Businesses working in the community recognised

Businesses working in the community recognised – and given a job

From supporting food rescue efforts to teaching students how to make their money stretch, New Zealand businesses investing in their communities were rewarded for their efforts last night.

Countdown, ANZ and The Warehouse were the three winners of the 2017 BACS Good Business Egg Awards, which recognise businesses giving back and investing in their community.

Run by Business and Community Shares NZ, the awards are now in their fifth year, and are focused on shining the spotlight on good corporate social responsibility.

BACS Director Julie Donvin-Irons says the three winners not only received an award and commendation for their investment in community, they were also given a task for the coming year.

“Our three winners also received the BACS Living Award, which this year is quite literally a pile of bricks symbolising the task we have given them for the year ahead.

“Loneliness is a social issue faced by many New Zealanders, it leads to feelings of abandonment, rejection, isolation and depression. The challenge to our winners is to find ways over the course of the next year to knock down that wall of loneliness and isolation for at least some New Zealanders.”

Julie Donvin-Irons says that could be in the form of breaking down barriers for those feeling isolated due to illness or disease, it might be supporting refugee communities who face cultural barriers, or it might be finding ways to support the hundreds of New Zealand children isolated by family violence.

“The challenge to our winners is to make a difference, and at next year’s awards, they will report back on what they did, what they learnt and what difference they have made in our community,” she says.

At last night’s ceremony Countdown received the Health and Wellbeing Award for its efforts in a number of fields, including supporting Alzheimers New Zealand’s annual appeal, contributing to the redistribution of unsold food to people in need, and encouraging New Zealanders to make healthy food choices by programmes such as providing free fruit in-store for children to snack on while their parents shop.

The Education and Skills category was won by ANZ with the judges commending its MoneyMinded programme which teaches financial literacy. The bank partners with community organisations to roll out free training programmes in the community, teaching students and others how to make their money go further, not just by budgeting but through lifestyle changes such as cooking rather than buying takeaways.

The Warehouse was the winner of the Community Empowerment award. The Warehouse fundraises $2.5 million annually to support community groups that focus on helping young people and families. The judges commented that the company’s efforts did feel like part of its DNA – that it was truly invested in working with organisation that support families and young people in the fields of education, wellbeing and youth employment.

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