SCOTTISHPOWER last night secured awards in four out of ten categories at the Scottish Business in the Community Awards 2011.

The company was highly commended in the Employee Volunteer of the Year category for its team volunteering work with a willow plantation project which enabled 200 children from 5 schools to learn new skills including coppicing, weaving and creating sculptures using a local renewable resource.

ScottishPower is also among a small group of businesses to receive Business in the Community’s (BITC) coveted National Big Tick.

The company secured the award in the Work Inspiration category as well as achieving Big Tick reaccreditation for two of its projects in the Power In Partnership and Education categories.

The Big Tick award is the first level of award available to entrants of the National Awards for Excellence, which recognise inspirational programmes that are making a positive impact on the community, the environment or wider society.

ScottishPower received a Big Tick in the Work Inspiration category for its Young Apprenticeship engineering work experience programme1.  The energy provider has also been reaccredited with Big Ticks for the Power in Partnership category for its partnership work with the National Grid in the North Staffordshire Warm Zone2 and in the Education category for its PowerWise project3.  Furthermore, the company’s Young Apprenticeship programme is also shortlisted for consideration as the National Example of Excellence in the Work Inspiration category – the overall winner of which will be announced at an event on 5th July.

ScottishPower was presented with the award at Scottish Business in the Community’s annual Celebration Dinner on Thursday 2 June at the George Hotel, Edinburgh. Scottish Business in the Community partner with BITC to deliver the Awards for Excellence in Scotland.

Ann Loughrey, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at ScottishPower, commented:  “It is great news to receive awards in four categories including the Employee Volunteer category, a Big Tick for our Young Apprenticeship programme and reaccreditation for two other projects.

“ScottishPower has always taken a sustained approach to corporate responsibility and integrated it into our business strategy. We know that we cannot build a successful and sustainable business without a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility and are delighted that the company’s work in this area has been recognised.”

Jane Wood, Chief Executive, Scottish Business in the Community said: “I congratulate ScottishPower on achieving their Highly Commended award, Big Tick and Big Tick reaccreditations. It is a challenging time for business, but this is a sign that companies are not losing their focus and are transforming their businesses to make a positive impact on people and society and are prepared to lead by example.”

As one of the Prince’s Charities in Scotland, Scottish Business in the Community works closely with members, partners and government to identify key challenges to sustainability and drive the agenda in Scotland. Throughout 2011 Scottish Business in the Community is leading on a number of projects to support small and mediums sized enterprises and actively engage business in tackling issues of poverty and employability in Scotland.

The best of the National Big Tick winners will go forward to judging panels to identify an overall Example of Excellence award in each category. The overall winners will be announced in London at the Awards for Excellence Gala Event sponsored by Unilever on 5 July.
 

Notes to Editors

ScottishPower

1.  The ScottishPower Young Apprenticeship (YA) engineering work experience programme is a unique vocational programme delivered on Merseyside and Glasgow in partnership with local schools/colleges and Glasgow City Council.

It encourages 24 14-16 year old students to complement their school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) studies by spending 50 days work experience in a safe, controlled work environment. Students attending the programme will have a clear interest in science & engineering and anticipate achieving high GCSE/Standard grades in their related qualifications.

ScottishPower is strategically supporting this formal 14-16 employer led work experience programme to encourage progression into advanced apprenticeships, whilst it increases talent pools and develops new recruitment streams.

The programme provides development opportunities in the following ways:

• Students convert classroom theory into practice demonstrating the relevance of engineering principles within the workplace;
• Students gain industry awareness;
• Students achieve the Diploma in Engineering & Certificate of Employability (England), Intermediate Certificate Engineering Skills (Scotland)
• Students provided with opportunities to explore future employment opportunities and career progression routes within our sector.
• What does the work experience programme cover for students?
• Work experience in utility related occupations in areas such as fitting, overhead lines, jointing, metering, operational safety and engineering;
• Health & Safety (H&S) awareness by completing HSE 4-day first aid course
• Work related experience in electrical installation achieving skills and knowledge in alarm installation and different types of lighting circuits;
• Multi Skilling Training covering the dangers of electricity, legislation and regulations;
• Site visits to 2 Power Stations Electric Mountain & Whitelee Wind Farm;
• Work related experience in a ScottishPower control centre, which monitors the electricity network;
• Customer Service skills required by our workforce.

