O2 Airwave in the community

O2 Airwave provides a secure digital network exclusively for UK’s emergency and public-safety organisations.

Public safety is a main focus for O2 Airwave because it links closely with our work day to day. We particularly support young people at risk, and other schemes under the banner of O2 Airwave Challenges, our employee volunteering programme.

Building O2 Airwave’s network of over 3,000 masts – often in remote and sensitive areas - raised some concerns, so we particularly include environmental projects in our community work. O2 Airwave’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Richardson, also champions the environment across the O2 Group.

O2 Airwave Challenges was launched in April 2005 and is supported by a total of 63 volunteers. This equates to 10 per cent of our workforce who donated 483 hours in the first year.

O2 volunteers worked with:

The National Trust in Stanlow, Cheshire, where we helped to recover a wetland area for public community pleasure and education.

BTCV, a volunteering organisation for environmental conservation, through which we have provided allotments for low-income families in Rugby and several school projects involving biodiversity education and practical work to upgrade gardens, playgrounds and ponds. We will continue to build on these school partnerships in 2006 and to extend our programme with opportunities for more employees to get involved.

On the road

O2 Airwave is also involved with the Bolton Lads and Girls Club, supporting the use of an outreach vehicle to help children in deprived areas improve their use of leisure times. Many are youngsters who could become involved in crime or anti-social behaviour. The project reached out to some 500 youngsters in 2005/06.

We have also linked closely with the police via the Child Victims of Crime ‘Tackle Safety’ campaign, for which we sponsored publication of a leaflet distributed to 750,000 young people.
 
O2 Airwave was named Corporate Supporter of the year by the Fire Fighters Benevolent Fund for its support of the UK Fire Service and Fire Service Benevolent Fund during 2005.

O2 Airwave main area of involvement

Total cash donations from O2 Airwave, 2005/06 - £56,999