Phoenix Natural Gas Local Community Impact

Phoenix has an extensive corporate responsibility strategy and investing in the local community is integral to its strategy.

What they did

Fostering Community Involvement

Phoenix sponsors and provides all administrative support for the ‘Energy for Children’ charity. The charity funds projects that make a difference in the lives of local children who are disadvantaged. Phoenix also has an Energy Care Scheme which helps older gas customers (over 60 years of age) or those that are disabled or chronically sick, meet their energy requirements, by providing special assistance, e.g., a talking bill service, free gas safety checks etc. Yet another Energy related community programme that Phoenix runs is the ‘Cosy Homes’ scheme. Through this Phoenix provides financial assistance to people living in Housing Executive properties to convert to gas.

Another major way in which Phoenix has made an impact on the local community has been through encouraging and supporting staff involvement in volunteering. Phoenix supports and facilitates staff volunteering through a number of ways:

Giving staff ‘Time off’ to meet their voluntary commitments;

Recognising staff who volunteer by profiling them in Community News – our CSR magazine;

Consideration of voluntary activities in the appraisal process.

In 2007, over 150 Phoenix staff participated in one or more voluntary activities, amounting to more than 3000 hours over the year.

Impact

In 2007 alone, Phoenix raised more than £120,000 for the Energy for Children Charitable Trust. These funds have supported some 50 local initiatives for children and young people.
Phoenix supports a wide range of community initiatives by providing corporate sponsorship. In 2007, Phoenix invested more than £10,000 in sponsoring community initiatives, including the Young innovators award, The Irish Indoor Athletics Championship, The Environmental Improvement Award, The Energy in Art Programme and the Engineering Education Scheme
The success of its Local Community Programmes has led to an increased local profile for Phoenix’. In 2007 for example, it obtained the equivalent of £8000.00 worth of media coverage through its CSR work.

Finalists of the NI Local Community Impact Award 2008