong and measurable record of helping to improve communities through vibrant corporate citizenship,” says Karina Howley, Head of Corporate Citizenship & Diversity. “We have a clear commitment to lifelong learning and empowering next generation leaders. We prioritise learning and development among our partners and employees and have established strategic partnerships with organisations focused on improving livelihoods by lifelong learning.”

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CSR PROFILE EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND

Sight for

Better Laws Law firm Eversheds Sutherland has helped pave the way for a new Irish law allowing visually impaired persons to vote without assistance.

visually impaired person in Ireland has, until recently, been unable to vote in secret in any election in Ireland. They may have brought a trusted companion with them to mark their ballot paper or they might have asked the returning officer at the polling station to do so. However, they had no way of knowing that their vote had been exercised in the way they wanted it to be. In 2014, legal proceedings were instituted by Eversheds Sutherland, on behalf of Robbie Sinnott, who is visually impaired, against the State, seeking to vindicate his right to vote in secret and without assistance. The case was run by Eversheds Sutherland Public Administrative Law Unit in association with the firm’s CSR initiative – so-called ‘Fulfilling Lives’. Evidence was heard in the case over five days in July 2016, with a further five days of legal submissions from November 2016 to February 2017. Judgement was delivered by the High Court on March 30th 2017. The High Court found that the Minister for

Environment and Ors has a duty to put arrangements in place to allow visually impaired persons to vote without assistance. Before the conclusion of the case, the minister made regulations to allow a visually impaired person to vote without assistance in referenda. Three senior solicitors, with considerable expertise in this area, worked on the case over a three-year period. The case required an intensive amount of work to prepare it for trial, to run the trial, and to make final legal submissions. The case involved significantly complex legal issues on the power of the court to make declarations which affected the government. In taking on this project, Eversheds Sutherland was mindful that it would only be worthwhile if the correct and relevant expertise were assigned to the case. The lawyers who worked on the case were hand-picked, based on both their experience and their passion for human rights. They were supported by a team of junior solicitors, trainees and legal secretaries. The firm adopted this staggered approach to ensure that

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Robbie Sinnott received the best and most appropriate legal advice at all times. Eversheds Sutherland succeeded in seeking a declaration that the State had a duty to put a mechanism in place to facilitate visually impaired persons to vote in secret. The court also found that the plaintiff, Robbie Sinnott, was entitled to a declaration that the minister had a duty to “outline publicly details of planned studies and regulations” which would provide for arrangements to allow a visually impaired person to vote without assistance. This principle heightens the obligations of public bodies to engage with interested members of the public and provide information to them. This is an important case in the evolution of

Irish public administrative law and provides clarity to public bodies on their obligations to enact regulations and to engage with interested members of the public. The judgement also establishes that there is an onus on public bodies to identify the rationale where a particular duty cannot be vindicated for economic or practical reasons. The aims of this project were decided in conjunction with Robbie Sinnott. The primary aim was to obtain declarations from the High Court regarding the right of the visually impaired to vote without assistance. The secondary aim was to raise awareness regarding the rights of the visually impaired. Eversheds Sutherland is very proud that both of these aims have been achieved.

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CSR PROFILE ESB GROUP

Masters

in CSR

Nominated in five categories at this year’s awards, ESB Group has established itself as a true champion of corporate social responsibility. Here we profile the company’s shortlisted projects.

In 2015, ESB announced plans to recruit 300 new apprentices over five years as part of a large scale recruitment and development programme

INVESTING IN APPRENTICES For generations, the ESB Networks Apprenticeship Programme has been a key part of the company’s philosophy and ethos. ESB has a long history of offering apprenticeships, resulting in qualifications mainly in electrical and mechanical trades. In 2015, the company announced plans to recruit 300 new

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apprentices over five years as part of a large scale recruitment and development programme. Since then, it has recruited 180 new apprentices and is currently recruiting for 2017. The investment in apprenticeships is critical to ensuring that ESB Networks has the requisite skills to maintain, develop and enhance its electricity

system and continue to connect its customers’ homes, businesses and communities. The programme presents an alternative path to further education and employment to those that, for a variety of reasons, opt not to go to university. ESB Network Technician apprentices complete 23 weeks of training during their four-year electrical

apprenticeship, in addition to 42 weeks in Solas and IT colleges and significant on-the-job training segments. As well as building competence, this helps to instil high safety and quality standards. At the end of the four years, participants are awarded a FETAC Level 6 qualification and a national certificate in the Trade of Electrician. They are also qualified to apply for roles as ESB Network Technicians. The ESB Networks Apprenticeship Programme is a highly effective means of developing the appropriate skills needed in a modern economy. ESB Networks is committed to investing in young people’s skills and knowledge in order to develop a brighter future for them and their communities. The programme will continue over the coming years, helping to drive progress and change. It will innovate and evolve each year in order to stay relevant and to put in place solutions today that will leave a positive legacy for generations to come. ESB Networks envisions the wider potential of the apprenticeship model as providing a way for Ireland to upskill its workforce and to optimise the potential of its talent pool. The model is aligned to the future skills needed | CSR AWARDS 2017

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CSR PROFILE ESB GROUP

in the labour market that will enhance the lives of ESB Networks’ customers, driving economic progress and bringing about a more sustainable future. ESB Network’s investment in apprenticeships is critical to ensuring the company has the expertise to maintain, develop and enhance its electricity system to meet the needs of modern Ireland. The apprenticeship programme has worked well for ESB Networks over the years, and it is committed to offering a rewarding and dynamic career path for exceptional people interested in addressing global energy challenges and shaping the future of Ireland’s energy system. “ESB Networks is delighted to be nominated in the Excellence in Supporting Youth Employment category,” says Michael Conry, Training & Development Manager at ESB Networks. “We strive to demonstrate the values of diversity and inclusion from all aspects of society as part our recruitment processes. The Apprenticeship Programme has provided a stream of talent which has added significant value for ESB Networks as a company, but also economic and social value for many cities, towns and villages across the country. This is something that ESB Networks takes great pride in.”

SHINING A LIGHT For the fifth year running, Electric Ireland has proudly supported

Participants of Electric Ireland Darkness into Light

Darkness into Light, the annual fundraising event run by Pieta House. Electric Ireland – which is a part of the ESB Group – is recognised today as the leading energy supplier in Ireland, which puts it in a pivotal position to support such a campaign for the charity. Darkness into Light started out as a small fundraising walk of around 400 people in the Phoenix Park in 2009. Since that time, it has grown into a global phenomenon, with approximately 150,000 people taking part in several locations all around the globe. The event has resonated with people from all walks of life in many different corners of the world, as it was created to raise funds and awareness for an issue that affects so many – suicide. Traditionally, suicide is a subject that society has found difficult to

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come to terms with. The stigma associated with depression and mental health issues in the past has been difficult to shake off, meaning that people have been less willing to discuss such topics openly, as they would any other illness. Yet in Ireland alone, ten people per week die by suicide, twice that of road deaths. This is clearly a serious societal problem, yet there is a reluctance to speak freely about it. Times, though, are changing. Events like Electric Ireland Darkness into Light are helping to raise awareness and change perceptions of suicide. It has become a more central part of public discourse over recent years, and the huge popularity of Darkness into Light shows that people do now want to talk about it. The idea behind Electric Ireland Darkness into Light itself is that at four

o’clock in the morning, participants undertake a 5km walk in one of the selected locations around the world, walking through the night into the morning – from darkness into light. The funds raised go towards the vital work of Pieta House, which has centres across the country and provides free counselling to anyone in suicidal crisis, anyone bereaved by suicide, and people who engage in self-harm. Over the past eleven years, Pieta House has provided face-to-face professional therapy to more than 28,000 people. This support is always given completely free of charge, which is why it relies so heavily on the help and donations of volunteers and supporters. Electric Ireland has been proud to support the work of Pieta House, and it recently negotiated a new two-year contract

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CSR PROFILE ESB GROUP

with the organisation which will see its sponsorship of Darkness into Light extended until 2019. “Electric Ireland Darkness Into Light is very much about hope and solidarity,” says Paul Stapleton, General Manager, Electric Ireland. “Pieta House wants to help people feel more hopeful about the future and continue to stand together to tackle the serious issue of suicide and self-harm in Ireland. It has a vision of a world where suicide, self-harm and stigma have been replaced by hope, self-care and acceptance.”

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SUCCEEDING TOGETHER ESB is committed to investing in individuals and creating a happy and supportive environment for its employees. CSR is at the heart of the company’s vision, which is why investing in its people is so important. ESB believes in people – it believes in teams supporting each other to do the best work they can in pursuit of common goals and values. For ESB to succeed and deliver on its strategy and priority to develop an engaged and agile organisation,

it needs its people to succeed together. Thus, the ESB Power Challenge event was created. The ESB Power Challenge is an annual event which is open to all the company’s staff. It is a team-based event which focuses on both physical and mental challenges, while harnessing the spirit of competition and teamwork. The event succeeds in incorporating effort, fitness, socialising, fundraising and healthy outdoor pursuits in a manner which does credit to all participants. The ESB Power Challenge event has been running since 1994 and most recently took place in Killarney National Park in September 2016. It appeals to staff of all levels and ability, with apprentices, undergraduates, graduates, longer-serving members of staff and even executive directors getting involved each year. It takes a team of staff to run the ESB Power Challenge, and its success is

dependent on the hundreds that embrace the event each year. Staff are involved at all stages – from rallying colleagues to form teams, to organising team training sessions, to duties such as stewarding, score keeping, and safety checks, bringing the total number of staff directly involved in the ESB Power Challenge to over 300 annually. Fundraising forms a key part of the event. Having listened to feedback from staff following previous years of the ESB Power Challenge, it became apparent that staff wanted to use their participation as an opportunity to support charities. Staff now choose which charities the ESB Power Challenge supports each year, and they are the driving force behind the fundraising that takes place over the weekend. Last year’s event raised 7,500 for the Donal Walsh LiveLife Foundation, Kerry Mountain Rescue and Rathmore Social Action Group. Establishing a culture focused on health, safety and wellbeing is a key element of the ESB Group’s wider CSR policy. By engaging with staff through the ESB Power Challenge event, it is creating the right conditions for all its employees to give their best each day – to contribute to ESB’s success with an enhanced sense of purpose. The ESB Power Challenge develops staff ’s core skills of performing under pressure, leadership, teamwork and communication. It fosters positive attitudes and | CSR AWARDS 2017

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CSR PROFILE ESB GROUP

Schoolchildren taking part in the ESB collaboration with Science Gallery Dublin’s workshop

behaviours amongst staff which leads to improved business outcomes. Staff ’s health and wellbeing is improved, and a greater sense of organisational culture and pride is created within the company. “The thing that really sets it apart is the comradery and fun, in what can only be described as very basic conditions,” says Sarah Claxton, ESB Employee Engagement Manager. “Everyone takes part as an equal. Our CEO participates as a marshal with no special treatment and it is great to see the fun and sport extend to the teams’ interactions with him.”

PICKING UP STEAM After joining forces in 2014, ESB and Science Gallery Dublin have developed

an integrated programme of activity which aims to build on their mutual values of community engagement, innovation and collaboration. At the core of this partnership is a joint outreach programme, which was developed to promote Science Technology Engineering Arts and Maths (STEAM), to create volunteering opportunities for ESB staff, and to extend the reach of Science Gallery’s MAKESHOP experience to a nationwide audience. MAKESHOP is a collaborative space in Dublin city centre which aims to get people exploring and experimenting with design, science, art and technology. It started off initially as a pop-up experiment in a city centre retail space, with

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the mission to get people making. Its reach has now extended beyond this space, and over the past three years, over 70 ESB staff have been trained to deliver MAKESHOP workshops in their own communities. The programme has grown organically, with staff taking ownership and leveraging it for other purposes – for example, combining workshops with safety talks. ESB has also integrated it into some of its other CSR activities, including the Time To Read and Skills At Work programmes. Based on these successes, Science Gallery Dublin has adopted the ESB model as its strategy for the further geographic expansion of MAKESHOP. In addition to the outreach programme, ESB

Group and Science Gallery Dublin constantly seek opportunities to partner on other activities. For example, for the past three years, Science Gallery Dublin has exhibited at the ESB Network’s stand at the National Ploughing Championships. Similarly, ESB staff have participated in various Science Gallery Dublin events, including the COOL JOBS events, which encourage second level students to consider careers in STEAM. Additionally, over 450 ESB staff have availed of complimentary corporate membership of Science Gallery Dublin. The partnership with Science Gallery Dublin is fully aligned with the education stream of ESB’s CSR agenda, which is focused on tackling

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CSR PROFILE ESB GROUP

educational disadvantage and promoting STEAM. By engaging children at an early age through MAKESHOP workshops, ESB is providing role models for children of low income homes, potentially sparking an interest in STEAM. The partnership has proven to be one of ESB’s most successful volunteering programmes, in terms of active participation and interest in getting involved. To date, ESB and Science Gallery Dublin have collaboratively taught over 1,600 children, with plans to bring MAKESHOP to another 800 this year. Over 70 staff have already been trained to deliver workshops and another 36 are on a waiting list. “ESB has always worked to create a brighter future for Ireland through ambitious and innovative projects that serve society,” says Bevin Cody, ESB Corporate Reputation Manager. “ESB and Science Gallery share a belief that by promoting science, technology, engineering, arts and maths, we can produce a flexible and creative workforce necessary for Ireland’s future social, cultural and economic success.”

