Like all major companies, we receive a large number of charitable requests. Inevitably, only some can gain our support, which is why we nominate a Charity of the Year, voted for by our employees who also actively support it through fundraising.

Community investment and charitable support

 

Supporting the community through a programme of corporate community investment extends beyond charitable donations to include staff volunteering and the provision of other resources.

Employee volunteering

Our employees help to make a difference to local communities. This may be by using their skills and expertise at local events and projects or giving their time to help raise money for countless charities. We know their efforts are greatly valued and more often not add more value than pure financial contributions.

We support and encourage employee volunteering, which in turn benefits local communities. Such work helps individual development - bringing benefit to our business too.

During 2003 we introduced a volunteering programme across the company that includes Changing Climates, careers mentoring (email and face to face), Partners in Leadership, graduate community involvement, employment opportunities - aimed at helping people with disabilities find and retain work, Science and Engineering Ambassadors and team challenges. We are encouraging the business to participate in at least one community team challenge per year.

 

Matched funding and matched time

Matched funding works in two ways:

• Enabling employees to claim a donation from Powergen to match their fundraising efforts, up to a maximum of £500 for each employee or up to £3,000 for a group of employees
• Allowing employees who volunteer in their own time - 80 hours a year or more - to claim a grant of up to £500 that can used by the charity or organisation to buy a specific item.
  

In 2003, we provided over £65,000 to a range of charities in this way.

Matched time

Matched funding

 

Powergen charity of the year 2003

In October and November 2002, employees were given the opportunity to vote for one national and three local charities. The list of options comes from either employee nominations or charities that have contacted us requesting support. We donate £15,000 to the winning national charity plus further donations during the year from company-wide fundraising activities. Three local charities receive £5,000 each.

 In 2003, our employees chose the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) as the Charity of the Year and during the year we and our employees raised just over £20,000, in addition to the initial Powergen donation, giving a grand total of £35,000.

The three local charities voted for in 2003 were the Rainbow Children's Hospice, The County Air Ambulance Trust and The Workbridge Centre, Northampton.

 

Ad-hoc funding

In addition to the charitable funding described above, we also provided in-kind support to a variety of local community groups and schools through donations of ad-hoc funding in 2003, donating £72,982 in this way.

 

Payroll giving

Payroll giving is a simple way for employees to support charities from their salary. Employees can choose to support any charity of their choice, local or national, with a regular donation from their pay.

The scheme works this way:

• For every £1 the employee gives
  22p goes as tax
• Therefore the real cost to the employee is 78p
• The Government will add 10%
• So the charity receives £1.10.
  

In 2003, Powergen employees raised over £12,238 for numerous charities through payroll giving.