COMPANY CSR INITIATIVE
SPONSORED BY BAE SYSTEMS WINNER: FAIR WAYS
A CHILD services company has seen its dedication, commitment and hard work pay off with a double award win.
Fair Ways, based in Lakeside, North Harbour, is charity owned and it delivers a comprehensive range of services to children and young people, almost all referred by local authorities or courts.
These services include fostering, residential, education, healthcare, and outreach - mostly in the Solent area.
It was named Company CSR Initiative of The Year for its wide range of initiatives that all seek to help others.
It has adopted a framework approach to CSR and has carried out successful backpack donations for homeless people, distributed food parcels and set up an assistance fund to help those in financial hardship.
Its IT team refurbished and donated equipment to children disadvantaged by the digital divide. Its maintenance teams refurbished a flat for a local family and it even launched a new eco committee with an ambition of carbon neutrality across Fair Ways, as well as organising education and activity events like beach and river cleans.
As well as the CSR category, Fair Ways was also honoured for its commitment to its staff - and it was named Employer of the Year. The judges recognised the challenging environment it works in, and praised its investment in its staff to ensure they don’t burn out.
The company gives staff the training they need and the tools to develop.
Mac McHugh, CEO, said:
‘It wasn’t unexpected to win the awards as I know how much work, effort, time and commitment we’ve put in this year. Our organisation’s purpose is our staff, our young people and our community.
‘We’re not about making money, we’re about making a difference in the community we all live.
‘People want to have a sense purpose where they work and when they are doing something worthwhile and giving something back that makes them happy and better at their job.
‘A lot of the staff will be happy with winning the awards. We’ve done well in previous awards but to win an award in the local community and from the local newspaper to recognise what we are doing in the area means far more to people.’
The judges said there was a high quality of entries in the Employer of the Year category, so they highly commended
CSG, a UK waste management company with head offices in Fareham. CSG said its people are the driving force behind its success.