STAYING SAFE Electricity is such a pivotal aspect to daily life that it can often be taken for granted. It is easy to forget that it can be an extremely dangerous force if not used properly, with potentially deadly effects. In 2015, ESB Networks undertook research to find out if its customers and the general

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As part of the Stay Safe Stay Clear programme, ESB Networks sponsors hi visibility vests for every child starting junior infants

public understood the dangers associated with electricity. The findings of the research suggested that many people were unaware of its potential hazards, particularly children. The company reasoned that it was vital that children should be educated on the dangers of electricity, noting that if they learned the lessons young, the lessons would likely stick with them for the rest of their lives. Thus, the Stay Safe Stay Clear with ESB Networks schools programme was launched. Stay Safe Stay Clear with ESB Networks is a fun, exciting and educational way for primary school pupils, from junior infants to sixth class, to discover the benefits of electricity, while also learning to be safe around it. It seeks to do this through lesson plans designed around existing curriculum strand units and learning objectives. Children are at an increased danger to the potential hazards of electricity due to their tendency to be outdoors and thus closer to the

electricity network, so it is vital that they are informed from an early age. As part of the programme, ESB Networks sponsors hi visibility vests for every child starting junior infants. To date, 700,000 children throughout the country have received one. ESB Networks staff visit schools in their local community to deliver the high visibility vests to children, along with a special Stay Safe Stay Clear presentation. As well as this, electricity lesson plans are designed to fit in with the primary school curriculum of SPHE and SESE and, in particular, the electricity strand in the science curriculum, making it a useful addition for school teachers. ESB Networks plans to extend the reach of the programme by engaging with more schools and staff and to continue to spread the safety message of the campaign. It is also exploring the possibility of extending the programme into secondary schools, which would ensure its overall aim of zero harm

stands a better chance of being reached. “The programme involved delivering lesson plans to all children in junior schools, engaging them in the safety messages through a colouring competition and reminding them of the safety messages through a calendar based on their winning artwork,” explains Aisling Walsh, Customer, Brand and Social Media Manager at ESB Networks. Safety is one of ESB Network’s core values, and the safety of the public in using its services is of huge importance. While ESB Networks is not responsible for public safety beyond the customer’s meter, it always takes the safety of the public, its customers, staff and contractors into consideration in everything it does. It sees itself as a full and active citizen in the communities it serves, and the Stay Safe Stay Clear with ESB Networks education programme enables it to address a crucial issue right across the country. | CSR AWARDS 2017

30/08/2017 11:28

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CSR PROFILE INTEL

Making

Things Possible Intel delivers some of the world’s most advanced technologies, but its focus lies beyond just the products it makes to include the things it can make possible.

orporate responsibility is at the heart of Intel Ireland, making up a huge part of its identity and the work the company undertakes. Corporate responsibility, for Intel Ireland, means respecting people and the world that surrounds the company. It means working together with stakeholders to deliver initiatives that enrichen communities, advance environmental sustainability and support educational transformation. Corporate responsibility has been an integral part of Intel’s story in Ireland since it first established operations in 1989. It has provided the company with the opportunity to make lasting relationships, and has ensured a substantial impact across a number of different areas. Over the past number of years, Intel has developed a comprehensive programme of offerings in Ireland, which has enriched the communities that surround the company by investing heavily in education and developing a comprehensive programme of communitybased initiatives. The company’s dedicated Intel Involved programme is a particular highlight of Intel’s corporate

responsibility work. The programme provides employees with the chance to give something back to the communities in which they live and work. It allows employees to 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 youth and senior citizen groups, and helping local charities. In 2016, Intel employees volunteered over 89,000 hours as part of this programme. Linked to this core programme of volunteering is Intel’s Matching Grant initiative, which encourages Intel employees to engage in outreach and volunteerism by supporting employees giving their time and talent to qualified non-profit organisations and schools. For each hour that an Intel employee volunteers at a school or qualified non-profit organisation, a grant of $10 is paid to the organisation by the Intel Foundation. In 2016 this initiative resulted in a payout of 502,378 for the recipient organisations. This is the ninth year that Intel has implemented the current

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Participating pupils in the Intel Mini Scientist competition

grant scheme, and in that time more than 3.65 million has been donated to charities, schools, sports clubs, social initiatives and community schemes across Ireland. The total number of hours volunteered by employees during this time is the equivalent of having 25 people working full-time in the community for the full nine years with which the initiative has been active. Intel Ireland has also invested more than 35m into the Irish education system over the past 27 years, providing initiatives that allow students to experience and explore project-based learning linked to science, technology, engineering and maths. The company continues to

engage with stakeholders across the education community and to provide local and national education initiatives that include programmes for primary and secondary school students, science exhibitions, postgraduate research projects and equipment donations to schools and universities. One of the signature education programmes is the Intel Mini Scientist, which is a competition for primary school students in which they develop sciencerelated projects which are then exhibited at fairs within their own schools at regional and at national level. In 2016 over 6,000 students from 15 different counties took part in the Mini Scientist competition.

29/08/2017 17:26

CSR PROFILE KBC

Bringing Bright

Ideas to Life Sustainability is at the heart of KBC Bank Ireland’s overall business strategy and has seen the company nominated for two awards at this year’s CSR Awards.

t KBC, sustainability is not part of a separate strategy, but is an integrated part of the overall business strategy. As the ‘Bank of You’, KBC aims to make a positive impact on the lives of employees, customers, communities and society at large. It recognises and respects the importance of its role in society, and through the sustainability programme shares a vision for better, brighter communities, supports innovation, and strives for long-term sustainable impact. The organisation has a dedicated sustainability team in place who, with the support of employees, bring sustainability programmes alive at a local level. KBC drives this vision through four diverse key areas: entrepreneurship, financial literacy, environmental responsibility, and health & wellbeing. KBC Bank Ireland’s dedication to sustainability has this year seen the company nominated for two awards at the CSR Awards, with each nominated initiative reflecting KBC’s overall CSR policy and the values

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it holds in relation to close engagement with its customers and the communities they live in. The bank’s Environmental Responsibility Programme has been recognised in the Excellence in Environment - Multinational Company category and its Bright Ideas programme has been recognised in the Community Programme, Multinational Company category. “We at KBC were thrilled to hear we had been nominated for two awards,” says Aidan Power, Director of Customer Brand and Marketing at KBC Bank Ireland. “We all

share a vision for better, brighter communities and employees across KBC support, get involved and drive our initiatives day in and day out, so it is great to have their dedication recognised and rewarded.”

GOING GREEN The Environmental Responsibility Programme was launched in 2016 in conjunction with other country entities in the KBC Group. Environmental Responsibility at KBC Bank Ireland focuses on improving the environment for communities and the workplace, creating a better place for customers and employees. The initiatives that make up the overall programme ensure the organisation embeds a long-term green strategy and that it acts in a

responsible way towards communities. The Environmental Responsibility Programme is primarily focused on ways in which KBC can reduce its carbon footprint and help to support communities in doing the same. In order to achieve this, the company installed a rainwater harvesting unit in the KBC head office on Sandwith Street, Dublin 2. The rainwater that comes in contact with the building is collected in a 110,000 litre tank and is directed through a UV filtration unit and pumped into the cold water storage tank for general use. Aramark also installed a heat pump which provides an alternative source of domestic hot water services, enabling the main gas fired boilers to be used

Moy Hill Growing Project from Lahinch, Co. Clare – KBC Bright Ideas 2016 Special Green Winner for the most innovative environmentally-friendly initiative

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CSR PROFILE KBC

seasonally rather than all year round. KBC Ireland also introduced a waste segregation process which allows it to reduce the waste it sends to the landfill. WEEE bins are available for staff to use, along with a glass recycling facility. Through using a cardboard bailer, KBC can compact all of its cardboard, reducing the amount of collections from its waste management company. The organisation encourages the use of confidential waste bins, and the paper from these bins is shredded on-site and sent for recycling. “Environmental responsibility is one of the key focus domains of our sustainability strategy,” says Power. “Our green initiatives ensure we are embedding a long-term green strategy at KBC and that we are acting in a responsible way towards our communities. This domain is constantly growing and evolving.”

BRIGHT IDEAS The flagship programme within KBC’s entrepreneurship domain is Bright Ideas. Bright Ideas is a unique community celebration platform which celebrates innovation and action at a local community level. It is a unique programme which allows people to have their say on how to improve their community. It directly empowers people to make a difference to what matters to them and their community. The Bright Ideas community fund was established in 2013 and has to date awarded 250,000

Michael Cullen, second from the left, with his Waterford Marine Search and Rescue Team, standing on the banks of the Suir river Waterford – KBC Ireland’s Bright Ideas winner 2016

in funding to over 120 innovative local projects across Ireland. In a few short years, Bright Ideas has quickly become a highlight for KBC Bank and its teams around the country. Not only does it get to see the projects and issues that matter most to its local communities, but more importantly KBC gets to help those projects get off the ground and thrive – especially smaller community projects that would not ordinarily qualify for sponsorship or funding. Bright Ideas is unique in that it allows communities to identify what matters most to them in supporting the local community. Communities from across Ireland apply for funding to support innovative projects they believe will improve the places where they live and work. The need is identified by the community group or individual and a funding application through www.kbcbrightideas.com.

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A local judging panel then reviews the applications to ascertain the projects that are innovative and can make an impact within 12 months. An example of one such project being supported by Bright Ideas is the Growing Project from the Moy Hill Community Garden in Lahinch, Co. Clare, which received 3,000 in funding. The Growing Project is an initiative to bring all generations of a community together in a healthy, environmentally sustainable space. The Growing Project intends to set up a common supported agriculture farm, a locally based economic model of agriculture and food distribution, to provide locals with sustainably grown produce, a project which members of the community have already pledged to support. The Growing Project also has plans to run workshops on growing organically, cooking seasonally, and sustainable land practices. Another example refers to 2014 winners of the

programme, the Forget Me Nots choir group, as Aidan Power explains. “Their bright idea was to fund an inclusive choir in Dublin north-east for older people, family, friends and neighbours – especially those affected by dementia and memory loss,” he says. “Not only was everyone so welcoming and inclusive, it was genuinely amazing to spend time with people who were volunteering their time to help others.” KBC’s sustainability programme is a key driver to everything the company does. KBC Group is passionate about sustainability and believes it should be integrated into its overall corporate strategy and embedded within its day-to-day business activities. As Power puts it: “We place our clients at the centre of everything we do and we take our responsibility towards society and local economies very seriously. This doesn’t just happen in Ireland but in all countries where KBC operates.”