Key Business Benefit (1): Increases sector attractiveness and the flow of potential young talent into the workforce and supports the business recruitment requirements.
Key Business Benefit (2): Provides the potential to increase and maximise development opportunities for existing employees.
Key Society Benefit (1): Raising the aspiration of young people through practical work experience and gaining of qualifications.
Key Society Benefit (2): Supports the economic sustainability of our local communities.

2.  North Staffordshire Warm Zone Partnership -  ScottishPower, National Grid and two Local Authorities – Stoke on Trent City Council and Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council – have developed a programme that will transform the lives of tens of thousands of people in North Staffordshire. 

The North Staffordshire Warm Zone (NSWZ), developed through a partnership with Warm Zones Community Interest Company, is working to reduce the number of homes in fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency of home owners throughout Stoke and Newcastle.

The continued expansion of the NSWZ to offer a broader range of services has been crucial to help the growing number of vulnerable households.

Since 2007 £4m has been committed to provide a holistic package of measures to help struggling householders to keep their homes warm.  NSWZ continues to make a substantial difference in the everyday lives of people by making their homes more energy efficient, healthy, comfortable, and affordable.  This has been achieved through pooling resources and integrating energy efficiency activities to provide a holistic improvement package which is unique to the area.

The ScottishPower funding enables NSWZ to provide 2 Benefits Advisers who are able to undertake home visits, offering advice about benefits and fuel debt. This has offered a huge advantage to the scheme in 2010.  This year the Zone has benefited from:

• Over £130k additional funding from Stoke on Trent City Council and Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council in recognition of the improvement the initiative has made to the area
• Additional £638k from ScottishPower for the installation of energy efficiency measures
• 3 Benefits Advisers providing face-to-face advice in the home
• Over 92,000 homes visited
• 16,000 energy efficiency measures installed
• Over £3.4m income has been generated through benefits claims benefiting more than 2,500 households in the area
• Energy fuel bills saved per year are in excess of £1.3m
• Over 354,000 tonnes of CO2 saved.

3. PowerWise programme -  ScottishPower prides itself on placing health and safety as a core value within each business. We recognise that it is not restricted to the workplace, but encapsulates all areas where operations impact the wider society.

The Electricity (Safety, Quality and Continuity) Regulations 2002 require Distribution Network Operators to take proactive measures to advise the public of dangers. ScottishPower goes beyond this with its public safety education campaign, ‘PowerWise’.

Focussing on three educational initiatives ScottishPower aims to educate all children in its operating area on staying safe around electricity and thereby reduce future incidents.

PowerWise Classroom Education Programme
Professional teachers present interactive lessons in all primary schools across our operating area. Tailored for Key Stage 1 and 2 and curriculum linked, they deliver potent messages about electrical safety in the home and outdoors. The school receives a PowerWise Resource Pack from which teachers can deliver future lessons. ScottishPower proactively contacts schools and the programme is FREE OF CHARGE. Since its inception in 2003 over 338,000 children have experienced PowerWise lessons.

Crucial Crew Safety Events
Facilitated by emergency services, experiential safety events afford children the opportunity to take part in a range of scenarios designed to increase safety awareness. In 2010 ScottishPower personnel took part in 8 events, educating over 13,000 children.

Safety Education Centres
ScottishPower supports two centres designed to raise awareness of safety hazards. Support is provided through provision of equipment; electricity awareness training and advice; attendance of Steering Group Meetings; and, annual financial contribution. The centres allow us to extend vital safety messages to over 13,000 children each year.

As well as satisfying legislative requirements, there are other benefits; skills development; community interaction; and, voluntary work contribution. Schools receive a FREE safety lesson and resources.

Ultimately it is hoped that children share safety messages at home, remember them into adulthood and fatalities and injuries involving electricity reduce.

Awards for Excellence
Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence identify and celebrate companies having a positive impact on the community, environment, marketplace and workplace.

The Big Tick winners demonstrate significant impact and high quality management of their responsible business practices and can show a positive impact both on society and on the business. Now in their 14th year, they are the UK’s leading awards for responsible business practice. BITC received over 370 entries for the national Awards for Excellence.

Scottish Business in the Community
Scottish Business in the Community is one of the Prince's Charities in Scotland, it is the only organisation supporting and challenging its private sector members and its partners to improve their impacts in the workplace, marketplace, community and environment.

Our support, products and services help business tackle the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of today and the future. SBC Membership represents ten percent of the working population, tens of thousands of people from the Scottish workforce, many of whom are using their influence to shape a new way of doing better business, creating socially and environmentally stronger communities and ultimately helping Scotland achieve its full potential.

www.sbcscot.com