Coca-Cola HBC employees raise more than £30k / €34k for Simon Community & MacMillan Cancer Support
72,000 drinks also donated to families in need through Food for Simon in 2017
Christmas may be the time for giving, but the employees at Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland have been giving back all year round, raising vital funds for its charity partners, MacMillan Cancer Support and the Simon Community.
In the second year of partnership with both charities, employees based across Lisburn, Dublin, Cork, Tipperary and Tuam contributed to the success of the fundraising efforts, which were then matched by the business. In total, €72,600/£65,300 has been donated to the charities over the last two years, with £30,000/€34,000 raised in 2017 alone.
Both charities remain close to the heart of the business, having been selected by employees. With more than 8,000 people currently experiencing homelessness in Ireland, there was unwavering support from Coca-Cola HBC employees for the partnership with Simon Community; an organisation that works with people across the country who are at risk or experiencing homelessness.
Similarly, MacMillan Cancer Support is a service close to many communities across Northern Ireland for the work they do in providing practical, emotional and financial support to families affected by cancer.
Championed by the employee-led ‘Our Charity Committee’, activities that contributed to the fundraising successes during the year included ‘Pedal Power’, a cycle challenge held in May that saw a team of 28 employees undertake a 100 mile journey from the Lisburn plant to the offices in Ballycoolin, Dublin 11. The annual football tournament ‘Where Pride Meets Passion’ also experienced fantastic support, with more than 160 employees taking to the pitch in Sportslink Santry during the summer to battle it out for the coveted trophy.
Other activities during the year included Halloween bake sale, ‘A whole lotta dough’; a bucket collection in Belfast on Black Friday and donations during the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour for employees.
A further strand in Coca-Cola HBC’s philanthropy throughout the year is the ‘in-kind’ support it gives to Food for Simon across Ireland and Northern Ireland. An estimated 72,000 bottles of water, juice and soft drinks were donated to families in need in 2017.
Gillian Shields, Community Investment Manager at Coca-Cola HBC said, “We were overwhelmed by the commitment and dedication our employees across the business showed for our charity partners in 2017. With the fantastic leadership of Our Charity Committee, we were inundated with ideas and offers of support from people across the business who were willing to provide both their time and money to support our charities.
“We’re delighted to present these funds to MacMillan Cancer Support and the Simon Community, who we know will use it to continue the important work that they do. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank them both for their fantastic partnership throughout the year.”
For more information about Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, visit ie.Coca-ColaHellenic.com.
