UK Power Networks offers a range of charity initiatives to its around 6,000 operational and office-based employees to boost their engagement and motivation.
The organisation owns and maintains cables and substations which deliver electricity across London, the south east and east of England, serving 20 million people.
Its Community Matters initiative includes a range of options for staff to advantage of. These include Donate A Day, where employees are given two days each year to work on causes in local communities, and matched funding, where the organisation will match an employee’s raised sponsorship for a charity of their choice up to the value of £500. It also has a give-as-you-earn (GAYE), or payroll-giving, scheme for staff who want to make regular donations to charity in a tax-efficient way.
The organisation’s engagement team also runs a quarterly charity-focused initiative across the business, usually in the form of a competition or an event, explains Victoria Shepherd, engagement manager at UK Power Networks.
“Proceeds are donated to a chosen charity close to the hearts of our employees,” she says. “Since 2016, we’ve also been a dedicated supporter of the Duke of Edinburgh Charity, enabling 1,600 young people to access the award. This year we launched a brand-new initiative, The Royal Ramble, where 300 of our employees raised more than £48,000, walking 20 miles across the London Royal Parks in aid of the charity.”
UK Power Networks acknowledges that its employees are community conscious and believes it is important to give back to the communities it serves at every opportunity it can. As part of its vision of being a respected and trusted corporate citizen, it is committed to supporting staff from every background and circumstance.
As well as carrying out business-wide organised charity activities, the organisation believes it is equally as important to give employees the freedom to choose how and when they support causes close to their hearts, says Shepherd.
“We understand that a key driver to the engagement and motivation of employees is their ability, and the organisation’s ability, to give something back. Feeling proud to work for UK Power Networks is a key driver of engagement, and we see this reflected in our annual survey results,” she concludes.
