(04 October 2021) Age Action today announced Ervia as the overall winner of the Age Action BIG Corporate Challenge 2021, for their Strong Roots, Green Shoots initiative which raised over €14,000 for Age Action as well as promoting intergenerational relationships to challenge ageist attitudes.
The Age Action BIG Corporate Challenge is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme that encourages corporate teams to promote intergenerational connection whilst raising funds and awareness to support Age Action. By pledging to “Be Intergenerational,” participants increase their understanding across generations, which is key to transforming attitudes towards ageing and achieving a more inclusive society that values all of us as we age.
Sustainability is a core pillar of Ervia’s business strategy, and they focused their fundraising efforts on a green themed calendar of events called ‘strong roots, green shoots’. Ervia employees and their families took part in planet friendly fundraising including a tree planting initiative which will see 100 trees, dedicated to a loved one by an employee, planted by school children local to Ervia’s main office locations.
Christina van der Kamp, Corporate Social Responsibility manager said ‘We are proud to win the inaugural Age Action BIG Corporate Challenge. The BIG Corporate Challenge has really helped raise awareness about ageism amongst our employees and also contributed to employee engagement and furthering our community support during this especially difficult time. Congratulations to all the other companies that took part and to Age Action for coordinating such an impactful event.’
In presenting the award to Ervia, Age Action CEO Paddy Connolly noted that ‘Ervia’s programme of fundraising activities not only raised the most money but also demonstrated the intergenerational solidarity needed to protect the environment for all of us as we age and future generations. Their deliberate effort to engage people of all ages in activities to protect people and planet also created opportunities for participants to raise their awareness of ageing and ageism and foster greater understanding between generations.’
In this pilot year for Age Action BIG Corporate Challenge the four participants - Ervia, VMware, Fidelity Investments, and Sky Ireland – raised in excess of €43,000 to support Age Action’s programmes and advocacy. The judging panel recognised their efforts with additional awards:
- VMware won the Best Intergenerational Fundraiser award for their book, which was filled with stories that local schoolchildren collected from their parents and grandparents
- Fidelity Investments won the Team Spirit Award for their employee engagement having over 200 staff involved, and their “Pay It Forward” campaign which saw Fidelity staff connecting with older people in their own communities
- Sky Ireland won the CSR Identity Integrity Award for their theme, “Family Born and Chosen”, demonstrating an excellent understanding of inclusion, strong collaboration and participation of employees in the activities as well as giving visibility to Age Action.
Throughout the last six months, Age Action staff hosted three workshops on ageism and age friendly workplaces for participants to promote ageing as part of diversity and inclusion strategies. In addition to receiving the inaugural Age Action BIG Corporate Challenge award, the winning team will also benefit from a full day of mentorship from the judging panel, which included Age Action CEO, Paddy Connolly, Activist and Age Action board member, Ailbhe Smyth, Business in the Community CEO, Tomás Sercovich, and THINKHOUSE Founder and CEO, Jane McDaid. An additional fun prize for the top team has been kindly sponsored by Age Action partner innocent Drinks.
The next round of the programme will launch in early 2022. Interested corporates can learn more and join by contacting Melanie Steinhardt, Corporate Partnerships & Philanthropy Manager, at melanie.steinhardt@ageaction.ie.
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