Giving Something Back

Financial Services

Danske Bank

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This year, Danske Bank’s wellbeing theme is mental health delivered through the ‘Your Self Care’ programme. With extensive colleague support, it includes the launch of mental health toolkits; a new people leader workshop, mental health leading from the front; partnering with Benenden with webinars, location visits to share information on resources and offer one-to-one support.

Danske Bank’s Learning at Work Week was open to all colleagues and consisted of 14 top-quality sessions and inspirational speakers. With a mixture of external and internal speakers, Danske Bank colleagues focused on the central theme ‘Winning in the Marketplace’ and explored skills such as AI, Relationship Management, customer insights and focused on external perspectives.

Danske Bank is committed to making a positive social impact in Northern Ireland. Through community engagement it supports the next generation with a focus on financial education and employability skills, with programmes including Money Smart Financial Education. It also has a dedicated charity partner, Include Youth, and has raised over £100,000 through colleague fundraising.

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Technology

CyberLab

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Employees at CyberLab are provided with clear learning milestones and career development opportunities. The Sales Salary Ladders, for instance, offers a framework of competencies and achievements that can be met in exchange for salary increases.

CyberLab prioritises the mental and physical wellbeing of its employees. This is seen through the availability of mental health first aiders, the Employee Assistance Programme scheme for counselling, the wellbeing day, and the flexible benefits package that promotes health.

CyberLab's 'Engage' platform allows employees to 'praise' their colleagues, with every praise resulting in a £1 donation to a chosen charity. The company also participates in events like 'Movember', raising £1500 in funds for causes such as men's health.

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Charity's

Career Connect

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Career Connect are an accredited Professional Development Centre, recognised by awarding bodies OCR, City & Guilds and ILM. It runs "Inspiring Leaders" workshops twice a year to give staff an insight into the role of a manager and encourage internal progression routes and promotion for its staff.

As a charity, Career Connect encourages its teams to support other charities. Over the last year, its teams have organised: foodbank and toiletries collections, delivering parcels of essential supplies to local homeless charities; Macmillan bake sales; and a Save the Children Christmas Jumper fundraiser.

Career Connect runs a wellbeing campaign twice a year. The objective is to encourage its people to try out different activities that boost their health and wellbeing. Staff were given paid time off to participate in the activities of their choice. This included physical and mental activities such as exercise, yoga, and baking.

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Education & Training

Exeter Students' Guild

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The Guild brings teams together to celebrate their shared success, such as on its annual all-staff day where staff can choose to take part in a range of activities - from bowling and rock climbing, to crafts, wellbeing walks, expert talks and massages.

Exeter Guild place a huge focus on developing future leaders. Every person that joins the Guild as a non-manager attends a 3-day leadership programme that focuses on ‘Grip Self, Grip Team, Grip Task’. It’s about taking personal responsibility, finding your ‘why’ and seeing yourself as a leader in the organisation and beyond.

The Guild is committed to minimising its environmental impact wherever possible. This is achieved strategically and operationally through an Environmental Management System, but crucially includes educating members about ways in which they can improve their impact on the environment. Furthermore, the Guild facilitates and supports environmental initiatives and provide volunteering opportunities for its members.

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Utilities

Consultiv Utilities Ltd

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Consultiv Utilities offers its employees access to Vitality health, dental, vision, and hearing insurance, ensures its people can access premium healthcare services. Furthermore, its Employee Assistance Program offers a range of support, from mental health counselling to finance and legal advice. These benefits demonstrate the organisation’s firm belief in comprehensive employee wellbeing.

Consultiv Utilities offers uncapped commission schemes which provide an infinite earning potential based on performance. Additionally, its bonus schemes are designed to celebrate not only individual achievements but also team and company success. These include monthly and yearly incentives based on personal, team, and company-wide targets, stirring collective responsibility and shared success.

The organisation encourages employee volunteers to support local charities and community programmes. It offers logistical and financial support to staff who participate in the Great North Run, and it has members of staff competing in Total Warrior. On average it raises and donates between £4000 to £4500 a month.