29/08/2017 17:29

CSR PROFILE BORD GÁIS ENERGY

Focus

Your Energy Bord Gáis Energy’s partnership with Focus Ireland has raised vital funds and awareness of the homeless crisis in Ireland, and has been nominated for three awards at this year’s CSR Awards.

n October 2015, Bord Gáis Energy launched a three-year partnership with Focus Ireland called Focus Your Energy, committing 1.2 million over three years to aid the charity in its effort to end homelessness in Ireland. As well as this, Bord Gáis Energy supports the charity by volunteering at its events and by hosting its own company events and fundraisers. Latest national figures show that 5,046 adults and 2,895 children are homeless in Ireland today. Preventing families entering homelessness is the most effective way to tackle this crisis, and though this has been the main focus of the partnership, Bord Gáis Energy and Focus Ireland have also recognised the need to support families in emergency accommodation. Bord Gáis Energy, through staff volunteering, is giving families the opportunity to go on family day trips and Christmas parties, and giving the children the chance to have fun, distracting them from the day-to-day distress their families experience. As well as this, it supports

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Focus Ireland to trial new and innovative responses to the deepening crisis. The partnership allows for research-based and innovative projects that might otherwise struggle to get off the ground. Despite still being in its infancy, the first year of the partnership has had a big impact – providing vital support to 2,283 parents and children in emergency accommodation, delivering specialist advice and support to 339 families on the brink of immediate homelessness to keep them in their homes, and reaching out to 2,500 families moving towards homelessness to provide preventative assistance. These efforts have been recognised with three nominations at this year’s CSR Awards. The partnership as a whole has been nominated in the community – partnership with a charity category, with its Give a Helping Hand to Prevent Family Homelessness #AHelpingHand campaign being nominated in the communication category, and the Focus Our Energy Christmas FM Project being nominated in

the volunteering, large indigenous company category.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE There are three key areas by which the partnership aims to make an impact on homelessness in Ireland. The first refers to employee fundraising and volunteering, and sees a company policy which allows all Bord Gáis Energy staff members to take two days per year to volunteer at Bord Gáis Energy and Focus Ireland events. The second key area is in relation to Bord Gáis Energy’s annual corporate donation to Focus Ireland, which so far has funded the employment of three early intervention officers, based in Waterford, Cork and Dublin. In the first year of the partnership, these teams have delivered specialist advice to 339 families at risk of homelessness. The third key area refers to raising awareness around the issue of homelessness in Ireland. The partnership was launched with a photocall and interview in The Sunday Independent with Bord Gáis Energy’s Managing Director, Dave Kirwin, and was followed up with a full feature on Focus Ireland in Bord Gáis Energy’s own magazine, which goes out to its 600,000 plus customers. Since then, Focus Ireland

has been regularly featured in this publication. In 2016, Bord Gáis Energy funded an awareness campaign in Dublin 15, which has a large volume of vulnerable families. This included outdoor advertising and a mailout to 2,500 households.

A HELPING HAND In order to capably run such a partnership, effective lines of communication were required. Planning for a communication strategy started in December 2016, and on February 9th 2017, Bord Gáis Energy and Focus Ireland launched the #AHelpingHand campaign. The campaign involved staff, customers and the general public being asked to pledge their support by giving a helping hand to prevent family homelessness. It was phased out over a three-week period to create maximum reach and impact. It incorporated traditional and social media, including video content, onstreet activation, a pop-up living room with a ‘helping hand’ sofa in the shape of two hands joined together, and PR and internal communication channels. The living room popped up this year at a primary school in Donaghmede on February 2nd, in the Bord Gáis Energy Dublin office on February 8th and at Dundrum Town Centre on February 9th, | CSR AWARDS 2017

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CSR PROFILE BORD GÁIS ENERGY

Participants of Bord Gáis Energy’s office to office cycle from Cork to Dublin

where staff, pupils and the public where invited to sit on the sofa and talk about what home means to them. The activation at Dundrum and the Dublin office incorporated branded props, instant photos to share on social media, and an opportunity to participate in the #AHelpingHand video. People interacting with the activation were invited to give a helping hand by signing up to Focus Ireland’s mailing list. #AHelpingHand was a creative and engaging communications campaign that was in line with Bord Gáis Energy’s helpful brand positioning, and it achieved excellent results.

RAISING AWARENESS ON RADIO Christmas FM is Ireland’s only temporary licensed radio station dedicated to broadcasting Christmasthemed music annually from the end of November

to the end of December. One of the station’s objectives is to raise awareness and funds for a selected charity each year. Focus Ireland was the chosen charity in 2016 and fundraising was achieved over the monthly broadcast by a dedicated text line, online pledges and in branch donations from listeners. A 12-hour radiothon day scheduled for December 12th was the focal point for fundraising. With 100 per cent of listener donations going directly to Focus Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy volunteered its experience, skills and resources to create an in-house call centre to facilitate the radiothon fundraising day. The target set was 100,000, which was deemed ambitious, considering previous radiothons had struggled with calls dropping throughout the day, causing losses in donations. Bord Gáis Energy aimed to

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The 310km cycle aims to give a helping hand to end family homelessness

provide a sufficient number of telephone lines and volunteers to man these to ensure donations flowed and kept at a maximum without calls dropping. The radiothon went on to beat its 100,000 target by raising 180,000 for Focus Ireland – the highest ever donation day achieved via Christmas FM. The partnership as a whole has raised critical funds and awareness of homelessness, and it will continue to do so into the future.

The partnership underlines the activities of Bord Gáis Energy, and it impacts positively upon the workplace, as well as the charity it supports. In the words of Bord Gáis Energy’s Managing Director Dave Kirwan: “We place great emphasis on promoting a positive working culture in Bord Gáis Energy and this partnership has become part of our efforts, and it certainly has given us another reason to celebrate working together.”

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CSR PROFILE ALDI

Combating

Food Waste Food wastage is a serious global problem that needs to be addressed at a local level. Aldi’s partnership with FoodCloud is leading the way in combating the problem in Ireland.

lobally, almost 50 per cent of food produced is never eaten, while almost one billion people suffer from food poverty. In Ireland, we generate over one million tonnes of food waste annually, while one in eight people are experiencing food poverty. Aldi understands the responsibility that comes with the wide reach it has in the communities around Ireland, and it is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and having a positive impact on the communities in which it operates. In November 2014, Aldi launched a national partnership with FoodCloud, a not-forprofit social enterprise which aims to address the problem of food waste and food poverty. As part of the partnership, Aldi stores around Ireland donate surplus food to charities and community organisations, providing food for those in need and reducing its own environmental footprint. The Aldi and FoodCloud pilot project initially began in three stores, but was soon expanded to a further 79 stores and is soon to be rolled out in all Aldi stores.

All Aldi store staff are trained in this initiative, dealing with around 230 charities on a weekly basis. The success of the programme is largely dependent on the good relationship established between the store staff and the volunteers and staff from the charities. The store staff are the point of contact when charities come to the stores and organise the collection of the food donations. Aldi provides store staff with training and information on the donation policies and processes, including measuring and recording wastage figures and donation items to enable accurate reporting in relation to the donations. Using the information from the weekly donation reports the company receives from FoodCloud, the CR Department issues regular updates via memorandums and newsletters, outlining its partnership with FoodCloud and the impacts of the programme. In terms of engaging with charity partners, FoodCloud identifies charities local to Aldi stores that can benefit from receiving food donations. A weekly collection schedule, in collaboration

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FoodCloud CEO’s Iseult Ward and Aoibheann O’Brien with Ciara Hosford, Aldi Ballincollig Main Street Store Charity Champion, celebrating the first Aldi store to donate 25,000 meals to charity through FoodCloud

with the network of charities, coordinates the food donations from the participating Aldi stores. The charities collect the donation of fresh surplus food products from their local store to bring back to their charities and prepare meals to be served to those in need within the local community. Charity Champions were introduced in all stores in 2016. The role of the Charity Champion is important to the successful rollout of Aldi’s work with FoodCloud. Charity Champions share information with colleagues about how the programme works so all staff clearly

understand their role in the programme and its impact. “This partnership would not be possible without the dedication of our store staff and our store Charity Champions who organise and record the surplus food donations daily,” commented Finbar McCarthy, Aldi Ireland’s Group Buying Director. “This is something they wanted to be part of and it has been embraced throughout Aldi. The feedback from staff has been fantastic, with all involved making the extra effort to ensure our products go to charities and those less fortunate in our society.”

29/08/2017 16:47

CSR PROFILE DHL EXPRESS IRELAND

Living

Responsibility DHL Express Ireland recognises that a business’s contribution to society is a pivotal aspect of its responsibilities, something evident in the company’s CSR strategy.

n modern business it is increasingly important to customers, potential employees and possible investors that a company is considerate of its contribution to and impact upon society. Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL) is cognisant of this and as such has worked to ensure that its business objectives and sustainability goals are directly related to one another. ‘Living Responsibility’, DPDHL’s corporate responsibility strategy, is the avenue through which this is achieved. DPDHL’s mission as a global mail and logistics company already contains a strong social component – to connect people and to make their lives easier with the help of the company’s services.

DPDHL’s corporate responsibility strategy is an integral part of DHL’s group-wide ‘Strategy 2020: Focus. Connect. Grow’. ‘Living Responsibility’ is built on three focus areas: Responsible Business Practice (RBP), corporate citizenship and shared value. RBP is about operating the business in a responsible manner, in terms of complying with national and international laws, standards and norms. DPDHL’s work in the area of corporate citizenship is about creating value for both society and the company by applying its strengths and core competencies for the good of the global community. Shared value ensures that DPDHL is contributing to the sustainability of the environment and setting business targets to encourage

DHL employees complete the 4 Peaks Challenge in aid of Pieta House

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climate protection. On a global level, there are endless ways that DPDHL is working to achieve the above goals, categorised by Go Green, Go Teach and Go Help activities. DPDHL’s ambitious vision is to reduce logistic related emissions to zero by 2050. In addition to this, the latest Go Green initiative aims to plant a million trees each year. This goal enables DPDHL and its employees to do something practical to help the environment. In terms of Go Help, DPDHL has a Disaster Response Team that works in conjunction with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs if a natural disaster strikes. The DPDHL team can be mobilised and ready to provide assistance within 72 hours. It is evident that DPDHL’s CSR approach goes beyond simply donating funds to charity – it wants its employees to use their strengths and talents to benefit others. Global Volunteer Day is another group initiative that encourages employees to give up their time and to volunteer for a worthy

cause – particularly between September and October, but never forgetting that every day has the potential to be a global volunteer day! This initiative has grown year-on-year and in 2016 approximately 106,000 employees worldwide contributed 365,000 hours of their time to Go Green, Go Teach or Go Help volunteering projects.

DEMONSTRATING VIABILITY At a local level, DHL Express Ireland follows the global CSR principles, but also chooses to nominate an Irish charity to partner with for a period of two years. The charity is chosen by an employee vote, and over the two years the chosen charity benefits from all fundraising activities, as well as the company’s logistical expertise. In April this year, DHL Express Ireland announced its partnership with Pieta House. Pieta House provides a free, therapeutic approach to people who are in suicidal distress and those who engage in self-harm. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Pieta House and we are extremely honoured to have been chosen by the staff of DHL,” said Brian McEvoy of Pieta House. “DHL are a world | CSR AWARDS 2017

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CSR PROFILE DHL EXPRESS IRELAND

Brian McEvoy of Pieta House and Rebecca Gilligan of DHL announce their new charity partnership

renowned company, known for excellence in their field of expertise and we at Pieta House strive for excellence every day in providing the care and compassion needed by some of our most vulnerable citizens.” McEvoy continued: “Pieta House’s hope is that this partnership is beneficial to every member of DHL. By the time this partnership comes to an end, hopefully we can look back and say that we achieved great things together. Pieta House has helped over 30,000 people since it first opened in 2006. We could not do this without the support of communities all over Ireland or without the support of organisations like DHL. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to the coming years, working

together to deliver the Pieta House vision: a world where suicide, self-harm and stigma have been replaced by hope, self-care and acceptance.” DHL Express Ireland Managing Director Bernard McCarthy reiterated these sentiments, commenting: “In just a short period of time, our employees have really connected with Pieta House – almost everyone knows a family affected by suicide so we’ve really bought into the great work that they do”. DHL Express Ireland employees have already done an incredible amount to support Pieta House since the launch of the partnership in April. Employees from across the country along with their families and friends joined the thousands of participants in the

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Darkness into Light event that was held in locations throughout Ireland. DHL Express Ireland was represented by employees participating in the Phoenix Park, Malahide, Skerries and Cork, to name but a few. Each year, DHL Express Ireland aims to complete one significant challenge in the name of fundraising for the chosen charity. Previous events include participation in the Race Around Ireland, a nonstop 2,150km race around the country, and the DHL Plane Pull, which saw teams from DHL and the DAA compete to pull the DHL plane over a defined distance the quickest. This year, over the August bank holiday weekend, some very brave employees, including Managing Director Bernard McCarthy, faced

the 4 Peaks Challenge. This saw employees climb the highest peak in each of the four provinces of Ireland in only three (hectic) days. All funds raised go directly to Pieta House. “The 4 Peaks Challenge was just one of a number of fundraising activities that have taken place and whilst it was tough and the body ached afterwards, knowing that we were raising funds for such a great cause helped keep us all going,” said McCarthy. The commitment and determination shown by DHL employees in all of its Living Responsibility activities is commendable and as a business it is essential to recognise that Corporate Social Responsibility has become a standard business practice and one which DHL has embraced at both a local and global level.

