09 May 2008 09:57
E.ON volunteers give up work for the day to join in National Cares Day in Nottinghamshire

More than 60 eager E.ON employees will be leaving the office for the day and getting back to nature to take part in the first National Cares Day on the 16^th of May.

Organised by Cares, an initiative of Business in the Community, the day will help hundreds of schools and community organisations in some of the most deprived areas of the UK.

Two teams of E.ON volunteers will be heading out in Nottinghamshire to help make a difference.

The first group of 50 staff from E.ON's Energy Services Finance team will be helping out at Balloon Woods in Wollaton Vale to clear an unused area of woods to make way for an outdoor forest school.

The second group will be going to St Augustine's Catholic Primary School in St Anns to paint an under-the-sea mural to help brighten up the school's playground.

Jane Branscombe, Community Relations Manager at E.ON, said: "We've been working with Nottinghamshire Cares for a number of years and are delighted to support them in making a real difference in the community on National Cares Day.

"It's also great to see the employees get out into their local communities and do something that is a change from their usual jobs."

Jackie Fuller, from Nottinghamshire Cares, said: "This is a fantastic day to be part of, over 3,000 volunteers will be active across the UK, and, in Nottinghamshire, we'll be making a huge difference to environmentally themed projects where community groups just do not have the manpower to do it themselves. 

"Over 10 companies are sending employees to come together for one day and make a real difference to the community they live and work in."

E.ON finds and supports volunteering opportunities which provide a rewarding challenge for employees as part of its wider community relations programme. In 2007, staff spent 11,445 hours volunteering on projects in their local communities.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• In 2007, 3,269 E.ON UK employees (representing nearly one in five employees) took part in at least one energy in the community volunteering programme, raising a total of £476,368 for good causes and volunteering a total of 45,866 hours;
• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating and distributing electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, the world's largest investor-owned power and gas company. We employ around 17,000 people in the UK.

Business in the Community

• Business in the Community is a unique movement of over 800 member companies, with a further 2,000 plus engaged through its programmes and campaigns.
• It operates through a local network of more than 100 business led partnerships and 60 global partners. Members of Business in the Community commit to action and to the continual improvement of their company's impact on society.
• Cares is Business in the Community's national campaign to engage employees in their communities through volunteering. More than 400 companies support city-based and regional Cares partnerships in 32 locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Cares acts as a broker and advisory service between companies seeking to contribute time and resources and the voluntary/community sector seeking help.

For further information contact:

Deanna Mooney on 024 7618 3678

Nottinghamshire Cares - Jackie Fuller on 0115 924 7407