At Co-Ownership Housing we continue our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility both through our day-to-day business activities and extra-curricular activities. Helping the environment and fulfilling our social purpose where we can is important to us.
Our activities are focused in 3 main areas
- Environment - reducing the impact of our operations on the environment through encouraging behaviours and introducing initiatives that minimise waste and maximise efficiency.
- Workplace - building on our existing activities that support equality of opportunity and diversity both in our dealings with clients and stakeholders and also across the organisation.
- Community - encouraging and supporting our staff in volunteering and fundraising opportunities.
Highlights for 2010/2011
Environment
The year saw a new focus on the environment with the creation of CSR environmental paper (Co-Ownership Housing Energy Saving Scheme or CHESS), action plan and awareness strategy. Below is only some of the highlights achieved so far
- An energy audit was carried out and made recommendations on heating, lighting and equipment
- Energy awareness sessions were held for all staff
- A dedicated team was set up for environmental issues (our CHESS Team)
- We have become a renewable energy premises
- We have embarked on a recycling partnership.
Workplace
- We have been reviewing our governance framework and policies for good practice in terms of meeting the needs of our various stakeholders.
- We continued to provide free staff and materials support for home buyers advice events organised by local estate agents, financial advisers and developers.
- Our Equality Team has been taking forward consultation and development of our good relations strategy
- We have been working towards Investors in People accreditation to evidence the value we place on training and supporting our staff.
Community
- Our staff collected gifts for local children once again at Christmas. The chosen charity this year was the Barnardo's Campaign.
- Other charitable fundraising activities during the year included "dressing down" days for breast cancer awareness, the earthquake victims in Haiti and Down's syndrome.
- Staff members continued with their very popular fundraising initiative of donating their own unwanted gifts to be raffled for nominated charities.
- We continued to take part in regular blood donation sessions in Belfast.