30/08/2017 10:01

CSR PROFILE VMWARE INTERNATIONAL

Giving Back to

the Community VMware International encourages the idea that everyone is a citizen philanthropist, each with the ability to bring about change for the better.

ogether, VMware International is a force for good that propels a collective impact in the global community. Combining employees’ time, talent and resources, VMware creates networks of giving, knowing that individual actions matter and that big things have small beginnings. VMware is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, which helps its customers accelerate their digital transformation and inspires and offers its employees the opportunity to give back. Employees have the potential to serve, learn and inspire through the VMware Foundation. The VMware Foundation’s mission is to provide a platform to amplify the contributions of

VMware volunteers pictured with Age Action Ireland

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VMware employees to their causes of choice and energise the citizen philanthropist in everyone. Ninety per cent of its employees globally agree that VMware provides meaningful opportunities to give back. Each VMware employee receives 40 service learning hours per year as part of the VMware Foundation. Employees use these hours in a variety of ways in order to have a net positive impact in the world. This attitude and manner of thinking has seen VMware nominated for two awards at this year’s CSR Awards. The first nomination is within the Excellence in Community – Volunteering category for VMware Foundation’s VMware Cork Giving Network initiative. As part of this initiative,

VMware partners with many groups, charities and non-profits, including IWish, Marymount Hospice, St Vincent de Paul, Cork Penny Dinners, Scoil Mhuire National School, Terence McSwiney, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Ballincollig Tidy Towns, Scoil Mhuire Ballincollig, Fota Wildlife Park, Brighter Communities Worldwide, Cork Simon Community and Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig. The second nomination is in the Excellence in Community category and is for VMware’s partnership with the charity Age Action and its ‘Getting Started’ programme. VMware has built up a solid partnership over the past number of years, teaching computer and technical skills to participants, ensuring everyone has

the opportunity to learn something new. The company’s CSR activities also allow it to further develop relationships with the charities and groups it works with. Some of these charities have been visiting the VMware campus for years, including Age Action and CoderDojo. The people who benefit from these charities have the chance to learn, have fun and make friends in a familiar environment over the weeks that each programme runs. The local community is very important to VMware staff in Cork. Getting out into the community and helping in many different ways benefits the work-life balance of those involved, and contributes towards the happiness of employees and the local community. Many employees do this as part of team-building activities, something that is encouraged to drive team morale and spirit. “We are very proud to be part of a company that offers us all the opportunity to give back to our local community,” says John Dolan, Vice President, Worldwide Technical Support, VMware. “The VMware Foundation exists to amplify our people’s personal passions for the causes closest to their hearts and gives our employees the opportunity to play a valuable role in our local community.” | CSR AWARDS 2017

30/08/2017 08:57

CSR PROFILE BOOTS

Partners

Against Cancer Boots and the Irish Cancer Society are working together toward a shared vision that every person in Ireland affected by cancer will have access to the best possible services and support available.

ince 2012, Boots Ireland has partnered with the Irish Cancer Society to support people in Ireland living with cancer. The partnership aims to increase awareness and promote prevention through the Boots Cancer Information Pharmacist role, which provides information and support services to those affected by cancer in the community. It is Boots Ireland’s vision for its stores to become community-based destinations in the fight against cancer. Boots Ireland raises vital funds for the Irish Cancer Society’s Night Nursing service. This service provides dignity and comfort to cancer patients through free

end-of-life care in their own homes, nationwide. It receives no state funding, meaning it relies entirely on fundraising efforts. It is the only service of its kind in the country. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Ireland. Current statistics suggest that by 2020 one in two people will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. However, 40 per cent of all cancers are preventable, according to the Irish Cancer Society. It is essential therefore that people are aware of the condition. Boots Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society are well placed to promote heath awareness and access to information on cancer. The partnership has become a cornerstone

of Boots Ireland’s CSR programme, with four key areas – fundraising, volunteering, raising awareness of cancer, and helping in early detection – acting as a main focus. The choice of partner in the Irish Cancer Society was based on Boots’ values combined with its shared synergies to make a real difference to the lives of people affected by cancer. Boots works closely with the Irish Cancer Society corporate partnerships manager, and meets regularly with the fundraising, night nursing and services teams. The partnership, which initially began with a focus on fundraising, has evolved over time, with Boots introducing the role of the Boots Irish Cancer Society Information Pharmacist in 2015. The Pharmacist is accessible to patients, families and carers who are able to call into a Boots store to speak in private

The Boots team has raised over 1 million for the Irish Cancer Society Night Nursing Service

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about a range of issues relating to cancer. This role complements the existing role of the Boots Cancer Beauty Advisor in helping people to both feel better and look better. Engagement of all Boots personnel is pivotal to the success of the partnership. This begins with the appointment of a CSR Champion in every store. The Champion then leads that store team, alongside the store manager, to deliver fundraising events and activities throughout the year. The CSR Champions attend an annual CSR strategy day where they review the past year and work to shape the CSR strategy, with members of the Irish Cancer Society team also present on the day. A learning module on cancer, which is available to all colleagues, helping to increase their own knowledge, has had a high completion rate. As of the end of December 2016, Boots Ireland exceeded its goal of raising 1,000,000 in fundraising in the 4.5 years of partnership, helping to provide 2,850 nights of nursing care. However, more can always be done – therefore the partnership continues to review and refresh its activities ensuring all involved remain committed in the fight against cancer.

30/08/2017 11:31

Home is the place where memories are made. There are 5,000 people homeless in Ireland. One in seven people accessing homeless services is a child. By remembering Focus Ireland in your Will, you can provide more people with a place to call home, a place to create their own happy memories. We understand that when making your Will, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to care for those closest to you first, but once you have, any contribution to Focus Ireland can make such a big difference. Please contact Pauline Costello in Focus Ireland, in complete confidence, on 01 881 5900. Thank you.

1850 204 205 www.focusireland.ie

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CSR PROFILE HEINEKEN IRELAND

Brewing a

Better World Nominated in the Environment category at the CSR Awards, HEINEKEN Ireland’s Brewing a Better World programme seeks to help the company achieve its ambitious 2020 sustainability commitments.

ustainability is at the heart of HEINEKEN Ireland’s identity, deriving from one of the company’s core values, which it terms ‘respect for people and planet’. This is a strategic and business imperative for HEINEKEN Ireland. The company is very proud of its 161-year legacy in Ireland and it plans to continue growing sustainably in order to be around for a further 161 years. Brewing a Better World, launched in 2010, is HEINEKEN Ireland’s longterm approach for creating shared, sustainable value for its business and stakeholders. The programme is a comprehensive and integrated sustainability strategy which focuses on six key areas where the company believes it can make the biggest difference. These six areas can be defined as protecting water resources, reducing CO2 emissions, sustainable sourcing, advocating responsible consumption, promoting health and safety, and growing with communities. These key focus areas were decided upon through a series of expert meetings that brought stakeholders together, including NGOs such as Greenpeace and Amnesty

International, scientists, industry and governments, along with the company’s own specialists, to share insights on sustainability performance, thinking and future plans. Based on global commitments, HEINEKEN Ireland determined its specific local commitments and the strategy and action plans to achieve them. The company’s efforts have been recognised within the Environment category for multinational companies at this year’s CSR Awards. Sandy Boundy, Communications & CSR Manager at HEINEKEN Ireland, says the company is delighted with the nomination, and that it would not have been possible without wide employee engagement. “Achieving our ambitious Brewing a Better World commitments is a team effort,” she says. “While we have a dedicated, crossfunctional Brewing a Better World team, all of our employees are involved in some way with delivering the programme. Therefore this nomination is great recognition of all of their hard work and commitment.” The engagement of HEINEKEN Ireland’s employees is essential to the Brewing a Better World initiative and can

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have a positive real-world impact. Boundy describes a new HEINEKEN Ireland community initiative that aims to bring communities together to create urban growing spaces that have a positive social, environmental and economic impact, entitled Growing with Our Communities. The initiative is brought to fruition in collaboration with Grow it Yourself (GIY), a not-forprofit social enterprise dedicated to supporting people to grow some of their own food at home, school, work or in the community. “This initiative, which is all about collaboration and to see what could be achieved in a relatively

short space of time when business, community and local government came together, was very impressive,” says Boundy. “We were overwhelmed and humbled by the feedback and appreciation we received from the local community groups we worked with.” The ambition for sustainability is never complete. HEINEKEN Ireland strives to improve year after year to this end. Since 2010, it has been on a journey towards reaching its 2020 sustainability commitments and already the company is looking at its 2030 targets with its global colleagues, deciding upon ways with which it can make a meaningful and sustainable impact.

Sandy Boundy, Communications and CSR manager, Maggie Timoney, Managing Director, and PJ Tierney, Brewery Operations Manager, launching HEINEKEN Ireland’s 2016 Sustainability Report

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CSR PROFILE FRIENDS FIRST

Why CSR

Works

Brian O’Neill, Strategic Marketing Director, Friends First, outlines the benefits and impact of an effective corporate social responsibility plan and process.

well executed corporate social responsibility strategy benefits both the communities it supports and the business that implements it. Potential benefits to businesses include brand awareness, reputation, staff engagement, staff retention and commercial benefits. A good CSR strategy is built on a company’s culture and is embedded into the organisation. At Friends First, we incorporate CSR in every aspect of our business, from our actions as an employer to how we engage with our customers, financial brokers and the wider community. At Friends First, we want to positively engage with charities that clearly align with our business goals and whom our staff have helped select and can share their skills with. We place particular importance on supporting causes, clubs and activities introduced by our employees. In cases where an employee is requesting support, special consideration will be given where the employee is actively involved and engaged with the cause. Our charity programme

supports our partnership charities through a high level of engagement and commitment from our staff. In 2016, our charity programme raised over 110,000 for our three partner charities, with over 1,500 hours volunteered on charity-related activities. Two projects in particular stand out based on their positive impact on our company. The first is ‘Friends First Lessons for Life Support Programme to Uganda’. Friends First has been assisting Lessons for Life in Uganda since 2014, sending over staff volunteers. In 2016, we made full use of our in-house competencies with the construction and fitting out of a new computer learning centre, and in evaluating all the equipment requirements. Over 40,000 was raised at this time and all donations received were matched by Friends First. Prior to their arrival, the volunteers from Friends First attended classes to create comprehensive teaching manuals and lesson plans. Upon arrival in Uganda, IT lessons were given to students and teachers, who have continued to teach the classes when the volunteer

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Brian O’Neill, Strategic Marketing Director, Friends First

group returned to Ireland. The second project, the Paul Kinsella Memorial Skydive, saw 34 brave men and women completing a group skydive in 2016 in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. Over 50,000 was raised for cancer in our colleague’s honour. The tandem skydive saw participants jump from an aircraft at 10,000ft and involved a 35-second freefall at 200 km/h. This was a companywide initiative attended by staff and financial brokers. CSR is something all companies, big and small, should participate in. Our CSR activities have attracted a material level of media and financial broker interest, which has had a positive impact on our brand. Customers are more focused than ever on the social activities of corporates and whether

they are positive and sustainable. Millennial staff want to work for companies with a social conscience who operate responsibly. Landlords and planners demand that companies be environmentally friendly and sustainable. Even regulators are increasingly focused on sustainability. Our charitable and community activity is core to the Friends First CSR programme, but it is only part of it. Friends First is continuously looking for ways to improve business practices and deliver longterm value to all of our stakeholders. It is widely accepted that investing in CSR makes good business sense. However, it is the alignment of the strategy and the buy-in of staff to its implementation that will dictate success or failure.

