Partners

Actively engaging our Partners through a range of social and environmental initiatives that educate and inform, encouraging participation, decision making and ownership throughout the business.

Environment Champions

The Environment Champions Network has been developed with Global Action Plan (GAP) to establish a network of Partners to lead on environmental initiatives throughout the business. All Champions received certificated training from GAP to support their learning of key environmental issues regarding climate change, resource use, energy efficiency and behavioural change.

To launch this new initiative, a series of interactive campaigns and awareness raising events took place throughout the business. The Environment Champions Network then conducted a comprehensive audit covering our main office locations and field-based road travel, to understand our starting position.

Findings from the audit led to a number of behavioural changes and campaigns such as reducing non-essential electricity use and implementing a comprehensive waste minimisation and recycling programme. A second audit was completed in December 2008 to assess results. The outcomes were excellent and several initiatives were rolled out across the business to gain the biggest impact in the shortest time.

What next? The Environment Champions Network continues to grow, reflecting our emergence into new UK regions.

Overseas Development Programmes

During 2008 we delivered our first international development projects, involving Partners from across the business. In total, 45 Partners travelled to Ghana and Tanzania to support two programmes in rural communities where a specific need had been identified. These unique opportunities gave Partners a sense of humility and an experience that developed skills and broadened horizons, leaving them with a true sense of achievement and having made a real difference.

Through hard work, integration into the communities and by overcoming a whole host of challenges, the teams of local villagers and Eaga Partners completed the following community projects:

•    Installed three water harvesting systems
•    Completed a Teachers’ accommodation block
•    Improved sanitation facilities across the community
•    Established a farming cooperative
•    Renovated three classrooms

‘Our time in Tanzania affected us all very deeply and in a way that few of us had predicted.  For me the highlight was setting up a farming cooperative; giving the local people the resources to make success sustainable’. Gareth Wales, Eaga Future Leader

What next? Leading from our initial efforts in Africa, we aim to establish projects in India, led by our Eaga colleagues in Kolkata, to support some of the poorest and most deprived communities in the developing world. Launching during 2009, this programme will be rolled out over a three to five year period and engage with up to 400 Eaga Partners globally.

Getting Fruity at work

Our relationship with Riverford Organic Fruit and Vegetables blossomed following a regional environmental awards event. As category winners for their rigorous approach to local sourcing and sustainability, we decided to bring some of that goodness inside and were the first UK business to take up their organic fruit in the workplace initiative. Free organic fruit is now available to many Eaga Partners.

Delivered in recycled/recyclable cardboard fruit bowls, these organically grown treats reach our main offices every week as a healthy alternative to the usual workplace snacks and biscuits. Needless to say this has been hugely successful and the feedback we continue to get from our Partners is excellent. We are actively looking to expand this principle as part of our commitment to a healthy, engaged Partner base.

‘The fruit delivery has proved very popular with everyone in the Wales office and it’s a refreshing change from the usual snacks of chocolate, crisps and cakes. By the end of the day you feel a lot healthier having picked at blueberries and apples instead of sugar filled alternatives and you end up eating more fruit than you otherwise would.’ Jasmine Fox, Eaga Partner

What next? As Eaga continue to grow we plan to embed this into every major office location – encouraging healthy eating and reaching as many Partners as possible.

Contact

Tel: 0191 247 3800

Email: sr@eaga.com