Three companies launch new CSR initiatives to better engage their communities. Diana Cantor reports on easyJet, HS2 and DONG Energy

easyJet

The airline has an initiative to bring its young travellers closer to reading by having children’s literature available aboard.

Given the generalised concern for the reading habits of the youngest members of families, 2,000 British parents with children aged 8 – 12 were surveyed by the airline. The answers revealed 83% of parents believe children are reading less than they used to at the same age. According to the study, on average children read only three books during the summer holidays.

Travelling with a child can become a challenge due to the space limitation and entertainment restrictions. This is the perfect scenario to show children all they need to have fun is a book in their hands. easyJet expects to fly 750,000 families from the UK during the summer of 2017, a wide audience for its campaign.

Children will be encouraged to read not only by having access to classics of children’s literature but also by new publications they can download from easyJet’s website. Additionally, writer Jacqueline Wilson has joined the campaign and some of her titles are also in the airline list.

easyJet CEO Carolyn McCall says, “The launch of our summer kids book club is another initiative designed to make flying with us more fun and help to get kids hooked on a book at the start of the holiday season at the same time.”

This is the first initiative from the partnership between easyJet’s and creative communications agency Taylor Herring.

DONG Energy

With the “Skills Fund”, DONG Energy targets local challenges in the coastal areas of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Norfolk.

DONG Energy is known in the UK for its offshore wind, oil and gas and waste treatment business. The generation of green electricity is one of its latest projects and it is expected start the construction of three new wind farms.

In 2016, the company created the Local Liaison Committee, an initiative to exchange information and opinions with local residents during its constructions. As a result, it has gained more awareness of the impact of its projects and the necessities of the communities neighbouring its facilities.

Natasha Nanuck, the company’s stakeholder advisor says, “We are really pleased to launch the Skills Fund which will commit £75,000 each year for 20 years to help to improve local skills and employment opportunities.”

The Danish company has announced it will invest £9.3m in community and environmental projects over the next two decades in the coastal areas of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Norfolk where its Hornsea Project One and Race Bank offshore wind farms are located.

In March 2017, DONG Energy received the Financial Times award 'Boldness in Business' in the ‘Corporate responsibility/environment’ category for its renewable energy projects.

HS2

Following multiple controversies, the Department of Transport finally has good news for HS2´s neighbouring communities. A strong emphasis will be placed on the construction’s impact on the development of apprentices’ skills.

British companies will benefit from contracts derived from HS2 construction, which are estimated by the Government to be around £6.6bn for the entire project and are expected to create 16,000 jobs over the next 6 years.

Since the project will be powered by public funds, the Department of Transport is committed to make sure that although Tier 1 contracts will go to large construction companies, other supply chain opportunities go to small and medium-sized (SME) contractors. Around 60% of the 7,000 supply chain contract opportunities will be allocated to SME business.

In an effort to make the project more beneficial not only to contractors but also to communities, the Government has decided to take the construction of HS2 as an opportunity to target the skills crisis in urban and rural communities.

Rico Wojtulewicz, policy advisor for the National Federation of Builders, says, “The Government must ensure that this promise is kept, not just because the route will go through many rural communities, where SMEs are predominant employers, but because SMEs train two-thirds of construction apprentices. With 25% of the construction industry set to retire within the next two decades, there is a real danger that projects will stall due to a lack of skilled workers.”