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Sustainable

Development BAM Ireland has responded to client demands and become an internationally recognised leader in sustainable project delivery.

perating successfully for 60 years, the bedrock of BAM’s success has always been our understanding of our customer’s needs and a willingness to deliver innovative sustainable solutions. In recent years we have found that clients rightly, are increasingly demanding with regards to their quality, health and safety and environmental requirements. We have responded to this by becoming an internationally recognised leader in sustainable project delivery. Last year we completed one of Ireland’s flagship office developments at One Albert Quay, which was awarded Commercial Project of the Year at the 2016 Irish Construction Awards. Designed to Gold LEED standard, this has been dubbed “Ireland’s smartest building”. At the 2016 Green Awards, BAM won in the Green Construction category, and internationally we have been recognised as a global leader in combating climate change. This year, Royal BAM Group was again named on the Climate A List by CDP, the international not-for-profit organisation that drives sustainable economies. This places us in the top 9 per cent of companies globally in the fight against climate change. In June, BAM was awarded the Energy Globe Award for Ireland for its collaborative research with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). A construction-phase resource efficiency toolkit was developed through the benchmarking, development, implementation and

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testing of waste, water, carbon and energy reduction plans on selected construction projects. With more than 178 participating countries and over 2,000 project submissions annually, the Energy Globe Award is seen as the most prestigious environmental prize in the world today. Construction will commence shortly on the long awaited National Children’s Hospital on the St James’s Hospital campus, which will be the largest public infrastructure project ever awarded in the history of the State. The new hospital will include over 6,150 rooms, four acres of outdoor gardens and external space and 380 individual inpatient rooms. This follows on from our recently completed 15,000 square metre Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing, which has won the best Health Building Category at the 2017 RIAI Architectural Awards. We are currently progressing the separate contract for the enabling works for the new Children’s Hospital. The 36,900 square metre Boland’s Quay Development in Dublin’s South docklands is making headway. Due for completion in Q4 2018 it will provide three new landmark buildings comprising office, residential, retail and cultural space. Also in the capital

we are working for international giant Global Student Accommodation on a 400-bed student accommodation project, the second project for this client. Additionally, works are progressing well on One Molesworth Street, Dublin for Green REIT and we are in the final stages of a HQ building for an international client at Sandyford. Works on the €70 million Schools Bundle 4 PPP contract for the design, build, finance and maintenance of four schools commenced in 2015 and comprises four new post-primary schools in counties Tipperary, Cork, Clare and Louth. This followed on from BAM’s successful completion of Schools Bundle 3 PPP, which was awarded silver in the Best Completed Project category at the international 2016 Partnership Awards—the most prestigious event in the global PPP calendar. We are also in the final construction stage of the Courts Bundle PPP comprising a combination of new build/refurbishment/extensions of seven court buildings around Ireland. The state-of-the-art 1,354 square metre Drogheda Courthouse hosted its first sitting on July 7th. In respect of our civils projects, both the M11 Gorey Enniscorthy PPP and the N25 New Ross Bypass projects are progressing well. | CSR AWARDS 2017

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WATERFORD CRYSTAL

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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.

ince the relocation 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 melt two tonnes of crystal per day and give visitors an opportunity to experience the factory and see how we make our beautiful products. A lot of work goes into producing a one-off piece including

Waterford Crystal retail store

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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

A lot of work goes into producing a one-off 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.”

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. The corporate and gift awards programme can cater for rewarding your employees or clients. Waterford Crystal can customise a piece from its 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, it can be included as part of your order. The worldwide shipping service allows you the flexibility to deliver 24/48 hours to Ireland, UK or USA. Dedicated sales manager Tom Walsh can be contacted at tom.walsh@fiskars.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 skilled master blowers to handshape 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.

29/08/2017 17:05

ALDI STORES IRELAND LIMITED

A well executed corporate social responsibility strategy benefits both the communities it supports and the business that implements it.”

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Aldi and FoodCloud Partnership Aldi Ireland is committed to playing an active role in the communities in which it operates. Aldi Ireland launched a nationwide partnership with FoodCloud to donate surplus food to charities. As Aldi Ireland operates in every county, partnering with FoodCloud helps Aldi reduce its environmental footprint in terms of waste reduction whilst making practical and meaningful contributions to communities served by its stores throughout Ireland. The promotion of Aldi’s work with FoodCloud has created awareness of the issues of food waste and food poverty amongst customers and employees, demonstrating that Aldi Ireland is proactively addressing these issues. By working with FoodCloud, Aldi is engaging customers and employees in tackling food waste and food poverty.

ARTHUR COX ‘Who Wants to be a Volunteer?’ Arthur Cox has always had a very strong volunteering tradition. In recent years, when faced with an increased number of volunteering opportunities and increasing staff numbers, the firm devised a communications programme to address the communication challenge it faced. The programme was called the Arthur Cox Volunteer Champion (ACVC) programme. The result has seen a significant increase in volunteer activity within the firm as well as a much greater impact with the charities that the firm partners with on volunteering opportunities.

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BORD GÁIS ENERGY #AHelpingHand In October 2015, Bord Gáis Energy launched a threeyear partnership with Focus Ireland committing 1.2 million. Having successfully raised awareness internally, the company now needed to communicate the partnership to the public, raise awareness of family homelessness in Ireland and ultimately increase advocacy. In February 2017, Bord Gáis Energy and Focus Ireland launched the #AHelpingHand campaign. Staff, customers and the general public were asked to pledge their support by giving a helping hand to prevent family homelessness. The campaign included a powerful video viewed over 140,000 times, on-street activation (a pop-up living room with a ‘helping hand’ sofa in the shape of two hands joined together), PR and internal communication channels. It was a creative and engaging communications campaign that delivered excellent results.

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Through its Hour of Code campaign Microsoft was able to make coding more accessible to thousands of students and, responding to a need identified in the company’s research, to help more young girls to nurture their interest in technology. By enabling students to give coding a try for the first time, greater awareness is given to creative thinking and problem-solving skills – skills required in today’s tech-fuelled world by people of all ages. Microsoft partnered with Code.org and CoderDojo on the initiative.

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We are in the midst of a homeless crisis in Ireland. In 2016, 6,611 people had nowhere to call home in Ireland, and this figure rises weekly. Even more shockingly, one in three people seeking homelessness assistance is a child. Core Media’s response to this problem, in cooperation with its client partners Focus Ireland, was to completely reinvent the on-street charity donation mechanic. The resulting campaign not only raised public awareness of the worsening family homelessness crisis, it reshaped how all charities can raise money in the future.

Hour of Code Campaign

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MICROSOFT IRELAND

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CORE MEDIA

Excellence in CSR COMMUNICATION ULSTER BANK Ulster Bank and Young Social Innovators Partnership Ulster Bank’s partnership with Young Social Innovators creates rich opportunities to engage stakeholders and colleagues, communicating the relevance of innovation in all its forms for business and civil society. These communications mirror and reinforce Ulster Bank’s own focus on innovation as it transforms its business for the new era of digital banking.

With such a high standard of applicants it is a great achievement in itself to be shortlisted and we wish the best of luck to all in this year’s awards.”

30/08/2017 09:10

APPLEGREEN

The CSR Awards are an important annual recognition of the best practice Corporate Social Responsibility work taking place across Ireland.”

The Applegreen Charitable Fund Programme Since 2009, Applegreen’s desire to give back to local communities has become an inherent part of the company’s culture. The level of commitment to its chosen cause and the access of engagement from staff and customers has produced very effective and ultimately successful partnerships over the years. To date the fund has raised a total of 1,700,000. This ‘giving’ attitude makes the Applegreen Charitable Fund one of the best philanthropists in the corporate sector. With Applegreen knowing the importance of and growing its CSR presence, it aims to develop long-term value for all its stakeholders; customers, employees, and the community.

ARTHUR COX The Arthur Cox Zambia Project Now in its tenth year, the Arthur Cox Zambia Project was inspired by the firm’s founder, Arthur Cox, who travelled to Zambia over 50 years ago. The project partnered with Suas into 2016 to pilot the use of the iSchool teaching software, delivering classes through durable teacher tablets and projectors. Following the successful pilot implementation of the iSchool initiative, a proposal has been made to roll out the iSchool tablet to each school constructed by the project. Suas volunteers and Arthur Cox volunteers travelled to Chikuni together in July 2017 with the aim of bringing both technology and skills to the radio schools in the area.

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DALATA HOTEL GROUP PLC Dalata Digs Deep Dalata Hotel Group launched its charity partnership with CMRF Crumlin, the fundraising body for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin and the National Children’s Research Centre, and has to date raised more than 157,000 through a series of fundraising events and initiatives across 32 hotels in the Republic of Ireland. Assigning a ‘Crumlin Ambassador’ to each hotel, responsible for coordinating fundraising events, all hotels achieved their target of 3,000, with many exceeding. The success of the partnership is attributed to the engagement of over 3,500 employees coming together under the umbrella of the common goal to fundraise for CMRF Crumlin, which receives over 145,000 patients annually from across Ireland.

Focus Our Energy Partnership Focus our Energy partnership is a unique partnership between Focus Ireland and Bord Gáis Energy aimed at helping to prevent family homelessness in Ireland. The two teams joined forces to ensure that the partnership not only fulfilled their individual goals but also made a real difference to the problem. Still in its infancy, this partnership has already made a material difference in helping families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk. The partnership is supported throughout both organisations and the work that Focus Ireland does has really motivated the spirit of volunteering that exists within Bord Gáis Energy.

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30/08/2017 11:33

ELECTRIC IRELAND

Kilimanjaro Equipment Lending Programme

Electric Ireland Darkness into Light

Earth’s Edge is Ireland’s only fully licensed adventure travel company. The Equipment Lending Programme was set up to help the porters who work on Africa’s highest mountain. At 5,896m, climbing Kilimanjaro is a serious challenge for all climbers especially the porters who have the additional task of carrying heavy loads on the mountain. To add to that, many of the porters are poorly clothed for the job, where temperatures can dip to -30 degrees celsius. Therefore, Earth’s Edge identified a need to supply porters with mountaineering clothing. They have partnered with KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project) an American run, Tanzanian based NGO which has an equipment lending programme in place for porters to bring the concept to fruition. Earth’s Edge sent 20 large duffel bags of equipment from Ireland with their climbing teams in 2016 and are in the process of collecting donations for their 2017 shipment.

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VOXPRO – POWERED BY TELUS

Electric Ireland is in its fourth year of partnership with Pieta House’s Darkness into Light fundraising event. Ten people per week die by suicide. Given our position as market leader we wanted to leverage our partnership with Pieta House to help solve a sensitive societal issue through strong corporate citizenship and engaging local communities. While demonstrating our commitment to a cause close to our hearts, we also had the task of building brand affinity. As official Team Ireland sponsor we leveraged our relationship with athlete Mark English, who encouraged the people of Ireland to find ‘the power within’ to bring suicide out of the darkness.

ESB GROUP Collaboration with Science Gallery Dublin ESB and Science Gallery Dublin joined forces in 2014 to build on their mutual values of community engagement, innovation and collaboration. Through the partnership, they have developed an integrated programme of activity, including a joint outreach programme to promote STEAM subjects to communities around Ireland. To date, the two organisations have collaboratively taught over 1,600 children about basic electronics concepts through Science Gallery Dublin’s MAKESHOP workshops. The partnership also creates volunteering opportunities for ESB staff and helps extend the reach of Science Gallery Dublin.

FRIENDS FIRST Friends in the Community The Friends First Charity Programme supports three charities for a twoyear period under three categories aligned with our business. The three charities selected for 2016/2017 were the Irish Cancer Society (domestic), Aware (domestic), and Lessons for Life (overseas). Assistance to the charities comes in three forms: monies raised by Friends First staff, suppliers, financial brokers in support of the three charities; monies donated by Friends First as a matching payment for the monies raised; Friends First staff volunteering to assist at in-house or external charity events in support of the three partner charities.

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Partnership with Breakthrough Cancer Research 2016 For 2016, Voxpro CSR had a charity partnership with Breakthrough Cancer Research. Throughout the year they raised 30,000 for BCR and 20,000 for other charities. CEO and Managing Director Dan and Linda Kiely are passionate about charity and for them, it is very important to give where you live. With this in mind Voxpro partnered with a Cork-based charity that is saving lives. The strategy was to put in place CSR activity that was engaging for staff, which allowed them to fundraise, but also which helped them to enjoy CSR. The flagship event was the Sailing Challenge wherein 40 Voxpronians learned to sail over eight weeks in association with the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Voxpro worked very closely with Breakthrough Cancer Research which was key to its success. The partnership with BCR has already won a national HR Champion award.

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BOOTS IRELAND Partnership with the Irish Cancer Society 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 20 years in Ireland, Boots has used its pharmacy-led expertise to help improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. The aim of Boots’ partnership with the Irish Cancer Society is to support people living with cancer in Ireland and to increase awareness and promote prevention through the Boots Cancer Information Pharmacist role while raising vital funds for the Night Nursing Service. It is Boots Ireland’s aim that its stores and the expertise offered in them will become community-based destinations in the fight against cancer.

