14 September 2021
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
To say that Thermo Fisher Scientific (Nasdaq: TMO) is a large company would be an understatement. At the time of writing its shares are worth 561.21 US Dollars each, according to Yahoo Finance. It is one of the many foreign pharma firms located in and around Ringaskiddy, Co Cork. These various firms are large employers in Cork, and make contributions to the local economy directly and indirectly. Many of the firms have PR teams whose job is to keep the brands out of the news. So it was a pleasure to hear some positive news from Thermo Fisher Scientific today. They are one of the more open firms in the region insofar as they are pro active in acknowledging the existance of nearby communities.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is located on a spit of land accessed off the Currabinny road, which is West . It is unusual in having a bird reserve immediately south of the site.
Thermo Fisher Scientific has opened a €50,000 Community Partnership Grant scheme for charities and community groups in Cork’s Lower Harbour. Now in its 2nd year, applications are open until 8 October 2021 with recipients to be announced in November 2021. Submissions can be made via www.thermofisher.com/csr/community-partnership-grant. The awards are open to groups making their local communities healthier, cleaner and/or safer.
The Thermo Fisher Scientific Community Partnership Grant was launched last year to mark the first anniversary of the contract pharmaceutical manufacturing facility’s operations in Currabinny and the 45-year legacy of scientific leadership at the site. The 2020 €50,000 fund was shared among 49 charities. These included Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery; Covers of Comfort, a group that knit and crochet covers for those going through chemotherapy; and the Shine Centre for Autism.
The Community Partnership Grant is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Making a Difference initiative, its overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme that supports local communities directly through volunteer and philanthropic opportunities. This is driven by the employee-led Community Action Councils (CACs). Further activities under Making a Difference will be announced in the coming weeks.
Speaking on the launch of the 2021 Community Partnership Grant, Liam Flavin, a member of the Cork site CAC at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said, “After the success of the initiative last year, we are all delighted to announce this year’s fund and excited to see the applications that will come in. Our mission as a company is to enable both staff and customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer, and supporting our own community is crucial to that.”
Flavin continued, “We know the Lower Harbour is full of worthy causes and people that are working hard to make their community a better place to live. Last year our fund was initially set at €45,000. However, we distributed €50,000 because of the calibre of the applications. Over the past year, it has been a joy to work with the 49 successful groups and watch how they put the Community Partnership Grant into action. We are now eagerly looking forward to finding out what we can do next with our local community in the year ahead.”
One of last year’s awardees was Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery, a charity that assists in search and recovery missions in Cork Harbour. The group’s search coordinator, Chris O’Donovan, said,
“We are a volunteer-led organisation and almost all of our funding comes from donations, so we were incredibly grateful to receive the support of Thermo Fisher Scientific last year. We put our donation toward the purchase of sonar equipment that has already become an invaluable part of our operations. That donation has helped us to continue our work in rescuing people and providing comfort and closure to people who have lost loved ones around the harbour.”
O’Donovan added, “Our volunteers have a deep connection to Cork Harbour and so does the team at Thermo Fisher Scientific. We really appreciate their support for our community and the commitment they are showing with this year’s fund. We would encourage any group in need of support to apply.”