Phoenix sets standard in responsible business
Phoenix Natural Gas has been recognised for its significant impact in the area of Corporate Responsibility (CR) by securing the Business In The Community Big Tick award, representing national best practice.
Business In The Community is the leading organisation that promotes responsible business and it has confirmed that Phoenix has been awarded the organisation’s national Big Tick award for excellence in corporate social responsibility for the eleventh consecutive year.
The award recognises the approach that Phoenix has taken in making a difference throughout the local communities where it operates and it has placed this as a core objective within the business.
Phoenix developed a fully integrated approach to CR through an overarching program called LIFE, which stands for ‘Leadership in the marketplace, Investing in our people, Fostering our community and Environmental responsibility’. LIFE has been developed to provide a focus for the range of initiatives carried out by Phoenix that positively impact the marketplace, workplace, environment and community.
A LIFE Committee, made up of senior managers from a range of departments throughout the business including finance, engineering, communications and human resources, is responsible for CR initiatives, setting objectives and reporting on the positive impact. Chief Executive of Phoenix, Michael McKinstry, chairs the LIFE committee and brings leadership and support to the ongoing work in this area. It is of key importance for all companies to have integrated CR practices that are endorsed at every level and actually underpin the main objectives of the business.
Michael McKinstry commented on the recent Big Tick achievement: “This award is testament to the ongoing hard work and effort of all our staff. Since founding the natural gas industry in Northern Ireland in 1996, Phoenix has always placed corporate responsibility programmes at the heart of all its activities. The continued recognition from Business In The Community for our positive impact highlights to staff that our approach continues to make a difference and it inspires us all to do even more work throughout our local communities that we serve.”
Over the last 12 months, Phoenix has added to its portfolio of community initiatives including introducing a sports bursary offering local athletes the opportunity to develop their sporting potential by providing them with funding that will enhance their ability to compete in their given sport at regional, national and international levels.
The inaugural Energy Aware Week campaign was also launched at the end of 2014, which was designed to increase awareness of energy efficiency and provide homeowners with practical help and advice to make their energy go further. The campaign itself was recently announced as winner of the Energy Efficiency award by the Institute of Gas Engineers and Managers.
Phoenix’s investment in CR is a long-term one put in place strategically to benefit both the organisation and the local communities that it serves. 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.
Phoenix Natural Gas
197 Airport Road West
Belfast, BT3 9ED
Tel: 03454 55 55 55
Web: www.phoenixnaturalgas.com