DEUTSCHE BANK

VMWARE

Partnership with The Simon Community

VMware Foundation and Age Action

Deutsche Bank is lead sponsor of the Fun Run, which involves organising and sponsoring the Kids Tent and encouraging over 200 staff to take part either in volunteering or the running of bake sales and dress down days to raise funds for the Simon Community. Deutsche Bank encourages staff to volunteer on company time for Simon events, for example sorting stock for the shops and decorating an office as part of the room to improve project. The awareness day involved Simon representatives visiting the office and giving a talk to 75 staff about what it is like to be homeless and how little things can help someone down on their luck.

VMware Foundation exists to amplify its people’s personal passions for the causes closest to their hearts. VMware has partnered with Age Action over the past four years in their ‘Getting Started’ computer training programme with one-toone training on computers, smart phones and tablets to help fight against digital exclusion. VMware staff have 40 hours service learning per year which they can dedicate to various charities. Age Action members and VMware employees have benefited greatly from this partnership with over 150 graduates learning new skills and making new friends along the way.

MICROSOFT IRELAND Mission 3000: Microsoft and Special Olympics Microsoft has a longstanding relationship with Special Olympics Ireland through its Tech4Good software donations and support programme, but this year the team engaged in a partnership with a difference. As part of Mission 3000, Microsoft sponsored 30 athletes from around the world to attend the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria. Here in Ireland, the local team partnered with alpine skier Niall Flynn. Niall underwent a year-long training programme in advance of the games and Microsoft employees joined him along the way, participating together in a range of fitness activities including Zumba, hill walking and rowing.

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ORACLE Walk of the Onesies for Temple Street Children’s Hospital Oracle Digital first partnered with Temple Street Children’s Hospital in 2015. Their now annual ‘Walk of the Onesies’ first took place in March of that year, with 25 people dressing up and walking the 15km from their offices in Eastpoint to Howth. They managed to raise 5,000 for patient services, and they’ve continued to build on that initiative. The third year had over 120 fundraisers contributing 40,000 to this worthy cause. The feeling of participation, contributing to a positive cause and fun across the company during the various fundraising activities has had a wonderful impact on their people and the business.

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30/08/2017 09:13

Enterprise Town

Stay Safe Stay Clear with ESB Networks

Enterprise Town was created by Bank of Ireland to help people grow their local economies and foster a renewed sense of purpose and identity for the whole community. The Enterprise Town initiative has grown from one town in 2013 to a nationwide programme of 150 towns, representing an investment of over 1.2 million by the bank in 2017. Over 2,000 Bank of Ireland colleagues will be involved in supporting the initiative, with 10,000 businesses, over 3,000 sports and community groups, and some 400 first and second level schools expected to participate in 2017. Through the Enterprise Town programme, Bank of Ireland wants to invigorate and re-energise communities, showcasing what is on offer in these towns and supporting economic growth and development.

Stay Safe, Stay Clear with ESB Networks is a fun, exciting and educational way for pupils from junior infants to sixth class to discover the benefits of electricity, while learning to be safe around it. In 2015, ESB undertook research to find out if its customers and the general public understood the dangers associated with electricity. This research illustrated that the general public is unaware of the dangers of coming close to electricity and that there are particular segments of the public, such as children, who are at increased danger due to their tendency to be outdoors and close to the electricity network. Children are real influencers in a family context, and educating them while they are young often means that the lessons will stick with them for life. Thus, ESB Networks launched a Stay Safe Stay Clear schools programme.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

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EARTH’S EDGE Guide Exchange Programme Earth’s Edge is Ireland’s only fully licensed adventure travel company. The Guide Exchange Programme was set up to give back to the global community. Earth’s Edge ran a Facebook poll to select one of their local guides from India, Morocco, Nepal and Tanzania to give them the opportunity to experience working in a different country. The aims of the project were threefold; to reward our excellent local guides, to improve the quality of their service by sharing ideas, and to boost awareness of the great local guides among their clients. The programme was extremely well received by the company’s clients and the local guides who entered the competition. Earth’s Edge plans to run the programme on an annual basis going forward.

Each shortlisted company has demonstrated that they are achieving excellence in CSR.”

LIC : Large Indigenous Company |

30/08/2017 11:34

| Large Indigenous Company : LIC

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LAW SOCIETY OF IRELAND DIPLOMA CENTRE Street Law Programme The Law Society of Ireland, through its voluntary public legal education initiative, has pioneered Street Law in Ireland. Street Law is a public legal education programme where trainees teach law in schools, community groups and other settings such as prisons. Street Law programmes aim to educate people on their legal rights and responsibilities using an interactive methodology which encourages participants to actively engage and to understand how the law relates to them. Furthermore, in the case of secondary school participants and the connections developed with trainee solicitors who teach them, Street Law raises their awareness of the law and society, their rights, social justice issues, and develops pathways for the underrepresented to third level education and onwards to careers in law.

ULSTER BANK

VERSION 1

One Week in June

Version 1 Community Trust

One Week in June is Ulster Bank’s most popular annual fundraising event, uniting colleagues country-wide to fundraise for both national and local charities every June. Having raised 1.5 million over the last four years, the programme has now become the template for a new RBS global employee community initiative, helping 100,000 employees make a difference throughout the world.

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The importance of Government leadership and the commitment shown to driving forward the CSR agenda nationwide should not be underestimated.”

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The Version 1 Community Trust is an initiative which supports the transformation of the local and global communities in which we live and work. Grants are awarded to 10 or more worthy causes four times a year ranging in value of 500 to 5,000. Each quarter, Version 1 employees submit video entries detailing the community causes which matter to them. Entries are then open to a public vote, which determines the causes that will receive funding.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

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The aim of the Amgen Foundation’s innovative science education programmes is to support the professional development of secondary school science teachers and increase students’ scientific literacy and interest in scientific careers. The Amgen Foundation’s programmes in Ireland have directly benefited 533 life science teachers, 5,939 secondary school students and 34 university graduates in Ireland. A further 59,000 secondary school students are estimated to have indirectly benefited. Social impacts have been further enhanced by the engagement of staff volunteers. In 2016, over 80 staff from Amgen’s Dún Laoghaire and Santry facilities volunteered their skills and competencies to support their partner school and the broader Amgen Foundation Programmes.

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Abbott’s commitment to STEM education programmes is steadfast. With over 125 years of expertise in advancing science and innovation across the globe, Abbott is invested heavily in giving back to the communities through its STEM education programmes. Since establishing operations in Ireland 75 years ago, Abbott continues to engage and inspire families, teachers, and students of all ages and abilities in scientific discovery and innovation. Its partnerships with aligned stakeholders provide the encouragement and inspiration for Abbott to continue to reach out and deliver programmes in the nine locations where it is based.

Inspiring the Scientists of Tomorrow

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AMGEN

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BOSTON SCIENTIFIC Boston Scientific Ireland STEM Programme Boston Scientific’s motto is ‘advancing science for life’. The aim is to fuel the next generation of life science professionals by encouraging students to achieve success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). In 2016, a core team created the Boston Scientific Ireland STEM programme. The three sites – Clonmel, Cork and Galway – shared their separate STEM programmes in order to enhance and grow the impact in the local communities in which they operate. The focus was on six key activities. A partnership with Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) and SciFest provides scholarships for high achieving children studying STEM subjects. The annual Bring Your Child to Work initiative allows thousands of national school children to learn about science in a fun way. The GROW programme provides second year college STEM students with summer work placements. The Guidance Councillor Education programme helps educate the educators.

Social cohesion and justice are the necessary conditions to create a stable civil society and a thriving economy which is attractive to high skill talent and investors.”

MNC : Multinational Company |

30/08/2017 11:36

Intel Pride of Place

The Global Goals present Irish business with a new framework that should inform the design, delivery and communication of their sustainable and responsible business practice.”

| Multinational Company : MNC

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Intel Pride of Place is a community initiative aimed at supporting environmental projects that positively impact our neighbouring communities in north Kildare. The competition began in 2015 and involved partnerships with the Tidy Towns Associations. Following the wonderful public response to the competition, Intel decided to fund the highest voted project from each town. In 2016, Intel launched the second Pride of Place competition, which expanded its reach to any non-profit organisation, school or sporting organisation in the local area that had an idea which could help improve their local community. The idea could be anything from setting a new garden space for the community to how to use technology to make the community more ‘smart’, such as apps to indicate when to water plants. Six winning projects were selected, ranging from recycled benches for the local scouts, an outdoor classroom and garden, and the restoration of a historic graveyard to the installation of defibrillators.

KBC BANK IRELAND KBC Bright Ideas Programme The Flagship Programme within KBC’s entrepreneurship domain is Bright Ideas. Bright Ideas is a unique community platform which celebrates innovation and action at a local community level. It is a unique programme which allows people to have their say on how to improve their community. KBC’s Bright Ideas entries were reviewed by independent judging panels in seven different hub regions – Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Waterford, greater Leinster, Limerick and Galway – meaning it is truly regional in its premise. The Bright Ideas community fund was established in 2013 and has to date awarded €250,000 in funding to over 120 innovative local projects across Ireland which have developed unique initiatives, delivering a real and tangible impact.

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LIDL IRELAND Lidl Community Works Lidl’s sustainability philosophy is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for its employees, to be an active and positive contributor to the communities in which it operates, and to be good stewards of the environment. Over the past year, Lidl has developed a clear CSR strategy incorporating five pillars including the ‘Lidl Community Works’ pillar, which allows for cross company collaboration with the aim of providing support to as many local communities as possible. Lidl engaged in over 500 local donations to support local initiatives, with the launch of Charity of the Week, which aims to support 52 local charities across the country with a donation of 1,000 worth of Lidl vouchers as well as its support of Ladies Gaelic Football clubs across Ireland through its in-store activities.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

30/08/2017 09:19

BizWorld

Focus our Energy Christmas FM Project

BizWorld Ireland is a notfor-profit organisation that promotes entrepreneurship skills for young people through workshops in primary schools nationwide, with pupils learning about entrepreneurship and enterprise in fun and creative ways. Bank of Ireland’s partnership with BizWorld has provided the charity with access to communities across Ireland and with an enthusiastic and educated army of volunteers which has enabled many more primary schools to get involved and for BizWorld to quickly grow the scale and reach of the programme. Since the partnership began, 150 Bank of Ireland colleagues throughout the country have been trained as tutors by BizWorld CEO and educator Fiona McKeon, enabling them to run two-day workshops with primary students. Through Bank of Ireland’s involvement, the partnership will deliver 250 workshops to over 3,500 primary school children in the 2016-2017 school year.

In October 2015, Bord Gais Energy (BGE) launched a three-year partnership with Focus Ireland pledging 1.2 million. In addition to the company donation each year, BGE supports Focus Ireland by volunteering at their events, hosting companyled events and fundraising. In December 2016, Christmas FM selected Focus Ireland as its chosen charity and fundraising was achieved throughout their monthly broadcast by a dedicated text line, online pledges and in branch donations from listeners. BGE facilitated a 12hour radiothon day with 100 per cent of listener donations going directly to Focus Ireland. Sixty-two volunteers from Bord Gáis created an in-house call centre to facilitate the radiothon fundraising day. BGE and Focus Ireland smashed the fundraising target of 100,000 raising a massive 180,000 for Focus Ireland via the BGE call centre on the day. This was the highest donation day total ever achieved via Christmas FM.

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EARTH’S EDGE

KPMG

Explore Experience Evolve Programme

KPMG’s Family for Literacy

Earth’s Edge is Ireland’s only fully licensed adventure travel company. The Explore Experience Evolve volunteer programme was designed to utilise the unique skillset of its staff of outdoor professionals. Earth’s Edge partnered with Warrenmount Presentation, a disadvantaged girls school in Dublin 8, to take three groups of students hiking in Glendalough. The programme was designed to promote confidence, wellbeing and fitness amongst the students. As students were selected for the programme based on their attendance and good behaviour, it was a useful tool for teachers to motivate students. The students, teachers and Earth’s Edge staff involved in the project all enjoyed the programme despite the wind, rain and snow! As well as being a fun day out for the students, it was a new experience for most of them too.

KPMG Ireland has committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has mapped out its corporate citizenship/CSR agenda against the SDGs. Its primary focus is in relation to Goal 4 – quality education. As part of the continued evolution of its corporate citizenship agenda, it is continuously looking for new ways to broaden its commitment to lifelong learning. KFFL is a sustainable volunteer programme that benefits local communities and has a collective impact on their people and the larger KPMG family of alumni, retirees, and recruits as well as its communities. The programme was developed to improve literacy rates in local communities, reaffirm the firm’s commitment to and desire to impact positively on youth and education, and provide an opportunity for KPMG’s people to positively engage and contribute to their communities.

