More than $160,000 is being donated from Department of Corrections staff to their colleagues in Christchurch to help them recover from the Christchurch earthquake.

The Department’s "Give Your Mates A Day" Trust, which was launched in March after the earthquake, has provided a novel opportunity for staff to voluntarily donate a day's leave to Christchurch based staff.

“For each day’s leave that a staff member donates, the Department is paying out the net dollar value of that leave and placing that money into the Trust for our staff in Christchurch,” says Corrections Chief Executive Ray Smith.

“While the total number of leave days donated is still being processed, 946 employees have so far donated a day, resulting in $160,400 being placed into the Trust to be spread equitably to Christchurch Corrections staff.

“The idea came from a number of staff who wanted to find practical ways to help. It was simply another way for people to help if they wanted to.

“Many staff in Christchurch have faced real hardship following the earthquake, including a number who have lost their homes. Despite this, they continued to report for duty and work to keep the community safe.

“The Department of Corrections is doing everything it can to support staff and the rest of the Christchurch community in their recovery efforts after the earthquake. Staff will always be our number one priority and the generosity and goodwill of staff who have donated leave show just how far we will go to support our colleagues,” says Ray Smith.

ENDS

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