EDF Energy Networks staff Gemma Beckett, Julie Coulthard, Amber Hunt, Lesley Johnson, Michelle Holden and Marie Smith showed their support for England during the World Cup.
16 July 2010
After Spain lifted the World Cup on Sunday, EDF Energy Networks staff in Ipswich have achieved a goal too - having raised just over £2,000 for charity during the month of the football tournament.
A sum of more than £1,000 collected through a variety of events at the company’s Fore Hamlet site will be donated to ParalympicsGB, and this will be matched by EDF Energy taking the grand total to more than £2,000. EDF Energy has committed to match up to £100,000 for each of its charity partners this year, which are Global Action Plan and ParalympicsGB.
Fundraising ideas from staff ranged from Multicultural Midweek Munchies on Wednesdays, with colleagues bringing in cakes and nibbles to sell, to Footie Frenzy Fridays with staff making a donation to dress in their team colours, within the company dress code, or those of the teams due to play that day. For England games staff were encouraged to wear red and white.
A World Cup Predictor competition where colleagues predicted the results of games, quizzes, and a sweepstake were just some of the other events that helped achieve the fundraising total. Signed photographs of Liverpool players Jamie Carragher and Fernando Torres were donated for an auction, while a raffle offered prizes including a signed Arsenal away top, two team jackets from the Beijing Paralympic squad and vouchers from local businesses including hotels and a spa.
Lesley Buckle, a customer service quality coach at Fore Hamlet, who helped organise the events said: “We’re very grateful to the local businesses who donated prizes for the raffle. Some were on a sporting theme in keeping with the World Cup but there were also a number of prizes that weren’t football related for colleagues who’d not been following the tournament so intently.”
Tony Gray, head of customer service said staff had been very generous in their fundraising while maintaining services for customers throughout. He said: “We wanted to ensure the football fans among our staff and their colleagues could have a focus for their enthusiasm, while supporting their team and at the same time raise funds for charity. ParalympicsGB helps Britain's top athletes with a disability achieve their goal of competing at the highest level. The organisation is our company’s chosen charity for 2010 and we are also keen to show how Paralympic athletes can inspire positive behaviours and perceptions around disabilities.”
As the first sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games EDF Energy will help ensure London 2012 will be a truly sustainable games, uniting people to address climate changes and leaving a lasting legacy, not just in sport, but through environmental benefits.
Ends
For further information, contact Tracey Sparling in the EDF Energy Press Office on 08701 962504.
Notes to editors:
EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies, producing around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from its nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. The company provides power to a quarter of the UK’s population via its electricity distribution networks and supplies gas and electricity to more than 5.5 million business and residential customers. It is the number one supplier of electricity to major business in the UK.
EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity. EDF Energy is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear reactors, subject to the right investment framework. These new plants would generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.
Through Our Climate and Social Commitments EDF Energy has launched the biggest environmental and social programme of any UK energy company. EDF is the official energy utilities partner and sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company is also helping its customers and others use energy more sustainably through products and initiatives such as Read, Reduce, Reward and Team Green Britain.
EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. Following the integration with British Energy in 2009, the company employs nearly 20,000 people at locations across the UK.