O2 Ireland in the community

Irish Autism Action

O2 Ireland announced its three-year charity partnership with Irish Autism Action in January 2006.

This is the first time the Company has focused on a single charity - chosen by employees - for its community investment activity. Our aim is to encourage O2 employees to help those affected by autism, providing resources, communication and marketing tools in a three-year plan involving fundraising, volunteering, awareness building and use of mobile technology.

Autism affects the ability to communicate and form relationships. O2 Ireland believes it will have an important role in offering support and communication as well as much-needed funds.

Irish Autism Action was founded in 2001 to represent parent groups, support groups and schools for people with autism across Ireland. Its philosophy is to be ‘a voice for those who have none’.

During the first six months of the partnership we donated €70,000 through our traditional Christmas card, raffle and party donations and a corporate donation. O2 Ireland has recently joined the O2 Group payroll Can Do Giving scheme and these funds are also being directed to Irish Autism Action.

Our relationship with Irish Autism Action is managed by a cross-functional project team and we have a full programme of activity to support the partnership. O2 employees are supporting the Autism Life Cycle in June – a cycle around Ireland which will raise funds for the IAA’s new national diagnostic centre – the first dedicated autism diagnostic centre of its kind in Ireland.

Vounteering will be the lynchpin of the partnership, harnessing business expertise and event-management skills and launching a befriending scheme and school support. We will also be decorating the Irish Autism Action National Diagnostic Centre. We aim to recruit 70 O2 volunteers and raise €100,000 in 2006.

O2 Ability Awards

During the year O2 Ireland also sponsored its second O2 Ability Awards.

The awards acknowledge organisations that recognise the contribution that people with disabilities – employees and customers – make to business. There was a 12 per cent rise in the number of companies that entered this year’s awards.

Within O2 Ireland, we have devised an internal diversity programme to support our sponsorship of the O2 Ability Awards. This includes disability awareness training for all managers and employees, a recruitment and induction programme for people with disabilities, and the provision of fully accessible buildings. O2’s new corporate headquarters in Dublin is fully accessible for people with physical disabilities.

In November 2005, O2 won a President’s award from the business group Chambers Ireland for the best community-based project by a large company for our sponsorship of the O2 Ability Awards.

O2 Ireland Chief Executive Officer Danuta Gray champions inclusion and diversity across the O2 Group.

New Carers Network
We set up a Carers Network among employees during the year. This is for parents or relatives with significant caring responsibilities, for example parents and relatives of those with disabilities.

O2 Ireland total contribution

Total cash donations from Ireland, 2005/06 – £465,197

O2 Ireland main area of involvement