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Business Services

LumiLinks

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LumiLinks brings its teams together to build stronger relationships through a number of activities and events, including hosting board games and book clubs, encouraging colleague to put forward albums of the week, pizza days, and geoguessr competitions.

One of LumiLink’s core values is to promote and support lifelong learning. Internally, it has a robust leadership training programme which is delivered through its people partners. This platform has over 400 courses that can be delivered in bitesize sessions, and includes a range of soft skills, behavioural attributes, and emotional and mental wellbeing programmes.

LumiLinks supports several causes, including sponsoring an internal project to support analytics for the visually impaired. The organisation also sponsors a grassroots football team and a London based Gaelic football team, and supports events for a cystic fibrosis charity.

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Utilities

MWH Treatment

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MWH Treatment supports employee development through regular 'Let's Talk' conversations, a structured Graduate and Apprenticeship scheme, and a comprehensive catalogue of courses. The company's job family structure and competency development initiative provide clear career progression paths.

The organisations prioritises employee wellbeing through various innovative initiatives, including the HSE Stress Indicator Tool, "Rate my Wellbeing" app, and ActivSHEQ assessments. The company's EAP provides 24/7 online counselling and resources for self-managed wellbeing, ensuring comprehensive support.

MWH Treatment actively contributes to society through various community and charity initiatives. From building a sensory garden for a local primary school to supporting local charities and animal sanctuaries, the company's commitment to giving back is evident.

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Business Services

Opus Technology

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Opus Technology does a family Christmas event each year where it purchases gifts for all the employees’ children, arranges a Santa and decorates the offices with Christmas decorations and games. Employees bring their families together for an afternoon of family fun with some added treats along the way, creating a sense of community amongst them.

Fully funded companywide social events take place three times per year, including interactive team building activities such as The Cube which bring employees together and help staff to get to know people outside of their immediate teams. Regular social events are also organised by departments across the organisation and encourage staff to build personal relationships.

Opus Technology continues to support Polar Bear International and the Kenya tree planting initiative. It has also recently donated £1700 to the Samson Centre, £2500 to Ukraine charities, £2000 to Turkey earthquake relief charities, and £2000 to Save the Children – raised through Christmas Jumper days.

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Leisure & Hospitality

Blacklock

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At Blacklock, personal growth is facilitated through initiatives such as the 'WordTake' quarterly review process and the 'Training Skills Workbooks'. These programmes provide a structured support system for employees to continually develop and improve their skills.

Blacklock believes in rewarding its employees' hard work and loyalty. This is reflected in its rewards and recognition scheme, which includes shopping vouchers, paid sabbaticals, and even round-the-world tickets for long-term employees.

Blacklock demonstrates its commitment to society through initiatives such as paid volunteering days and collaborations with charities like Only A Pavement Away. The company encourages employees to give back to the community, highlighting its commitment to social responsibility.

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Recruitment

Linnk Group

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The organisation offers a free Employee Assistance Programme, which includes a confidential helpline, and up to 6 free counselling sessions. As part of the service, there is a mobile app, which includes webinars, nutritional advice, fitness advice, financial advice, and health checks. It also offers wellbeing days off in addition to annual leave.

Linnk Group runs monthly and quarterly incentives with trips for the winners. It has sent teams go-karting, to Clays, Flight Club, Fairgame, and it awarded an iPad as the prize at the end of year competition. The Group also awards an Employee of the Month in each office who is nominated by their senior colleagues.

The Group runs various donation-based events and awareness raising such as Macmillan Coffee Morning, Breast Cancer Now's Wear It Pink Day, Christmas Jumper Day, and Jeans for Genes Day. For Quarter 1 of 2024, it also supported the fundraising for a colleague's niece who has a heart condition requiring urgent surgery.

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Purpose Boosts Engagement

Danske Bank

CyberLab

Career Connect

Exeter Students' Guild

Consultiv Utilities Ltd

LumiLinks

MWH Treatment

Opus Technology

Blacklock

Linnk Group

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