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LIC : Large Indigenous Company |

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30/08/2017 09:21

ABBVIE

Customers are more focused than ever on the social activities of corporates and whether they are positive and sustainable.”

| Multinational Company : MNC

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AbbVie’s Week of Possibilities Week of Possibilities is a unique initiative that empowers employees to personally improve the communities in which AbbVie people work and live. In 2016, almost 350 employees volunteered 1,700 hours to help make a remarkable impact for students of St Colman’s Community College in Midleton, Cork, service users of the homeless charity Sophia in north county Dublin and service users of the Northside Community Centre in Sligo. The fact that more and more employees choose to participate in the project is a testament to the success of the initiative and how CSR can build a sense of pride in an organisation.

CISCO SYSTEMS Age Action Volunteering Programme Cisco Systems and Age Action have worked together to educate the senior citizens of Galway on how they can use the latest advances in technology to make their lives more fulfilling. By volunteering their time and expertise, Cisco Galway volunteers have enriched the lives of senior citizens and in return learned much about themselves.

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DELOITTE Professional Skills Volunteering with NCBI Deloitte partnered with the National Council for the Blind (NCBI) to solve problems facing the charity that were threatening its ability to raise funds and increase its public profile. Deloitte invited NCBI to take part in IMPACT Day, its flagship annual volunteering day. On the day, a team of 30 Deloitte people came together to address the challenges facing NCBI in a creative and flexible way to deliver lasting benefits to the charity. Over 900 staff volunteer on IMPACT Day each year. The day is aligned directly to Deloitte’s global and Irish firm purpose – making an impact that matters. The professional skills projects are now an integral part of the volunteering day. Deloitte proudly showcases its work with NCBI from last year’s IMPACT Day, and demonstrates the sustainable yet flexible outputs that the NCBI has benefited from and will continue to do so in the future.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

30/08/2017 11:37

Be the Difference Volunteering Programme

VMware Cork Giving Network - VMware Foundation

SSE is the island’s largest generator of wind power in the Single Energy Market (SEM) and a leader in the corporate volunteering sector. During the financial year of 2016/17, an overwhelming 777 days equivalent to 5,827 hours were donated through SSE Ireland’s employee volunteering programme with 49 charities supporting 89 events for the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Hospice Foundation, Make a Wish, the DSPCA, Suicide or Survive, Pieta House, the Alzheimer’s Society and many more. SSE supported its employees fund, raising efforts with over €11,000 in match funding. As an organisation, SSE is passionate about its role in the Be the Difference volunteering process and the incredible work of all those who volunteer.

VMware’s Cork Giving Network was set up to act as a local team to drive the initiatives put in place by the VMware foundation. The organisation’s mission is to provide a platform to amplify the contributions of VMware people to their causes of choice and inspire the citizen philanthropist in all employees. The VMware Cork Giving Network primarily works to facilitate volunteering activities for employees. The team of employee volunteers was set up over four years ago and since inception VMware Cork has been seeing a steady increase in employee engagement in charitable and volunteering activities. Today the VMware Giving Network liaises with several charities maintaining an open relationship where the charities’ needs are matched by the skills within VMware, ensuring VMware can continue to make the most positive impact on the community as possible.

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Skills-based volunteering and community support is at the heart of IBM’s volunteering programme. IBM volunteers have supported their neighbouring school, Riversdale Community College in Dublin 15, since 2008. Over the past two years, in consultation with the school, they have developed two new programmes for students, Life Skills and Technology and the Leadership for Teens programme. The Leadership for Teens programme has been packaged into volunteer activity kits, which are now available not just for IBM volunteers but teachers, youth leaders and volunteers globally through IBM’s corporate citizenship website, providing teens with the skills training essential for 21st century careers.

SSE IRELAND

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Leadership for Teens

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MNC

CSR has an important role in the circular economy and global environmental health as a whole.”

MNC : Multinational Company |

30/08/2017 09:22

Eco Rangers Schools programme Bord na Móna is currently guardian of 80,000 hectares of land and it wants to encourage schools to become guardians of their local land. Corporate responsibility is a key part of Bord na Móna’s reputation strategy and sustainability is the heartbeat of the company. Eco Rangers encourage pupils around Ireland to creatively connect with nature and provides schools with the tools they need to get out of the classroom, including teacher packs with lesson plans and fun games to make the task at hand easy. Families and the wider community will be able to use the Eco Rangers material to access information about local trails. The programme supports the work of the Bord na Móna ecologists and their commitment to rehabilitate and repurpose the land post peat production.

| Large Indigenous Company : LIC

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CARBERY FOOD DUBLIN INGREDIENTS AIRPORT CENTRAL Carbery Green 50 Landfill Diversion Project

Last year Carbery Food Ingredients, as part of the Green 50 initiative, assigned itself a target of diverting 15 per cent less waste to landfill compared to 2015 levels. Green 50 is a not-for-profit initiative and its mission is to raise money for charities through the promotion of green practices and to identify how savings can be made through resource efficiency. Thanks to an excellent effort by all employees at the Ballineen site, Carbery exceeded the goal of 15 per cent landfill reduction, achieving an actual waste diversion figure from landfill of 19.3 per cent. Carbery donated a 2,000 cheque from its waste savings to the Jeep for Jason West Cork Rapid Response charity. In doing so, Carbery also became the first company in Ireland to fulfil its Green 50 pledge.

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SPONSORED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

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DAWN MEATS Strategic Sustainability

Sustainable Buildings Dublin Airport has become the first organisation in Ireland to achieve a LEED Platinum sustainability accreditation for the major redevelopment of ONE, Dublin Airport Central, the new Global headquarters of ESB International. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum is awarded in acknowledgement of the highest level of building performance within a wide range of sustainability topics, including water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, and innovation. Although challenging, the LEED methodology delivers an internationally recognised and robust sustainability rating system. Dublin Airport’s sustainability and energy policies and ISO systems were key drivers in the decision to implement the advanced levels of sustainable solutions in the refurbishment of ONE, Dublin Airport Central. The next phase of development has commenced with 20,000 square metres of new office accommodation due for delivery in Q1 2019.

Dawn Meats has developed a CSR strategy that will drive significant sustainability improvements in the beef and lamb sectors, both directly and indirectly through the leadership their public position has developed. Dawn Meats CSR Committee, comprising the most senior directors across the group including the CEO, has set itself the goal of being Europe’s most sustainable meat company.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

30/08/2017 09:23

Embracing biodiversity at Intel Intel is a leader when it comes to voluntary onsite biodiversity action in Ireland. Since its arrival in Kildare, the company has enhanced, restored and created bio-diverse habitats in and around its campus and ensured continual improvement by embedding biodiversity in its environmental management system. It has amplified the impact of these initiatives beyond the limits of its site by supporting local partnerships for nature and engaging employees in its efforts to support local wildlife.

KBC BANK IRELAND KBC Environmental Responsibility Programme Sustainability is important to KBC and is about building a better bank for their customers, employees and communities; a retail bank of the future. As an organisation KBC Bank Ireland has a dedicated sustainability team that ensures it has a local and effective sustainability strategy in place. Employees across KBC support and are involved in projects that deliver a socially responsible business. KBC has expanded its sustainability programme since the beginning of 2016 to focus on four key themes – entrepreneurship, financial literacy, environmental responsibility and health and wellbeing.

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HEINEKEN Ireland’s ambition is to ‘Brew a Better World’ from barley to bar. Since 2010, Heineken has been on a journey towards achieving its 2020 sustainability commitments and the Brewing a Better World programme provides the company with the roadmap. It is a comprehensive and integrated sustainability strategy built around one of its core values: respecting people and the planet. The focus is on the areas that Heineken and its stakeholders believe can make the biggest difference including protecting water resources, reducing CO2 emissions, promoting health and safety, sustainable sourcing and advocating responsible consumption.

SPONSORED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

CSR AWARDS •

Brewing a Better World in HEINEKEN Ireland

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MNC

LIDL IRELAND Origin Green Project Lidl’s sustainability vision is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for its employees, to be an active and positive contributor to the communities in which it operates, and to be a good steward of the environment. Lidl’s environmental programme, the Origin Green Project, focuses on carbon reduction. Ambassador teams were appointed to promote environmental awareness and measures were implemented to increase awareness and reduce impact in areas such as energy, recycling and waste, transport, paper and refrigeration. 2016 was an important year for sustainability at Lidl with the opening of its new head office in Tallaght, featuring solar panels, a heat recovery system and rainwater harvesting to name but a few features.

MNC : Multinational Company |

30/08/2017 09:23

A&L GOODBODY

BANK OF IRELAND

EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND

A&L Goodbody’s pro bono programme

Workbench

Robbie Sinnott

KPMG supports Going for Growth

Bank of Ireland’s Workbench is a unique concept which connects entrepreneurs, colleagues and the local community by offering a free dedicated space for co-working, product launches, and events that support innovation, the local community and new ideas. It has reinvented what people expect from a local bank branch. The first Workbench was opened in January 2015 in Grand Canal Square. This proved to be of enormous success with over 360 events and 13,000 people using the space in the first year. The Workbench offers state-of-the-art facilities, hot desks, interactive screens, complementary wi-fi and access to Irish and international start-ups looking to develop their businesses.

Eversheds Sutherland acted for the successful plaintiff in Robbie Sinnott v Minister for Environment and Ors. The referral for the case came from the firm’s CSR partner, the Public Interest Law Alliance (“PILA”). The Plaintiff, Robbie Sinnott, is visually impaired. Eversheds Sutherland succeeded in seeking a declaration that the State had a duty to put a mechanism in place to facilitate visually impaired persons to vote in secret. The judge found that the State does have a duty to make such arrangements. This is an important case in the evolution of Irish public administrative law and provides clarity to public bodies on their obligations to enact regulations and to engage with interested members of the public. The judgement also establishes that there is an onus on public bodies to identify the rationale where a particular ‘duty’ cannot be vindicated for economic or practical reasons.

KPMG Ireland supports Going for Growth, an innovative initiative that encourages female entrepreneurs to be ambitious and supports them to achieve their growth goals. Participants are offered a unique learning environment with a peer led approach based on the shared experiences of both a lead entrepreneur and other participants facing common challenges. The round tables are designed not to be theoretical or academic, but to be based on real experience of what has worked in real life situations. Since KPMG became involved, over 200 female entrepreneurs have participated in a cycle of Going for Growth. Participation has translated into practical changes within their businesses, with many reporting increased turnover, more export activity and an increase in jobs created across Ireland.

A&LGoodbody’s pro bono practice provides high quality legal services to community and voluntary organisations working for disadvantaged and marginalised people and social enterprises working for positive change, and gives our solicitors an opportunity to use and develop their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the community.

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| CSR AWARDS 2017

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EIR

ESB GROUP

The Loretto Dempsey Legacy

eir Challenge Supporting Special Olympics Ireland

ESB Power Challenge

Following a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease in March 2014, Loretto Dempsey, an Arthur Cox employee, embarked on a difficult personal battle. The firm actively assisted Loretto both in her work and home environments for the duration of her illness. After a bravely fought battle with the disease, Loretto died in March 2017. Inspired by her work as an ambassador for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA), Arthur Cox partnered with the charity to create a legacy for Loretto. As well as participating in numerous IMNDA fundraising activities for the past two years, the firm decided to establish the Loretto Dempsey Placement in March 2016. This provides IMNDA with valued day-to-day support as it helps many others in Ireland who are battling with MND. It also honours the memory of a dear and valued colleague from Arthur Cox.

The eir Challenge started out as an employee fundraiser and sporting event designed to support Special Olympics Ireland while motivating eir employees to get fit. Over four years it has evolved to become a driving employee engagement initiative for eir’s wellness programme, Live Life, Live Well. A phenomenal success from the beginning, the eir Challenge raised 250,000 in three short years. Both eir and Special Olympics Ireland accredit the success of this initiative to the passion, enthusiasm, creativity and competitiveness of eir’s employees.

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CSR is at the heart of ESB’s business vision, which is why investing in people is so important. Creating a happy and supportive environment for employees is key priority for ESB. ESB recognises that this involves going above and beyond to ensure employees can develop to their full potential, and work in an environment that is welcoming and full of opportunities. To that end, ESB developed the Power Challenge event, a team-building and fundraising event that takes place in Killarney National Park in September each year. The Power Challenge is team-based and focuses on both physical and mental challenges, while harnessing the spirit of competition and teamwork. The event succeeds in incorporating effort, fitness, socialising, fundraising and healthy outdoor pursuits in a manner that does credit to all participants.

