Zurich Cares recognised as outstanding community programme
LONDON, 5 December, 2001 - Zurich Financial Services has been awarded Company of the Year in the Whitbread Volunteer Action Awards. HRH Princess Michael of Kent presented the award at a ceremony today. The award was accepted by Stuart Reynolds, Alliance Director for Zurich and Chair of Zurich Cares.
The company received this prestigious accolade for Zurich Cares, its community involvement programme. Zurich Cares supports and encourages staff to help the most disadvantaged in the community move from dependence to independence locally, nationally and in developing countries through fundraising, volunteering and grant giving activities. Zurich's programme shows how volunteering can be good for business, both as a development tool for staff, and as a bridge for building meaningful relationships with the community. Long-term partnerships are forged with many organisations ensuring the impact is real and lasting.
"We're very proud of the work our people do in their local communities," said Sandy Leitch, CEO of Zurich Financial Services in the UK. "This award, while presented to Zurich, represents hundreds of individuals who give selflessly of their time and money. The company supports their generosity by encouraging participation and matching their contributions."
Zurich's employees give an estimated 20,000 hours of their time each year, getting involved in a broad range of activities including sharing business skills, lunchtime volunteering and one-off challenge projects to benefit local communities. More than 170 challenges will be completed this year.
Employees also raise money for many charitable organisations, much of which is matched by the company trust.
In addition to the Company of the Year recognition, one of Zurich's employees, Paul Bentley, was presented with the Whitbread South West Area Volunteer Action Award in recognition of his commitment to volunteering. Paul gives nearly 700 hours of his free time each year.
Zurich Cares is part of Zurich's overarching Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
Zurich's involvement in CSR was also recognised yesterday at the annual general meeting of Business in the Community. Zurich's UK operations are one of the pilot companies to participate in a new website which measures companies' impact on society. This new CSR reporting channel can be accesses on the Business Impact Review Group's website, www.iosreporting.org.uk, which was launched on Tuesday.
Sandy Leitch, who is also Deputy Chairman of Business in the Community, added, "Expectations of the role companies play in their communities have changed and consumers are increasingly looking beyond mere price in their purchasing decisions," said Leitch. "They want to know what companies truly stand for -- what's behind the product or service being offered. Corporate Social Responsibility is about the way we do business with our customers, the way we treat our employees and our impact on the environment."
ENDS
Editors Note:
The Zurich Financial Services Group (www.zurich.com) is a global leader in the financial services industry, providing its customers with integrated and web-enabled solutions in the area of financial protection and asset accumulation. The Group concentrates its activities in five business segments: non-life and life insurance, reinsurance, Farmers Management Services, and asset management. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the Group's world-wide presence builds on strong positions in its three key markets - the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. It has offices in more than 60 countries serving 35 million customers and employing approximately 70,000 people.
Zurich Financial Services (UKISA) is part of the Zurich Financial Services Group and comprises the Group's operations in the UK, Ireland and South Africa. Zurich is the UK's fourth-largest general insurer and is one of the UK's largest life insurers. Zurich Financial Services (UKISA) Community Trust is a registered charity funded by pre-tax profits and by donations from staff and financial advisers. Almost one third of the staff are involved in volunteering activities, contributing 20,000 hours annually. Since 1972, over £33 million has been donated to voluntary organisations in the UK and overseas. Nearly £5.1 million was donated last year alone. The Zurich Trust has been recognised for its work, by receiving the Programme Impact Mark for its India Programme from Business in the Community and now this award.
The Business Impact Review Group is a pioneering group of companies that have agreed to share information about their impact on their 'communities.' This data, which will serve as a benchmark for these and other companies in the future, includes information on the companies' impact on the environment, workplace issues, and their roles and responsibilities in their industries.
For more information contact:
Kitty Barran, Zurich Financial Services, on 0207 317 3840.
