Phoenix LIFE
Phoenix is the pre-eminent natural gas distribution, supply and service organisation in Northern Ireland. Coupled with the recognised impact it has made through the introduction of natural gas locally, Phoenix has also been recognised for its significant impact in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Simon Little, Phoenix Communications Manager, explains why CSR and community initiatives remain such an integral part of Phoenix’s operations.
Phoenix’s award-winning CSR programme is called ‘LIFE’ and stands for: Leadership in the marketplace, Investing in our people, Fostering our community and Environmental Responsibility. LIFE has been developed to provide an overarching framework for the range of initiatives carried out by Phoenix that positively impact our marketplace, workplace, environment and community. We were delighted to have recently, for the seventh year running, received national recognition for our efforts by collecting a Business In The Community ‘Big Tick’ award for CSR excellence. Phoenix has won the Big Tick award more times than any other organisation throughout Northern Ireland.
Fostering Our Community
Phoenix has a long history of supporting young people and providing them with as much help as possible in meeting their potential goals in life. At the moment we are continuing with our commitment to support the Ulster Rugby Academy, which is known as the Phoenix Ulster Rugby Academy. It is designed to nurture, develop and prepare the next generation of Ulster and Ireland rugby stars.
Within the last few months Phoenix has also agreed to support the GAA with its development of elite youngsters, and we have recently been recognised for our positive impact on the arts locally by Arts & Business.
However in terms of our community work it is Phoenix and the wider gas industry’s Energy for Children Charitable Trust that continues to have the greatest impact in terms of changing people’s lives in Northern Ireland for the better.
The Trust was founded with the objective to break new ground and reach deeper into the heart of local communities in order to help improve the lives of disadvantaged children. Focusing on individuals and groups who may have slipped through the net of the more established charity network, Phoenix provides all administrative and operational support so that every penny raised goes to needy causes. To date the Trust has helped over 5,000 individual children throughout Greater Belfast and beyond.
Education Outreach
Another key part of Phoenix LIFE has been our Education Outreach programme, which involves working with pupils of Primary school age right up to students who are involved in further education at Universities and Colleges. One of the most recent initiatives has seen members of staff agree to mentor two groups of 8-year old children from two different schools as part of Business In The Community’s national ‘Time to Read’ and ‘Time to Count’ programmes. This involves a commitment to attend the local schools once a week for a full year playing a key role in helping to improve the literacy and numeracy levels of children by reading books with them and developing learning based scenarios.
We are also founding members and supporters of Queen’s University’s new Graduate and Executive Education Centre, Riddel Hall.
Environmental Responsibility
Around 2.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) has already been prevented from entering the local atmosphere by consumers switching to gas in the Phoenix Natural Gas licence area, with continued savings of around 250,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum (the equivalent of removing around 80,000 from Northern Ireland’s roads each year).
Phoenix Energy Advisors have in the last year on average visited 200 homes every week to provide essential energy awareness and savings advice tailored to each individual home (over 10,000 homes a year). Through these audits Phoenix encourages people to switch to what is a lower carbon fuel, to use more energy efficient appliances, to protect their homes from heat loss, to add insulation measures and to reduce overall energy consumption.
To add to this energy advice work Phoenix showed real leadership last year by, with the natural gas trade, setting up a wide-ranging and privately funded boiler scrappage scheme for householders who needed that little bit of extra help in order to alleviate their dependency on inefficient boilers and get connected to the Phoenix Natural Gas network for the first time. The scheme saw the local gas industry stump up £400 cash back for any consumers wishing to upgrade from an old inefficient domestic oil boiler over a certain age to a high efficiency A-rated natural gas boiler.
For older people, who are often among the most vulnerable in society, there is a 65+ Saver scheme in place that offers an £800 grant towards the cost of installing a high efficiency natural gas heating system.
Investing In Our People
We continue to invest in the organisation’s most important asset – its people. Increasingly, there is evidence that Phoenix’s reputation as a socially responsible business is helping to attract job candidates who recognise us as an employer with a strong focus on people. Furthermore Phoenix’s staff turnover has fallen significantly over the last two years and staff satisfaction surveys suggest that CSR activities are a key reason for people deciding to stay on with Phoenix to develop their careers.
Long-Term Benefits
Phoenix’s investment in CSR is a long-term one put in place strategically to benefit both the organisation and the local communities that we serve. The financial resources attributed to Phoenix LIFE are far outweighed by the voluntary effort, commitment and time given by staff to maximise the impact of all initiatives pursued.
Simon Little can be contacted on
028 9055 5541 or at simon.little@phoenixgroupni.com
Report sponsored by George Best Belfast City Airport
