4 August 2021
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
TELUS International Ireland has committed to raising €50,000 for its two partner charities, Aware and My Lovely Horse Rescue. The leading global customer experience and digital IT solutions provider is to host a series of fundraising activities over the coming year, kicking off with a sponsored 97km virtual walk challenge of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.
The fundraising proceeds raised will cover the costs of all animal feed for My Lovely Horse Rescue’s Cork site for the next year. It will also support Aware as it helps people living with depression and bi-polar disorder.
Speaking on the fundraising campaign, TELUS International Ireland’s Director of Human Resources Miriam Manning, said: “At TELUS International, we are firm believers that the well-being of the communities where we live, work and serve goes hand-in-hand with the success of our company. Our team members want to make a meaningful difference in their own communities.
“Our partner charities — Aware and My Lovely Horse Rescue — chosen by our team members in Ireland, are truly deserving. They are doing incredible, meaningful work in their communities, and we are delighted to partner with them over the next three years. I am so proud of the dedication that has been shown to both causes to date by our team members and we look forward to running fundraisers and volunteering initiatives over the next year to reach the €50,000 target.”
The Mount Kilimanjaro Virtual Challenge ‘Go All Out’ will take place over a two-week period in September through the Conqueror Virtual Challenges. It is part of the company’s large-scale annual volunteer events called TELUS Days of Giving. These bring together team members, retirees, family and friends in each of the regions where TELUS International operates globally to make a powerful positive impact in their local communities. Team members from all three TELUS International sites in Cork, Dublin and Ballina are invited to take part, and will run, walk, cycle or swim on average 6.5km a day, with a smartphone app tracking their progress on a map of Kilimanjaro. Up to 1,500 trees will also be planted as a result of the challenge, part of Conqueror’s commitment to donate toward the planting of a tree for every 20% of a challenge completed.
The Mount Kilimanjaro Virtual Challenge is part of a continued commitment from TELUS International Ireland to expand its corporate and social responsibility (CSR) initiatives despite restrictions limiting in-person events.
Regarding the company’s ongoing CSR work, TELUS International Ireland’s Director of Compliance & Audit, and executive sponsor of the company’s Giving Back Committee, Nora Clancy said: “Our community is our home, and our ethos is to give where we live. During the restrictions of the last year, our team’s commitment to their community never wavered and we found new ways of making a difference.
“In addition to these initiatives, we are proud supporters of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and were delighted to welcome two hives of 60,000 native Irish honey bees each to our campus in Mahon back in May. This was done to protect local biodiversity. Our on-site horticultural therapist in Cork, Ciara Parsons, also delivers fresh produce straight from our allotment garden to the neighbouring Rainbow Club that supports children and teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We also support Inner City Helping Homeless and Cork Penny Dinners. Going forward, we are excited to build upon the success of our CSR work to date and deepen our connection with the communities around us at our sites across the country.”