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Businesses that give to society in a strategic, purposeful and planned way – philanthropically – can have real impact, not just for the business but for the causes being supported.”

LIC : Large Indigenous Company |

30/08/2017 09:26

| Large Indigenous Company : LIC

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FRIENDS FIRST

KPMG

Friends in the Workplace

KPMG Inclusion & Diversity Programme

The Friends in the Workplace project consists of a variety of activities to assist employees in staying physically, mentally and emotionally well. The old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ really describes what it is all about. Friends First sees the benefit of investing in its employees to ensure that they are healthy and happy. It operates an active employee wellness programme, which runs events such as lunchtime pilates classes to seminars on healthy eating. A recent review of income protection claims showed that the main illnesses, which cause claims, are due to orthopaedic, cancer and mental health conditions. The importance of mental health awareness is highlighted clearly in these claims. As an income protection provider, it is an issue close to the heart of the company and as such, it wishes to ensure the wellbeing of all its employees.

Gender diversity is a key strategic focus for KPMG Ireland. Through the range of gender diversity and Intelligent Working Arrangement (IWA) initiatives it rolled out over three years, the company is striving to make KPMG a better place to work, to build a culture where it is supporting all its people to balance their career ambitions and personal lives, and to grow a wider pool of female talent, all of which benefit the individual whilst strengthening the business. KPMG has put in place a significant range of specific targeted initiatives aimed at promoting gender diversity. All of these initiatives (intelligent working arrangements, maternity supports, training, coaching, role model lunches, executive speaker series, a range of external programmes), have confirmed the company’s commitment to ensuring that it makes a real and substantive positive difference to all of its people, and to create an environment where women can see they can have a long-term and rewarding career with the firm.

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Excellence in WORKPLACE

Business leaders can set the tone within their organisation with their actions and intentions in this space.”

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LIC

ULSTER BANK IRELAND DAC Academy - Building Capability for What Matters The key to Ulster Bank’s success is developing a commercial link between Learning and Development (L&D) and the goals of the organisation. This is something that can only become a reality when true collaboration exists between the L&D function and the business. These capability needs are linked to business goals and prioritised for those that will provide Ulster Bank with a competitive advantage and, ultimately, deliver value for its customers. The L&D approach is sustainable, not only because it’s driven by the learning needs of the business but because there is a strong future focus. Ulster Bank has a strong learning culture which is evidenced by the numbers of people engaged in the wider strategy and the appetite for new, innovative and impactful learning solutions.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

30/08/2017 09:27

2017

JOHNSON & JOHNSON

VODAFONE IRELAND

Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing & Design (WiSTEM2D)

ThinkWell, LiveWell, FeelWell

Johnson & Johnson has been championing women for over 130 years by providing tools, resources and opportunities to succeed at work and at home. This year, the company announced the continuation of that commitment through the J&J WiSTEM2Dprogramme – a collaborative education programme that supports and encourages women to pursue educational opportunities in STEM2D. WiSTEM2D stands for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing and Design.

LIDL IRELAND Work Safe. Live Well. Lidl’s Work Safe. Live Well. programme has put the focus on creating an environment where the safety and wellbeing of colleagues is prioritised – from their personal safety at work right through to their overall sense of wellbeing. Guided by employee feedback and aligned with key business objectives, Lidl has committed to creating a culture of wellbeing for each of its 5,000 colleagues across 190 sites around Ireland.

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The ‘I like it here!’ programme has made a significant contribution to the engagement and experience of IBM employees not only in their lives within the workplace but also in their participation in helping to improve the lives of others in their communities. By enabling employees to build programmes that will support their skills and career, make time for fun, help their communities, celebrate diversity, support their wellbeing and reward and recognise top contributors, IBM has affected real positive influences on employee retention rate, engagement, participation and overall employee satisfaction, and is ensuring that IBM is a great place to work not just for current employees but also for future employees.

CSR AWARDS •

‘I like it here!’

Excellence in WORKPLACE

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MNC

Vodafone Ireland created a programme that empowers employees to manage their own health and wellness needs. The company’s aim was to develop a market-leading, holistic approach to wellbeing for all employees. Its wellbeing strategy is founded on three pillars – ‘ThinkWell’, ‘Live Well’ and ‘Feel Well’. Each pillar has a dedicated space in Vodafone’s onsite gym and wellness centre with a variety of related activities taking place throughout the year.

ORACLE OPEN @ Oracle OPEN was first established in 1989 under the original name of LAMBDA, which was the international symbol for LGBT rights. It was then promoted to an affinity group in 2004. In 2014 it was promoted to Oracle’s first global employee resource group and, as recognition of the diverse environment it works in, was rebranded Oracle Pride Employee Network (OPEN). A chapter of OPEN was then established in Oracle Dublin in October 2014, which has grown and gone from strength to strength. During 2016, Oracle hosted two internal awareness workshops and in June, held the first Pride @ The Epi event in the Epicentre bar in Eastpoint Business Park. | CSR AWARDS 2017

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MNC : Multinational Company |

30/08/2017 11:44

Millennial staff want to work for companies with a social conscience who operate responsibly.”

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ESB NETWORKS

JOHNSON & JOHNSON

MAGNET NETWORKS

ESB Apprenticeship Programme

Johnson & Johnson Bridge to Employment (BTE)

Business in the Community

ESB’s position as Ireland’s foremost energy company makes it a vital part in building a brighter, more sustainable future. CSR is at the heart of ESB’s business vision and it invests significantly in its people and communities to help them reach their full potential. ESB is well known for its high quality apprenticeships which result in qualifications in the electrical and mechanical trades. The ESB Apprenticeship Programme is a keystone for ESB in ensuring that the company maintains the level of skills available for the maintenance and enhancement of Ireland’s electricity system. Based in the ESB Networks Training Centre in Portlaoise, the electrical apprentices complete four apprentice training levels totalling 23 weeks’ training in addition to state training. In 2015, ESB announced plans to recruit 300 new apprentices over the next five years as part of a large scale recruitment and development programme.

The Johnson & Johnson Bridge to Employment’s aim and objective is to support long-term collaboration and partnership amongst business, educators, community based organisations, Junior Achievement and Business in the Community, and parents to help young people build a better future. Ensuring students from disadvantaged schools and parents and teachers are more aware of the progression opportunities that exist in Cork between education and employment.

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Excellence in SUPPORTING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT

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In conjunction with Business in the Community and the Donahies Community School, Magnet Networks runs an initiative aimed at establishing and developing the long-term careers of Donahies Applied Leaving Certificate students by providing them with the tools and confidence to secure gainful employment. The programme begins with a visit to the school with representatives providing an introduction to Magnet Networks, the company and what the programme is about. The second part of the programme involves a site visit by the students to Magnet Networks. They meet with employees to hear about ‘A Day in the Life’ of a Magnet Networks worker. The next session is held back at the Donahies school where Magnet’s HR representative meets with the students to prepare for mock interviews held on site, at Magnets head office in Clonshaugh. The final part of the programme is an awards ceremony where the students receive a certificate of participation for completing the programme.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

30/08/2017 09:28

FITNESS FREAK

RECYCLE IT

Kilimanjaro Equipment Lending Programme

EMIT & Play for Paddy: Giving Cancer the Boot

Free Fruit For All in South Tipperary General Hospital

Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative Limited

Earth’s Edge is Ireland’s only fully licensed adventure travel company. The Equipment Lending Programme was set up to help the porters who work on Africa’s highest mountain. At 5,896m climbing Kilimanjaro is a serious challenge for all climbers especially the porters who have the additional task of carrying heavy loads on the mountain. To add to that, many of the porters are poorly clothed for the job, where temperatures can dip to -30 degrees celsius. Therefore, Earth’s Edge identified a need to supply porters with mountaineering clothing. It has partnered with KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project), an American run, Tanzanian based NGO who have an equipment lending programme in place for porters to bring the concept to fruition. Earth’s Edge sent 20 large duffel bags of equipment from Ireland with their climbing teams in 2016 and are in the process of collecting donations for their 2017 shipment.

The Play for Paddy charity football tournament was established in 2014 to preserve the memory of cancer victim Paddy Delahunty by raising vital funds for the fantastic services provided by St. Francis Hospice, Raheny and the Irish Cancer Society. Supported by EMIT, the event has received an overwhelming response, raising €20,000 for both charities in the last three years. The Play for Paddy tournament is now a highly sought after title for many teams, and the organisers plan on expanding the scale of the event to incorporate more teams and locations in the years to come.

This healthy food initiative in South Tipperary General Hospital was set up in June 2016 by Fitness Freak owner Richard Kennedy. In three locations within the hospital – paediatrics, outpatients and the staff canteen – apples from a local apple farm are supplied weekly without charge or inconvenience. These apples are sponsored by different local businesses each week. Richard meets the sponsors and promotes the fact they have sponsored that week’s supply of apples on his own social media platforms. The apples are collected and dropped off at the hospital by local transition year students of Gael Scoil Clonmel.

Recycle IT offers a friendly and needs driven community recycling collection and drop off service in Dublin. Collection teams pick up electrical and electronic equipment from communities, educators and charities at no charge. Business and individual customers with an immediate need can avail of free or cost effective recycling solutions including drop off or collection services. Recycle IT focuses on providing services in communities where electrical recycling may be difficult to achieve for a range of economic and social reasons. Recycle IT has offered collection services to over 100,000 individuals over the last year in Dublin and surrounding areas collecting over 600 tonnes of once loved and well used electrical items for recycling.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

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Excellence in CSR BY AN SME

30/08/2017 09:29

This year we have noticed a significant increase in applications from small and medium sized businesses and we hope that this trend continues.”

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ROYAL INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS OF IRELAND RIAI Simon Open Door With the homeless crisis deepening, the RIAI Simon Open Door campaign invited the public to sign up for one hour consultations with their local architect with 70 going directly to Simon. A media and communications campaign was planned and delivered that raised almost 100,000 for the Simon Community with 1,300 consultations undertaken across 300 practices, with the messaging reaching 4.5 million people delivering 135 times return on investment.

STELFOX Soar The primary aim of Stelfox’s project was to support Soar in achieving its vision of helping the youth of Ireland. Soar believes that within all young people is an immense greatness that often lies beneath fear, self-doubt and a sense of disengagement from society. After meeting with Soar the Stelfox Board and staff made the immediate decision to become involved. From day one, Stelfox has been able to provide support in navigating various challenges, with its directors joining the Soar board and employees continually becoming involved with workshops and fundraising. With these initiatives Soar has become more strategic in handling the demand for its services. It is because of this partnership that Soar was able to deliver early intervention – preventative, wellness workshops inside Irish schools to 5,568 young people in 2016 with the aim of 7,000 in 2017.

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TECHNICALLY WRITE IT LTD Charity and Community Involvement Committee Since 2015, TWi has partnered with Cork Simon to support their excellent work helping people experiencing homelessness, through fundraising, volunteering, and raising awareness. TWi has donated over €40,000 and TWi employees have given several hundred hours to help support and improve the quality of life for those people who are experiencing a difficult time in their life. This partnership has established a strong, positive, mutually beneficial relationship between two organisations that is ongoing and will continue to grow in the future.

| CSR AWARDS 2017

30/08/2017 09:30

Pat McDonagh, Owner Supermac’s, Trócaire Supporter.

“ my business has helped children children go go to to

school and and provided provided

water to

vulnerable villages in in

zimbabwe “

Find out what your business can do by partnering with Trócaire: Please contact us on 00 353 1 629 3333 or visit trocaire.org Trócaire Head Office, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland Irish Charity No. CHY 5883

FC advert template.indd 1 Trocaire Corporate Ad A4 FINAL.indd 1

29/08/2017 12:17 05/09/2016 09:51

Building the present, creating the future Delivering sustainable construction solutions, within budget and on time, for: · FDI Hi-Tech Facilities · Pharmaceutical · Biopharma · Healthcare Facilities · Commercial Ofﬁces · Educational · Cleanrooms · Agri/ Dairy Food · Infrastructure · PPP Investment And FM Services

www.bamireland.ie

Building in Ireland for 60 years; it’s in our DNA FC advert template.indd 1 243551_1C_Bam_JM_CSR.indd 1

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