Boots – Delivering positive impact through professional skills volunteering
Boots’ award-winning partnership with the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) has been going strong since 2012. The long-term nature of the partnership means that we have been able to build a strategic, collaborative relationship but it also means that Boots needs to constantly innovate to keep the partnership fresh and staff engaged. While fundraising has always been a core part of this relationship (with €850,000 raised to date in store), our in-store cancer services and investment in colleague training all combine to provide support for those affected by the disease.
We recognise however that there are further opportunities to deliver positive impact to charities like the Irish Cancer Society by leveraging our in-house skills, expertise and knowledge. Hence we launched in the last year a new dimension to our volunteering programme – holding upskilling days for our charity partners. Eimhear Kennedy, from our Capability Team, held such a day recently for the managers of the Irish Cancer Society stores. This was a great opportunity to share the skills of Boots, a world class retailer, with our charity partner. ICS operates twenty stores across the country and relies on these stores as a source of income. Hence sharing our retailing experience has the opportunity to deliver lasting impact to ICS.
Eimhear was able to advise during the upskilling day on the benefits of influencing and coaching in their roles as leaders. Aileen Kearney, Supervising Pharmacist from Liffey Valley and Rose Sturgis, No7 Advisor, from Blanchardstown, also spoke about their roles as a Boots Irish Cancer Society Information Pharmacist and Boots Cancer Beauty Advisor, helping to promote these roles further in local communities.
We continue to explore ways for Irish Cancer Society to enhance the service we offer to our customers who are experiencing cancer and for Boots to channel the skills we have to benefit the staff of the Irish Cancer Society as they deliver their services.
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