Cork Companies contributed €1.1m to Charities in 2013

BITCI News - May 30, 2014

Cork, 30th May 2014: Business leaders and NGOs meet to highlight and discuss collaboration on key social issues such as education, homelessness and youth employment with a special address by Minister Sean Sherlock T.D

  • 34 of Cork’s largest companies contributed over €1.1 million euro to support community groups and organisations in addressing key social issues and causes in 2013
  • 568 community partnerships have been established
  • Employees in Cork volunteered over 8,000 hours to local groups and projects during 2013
  • Cork business contributed a total of €1,103,342 between cash donations, employee fundraising and in-kind donations
  • Statistics are now available on online interactive map entitled the ‘Business Impact Map’

Cork, 30th May 2014:  34 socially minded companies have formed 568 community links and donated over €1.1 million in cash donations, in-kind donations and employee fundraising to local charities and community groups in Cork. This information is being showcased as part of Business in the Community Ireland’s (BITCI), Business Showcase Event being launched today at Fota Island, Cork with a special address by Minister of State with responsibility for Research and Innovation, Sean Sherlock T.D. Business leaders and NGO’s will come together to highlight and discuss how companies are successfully working with groups across the county of Cork to ensure key issues such as youth employment, education and homelessness are being addressed.

impactmapcork

http://livemaps.bitc.ie/

Today’s event will mark the release of the BITCI Business Impact Map which can be viewed online at http://livemaps.bitc.ie. The map captures statistics from 49 of Ireland’s largest companies that are members of BITCI and gives a county by county breakdown of how companies such as A&L Goodbody, Bank of Ireland, IBM, ESB and their employees supported their local community groups and charities during 2013. National statistics show that Ireland’s largest companies contributed over €24 million to support community groups and organisations in addressing key social issues and causes in 2013 (equates to €66,000 a day), establishing over 5,100 community partnerships. Social issues that received the most support during 2013 were health at €5.2 million, education programmes at €5.5 million, children and youth projects at €4.6 million and community programmes at €2 million.

The event is being hosted by Business in the Community Ireland to showcase the positive impact which companies in Cork are having on their local communities and how it benefits their business, their employees and their community relationships through the significant contribution they are making to Irish society. The Business Showcase Event demonstrates the business leadership within Cork in regard to the adoption of sustainable and responsible practices, and presents best practice examples of strategic community programmes across the county. Further discussion will reveal how schools and businesses are twinning up to help retention rates for hundreds of students around Cork. Currently through BITCI’s Schools Business Partnership Programme, 15 schools and businesses in the Cork area have been matched.

Featured speakers include Minster Minister of State with responsibility for Research and Innovation, Sean Sherlock T.D.

Speaking about the event, Tina Roche, CEO, Business in the Community Ireland commented:

 “The businesses featured on the Business Impact Map are positively impacting the communities they operate in by using their strong position to address vital social issues and causes such as youth employment, homelessness and education, where under funding can be hugely detrimental.  Companies are providing support to the many groups and organisations involved in a range of issues and as a result are reporting increased staff engagement and satisfaction.”

Roche added:

 “The event is a chance for businesses and groups and organisations in the Cork area to meet up and really get a sense of the wonderful impacts businesses are making in the region. We hope it forges stronger links between businesses to collaborate on vital social issues and indeed inspire other companies to engage with their communities.”

Cork based BITCI member companies are: Abbott, Abbvie, Arup, A&L Goodbody, Bank of Ireland, Bord Gáis Networks, BT Ireland, Boots Retail Ireland, DAA, Diageo Ireland, ESB, Enterprise-Rent-a-Car, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, KBC, KPMG, Kellogg’s, Intel, MSD, Marks & Spencer Ireland, Microsoft Ireland, Musgrave, IBM, PepsiCo, PM Group, Janssen Biologics, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Oracle, O2 Ireland, Sodexo, State Street, Topaz, Ulster Bank.

BITCI member companies profiled on the map are:  A&L Goodbody, Abbott Ireland, AbbVie, Accenture, Amgen, AOL Ireland, Arup, Bank of Ireland Group, Boots Retail (Irl) Ltd, Bord Gáis Networks, BT Ireland, Coca-Cola Ireland, DAA, Davy, Deloitte, Diageo Ireland, eBay Inc, eircom, EirGrid plc, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, ESB, Friends First, IBM Ireland Ltd., Intel Ireland, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, Janssen Biologics (Ireland), Janssen Pharmaceutical, KBC Bank Ireland, Kellogg’s, KPMG, Marks & Spencer (Ireland) Ltd, Microsoft Ireland, MSD Ireland, Musgrave Group, O2 Ireland ,Oracle Ireland Ltd.,  PepsiCo, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, PM Group, PwC, Shell E&P Ireland Ltd, Sodexo Ireland,  State Street International Ireland, Topaz, Transdev, Ulster Bank Group, Veolia, Vodafone Ireland Foundation.