Gas Networks Ireland Supports Thousands of Older People through partnership with Age Action
Overview of the partnership
We were delighted to expand our partnership with Age Action in 2019. Age Action work with older people to promote positive ageing and social inclusion, as well as campaigning for better policies and services.
Gas Networks Ireland are committed to providing excellent service to our older, more vulnerable customers so our partnership with Age Action fits well with the visions of both organisations. We are dedicated to protecting our vulnerable customers and have implemented a number of commitments including a ban on disconnecting older customers during the winter months and providing alternative heating and cooking facilities if a temporary gas disconnection is necessary to carry out vital repair work.
We ensure that responsible and social principles are at the core of our business and that the community is placed at the heart of all that we do. Our partnership with Age Action is a core part of our Corporate Responsibility programme and we’re proud to continue this support in 2020.
Implementing Best Practice
Our partnership is a core part of our Corporate Responsiblity programme and focuses on a number of impactful areas including sharing our skills and expertise, promoting safety, as well as volunteering our time to work with older people in our communities, and we’re proud to continue this support in 2020. Since 2016 Gas Networks Ireland has donated €150,000 worth of carbon monoxide alarms to Age Action’s Care and Repair programme. Age Action volunteers installed the alarms in the homes of vulnerable older people following full training on carbon monoxide alarm installation and safety.
The Impact of the Partnership
In 2019 Gas Networks Ireland supported Age Action’s Care and Repair programme which offers free DIY and household repair services to ensure that older people can remain safe, secure and independent in their own homes for as long as they want. The donations from our customer care surveys in 2019 accounted for €15,579 which funded 620 hours of direct Care and Repair support for people in Cork and Dublin. This equated to almost 12 hours of Care and Repair support every week last year.
Last year Gas Networks Ireland donated an upgraded van complete with Age Action branding to the Care and Repair team in Cork, as well as servicing Age Action’s fleet of vans. Staff also donated clothing to Age Action shops and raised €3,180 through activities at St Patrick’s Day, Easter and Christmas. Also last year on UN International Day of Older Persons, 40 employees in Dublin tidied up the gardens of 25 older people in the community, clocking up over 240 volunteer hours in the process.
Gas Networks Ireland’s Impact in 2019
Gas Networks Ireland provided €141,929 in cash donations; €104,486 was contributed through in-kind donations and €33,194 was raised through employee fundraising. Employees also volunteered 1,461 hours to local groups and projects during the year.
