Phoenix Energy and The Consumer Council recently joined forces to participate in an environmental initiative at Connswater Community Gardens as part of Love Your Landscape Day on 28th September.
The event, organised by Business in the Community, aimed to encourage businesses to support the beautiful landscape across Northern Ireland through employee supported volunteering.
As part of its corporate social responsibility programme, Phoenix Energy invited the Consumer Council to collaborate on the conservation project at Connswater Community Gardens in East Belfast.
Working with members of Groundwork Northern Ireland, a team of 10 volunteers from both organisations spent the day carrying out maintenance work within the gardens and polytunnel where young plants are nurtured. Volunteers also planted a variety of flowers and fruits.
Siobhan Rafferty, Communications Officer at The Consumer Council Northern Ireland, said, “The Consumer Council exists to promote and safeguard the interests of consumers in Northern Ireland and has a specific focus on the energy market. We work closely with Phoenix Energy to educate and inform consumers around home heating and it was fantastic to expand our relationship with Phoenix Energy through participating in this joint volunteering initiative.
“As a public body organisation, we are very focused on our corporate responsibility and through participating in events such as this, we hope to demonstrate that we are a responsible organisation that contributes to the wellbeing and sustainability of our local communities. Together with Phoenix Energy, the team helped maintain the community gardens and plant new fruits and trees, which we hope will provide a long-lasting benefit to the local community.”
The activity was part of a nationwide Love Your Landscape Day volunteering programme which saw thousands of employees across the UK participate in local environmental projects with the aim of maintaining and improving local landscapes.
Geri Wright, Phoenix Energy Communications Manager said, “Phoenix Energy is actively engaged in a corporate social responsibility programme which seeks to give back to the communities which we serve. We do this in a number of ways through our own initiatives and also in association with Business in the Community, with whom we have enjoyed a long standing relationship and undertaken various community activities.
“Love Your Landscape Day was a fantastic opportunity for us to partner with the Consumer Council and demonstrate our environmental commitment to the local community. Volunteers from both organisations had a fantastic day thanks to the help of Groundwork Northern Ireland and the impact that this work has had on the Community Gardens and local area will continue to be felt. It’s this kind of partnership working that Phoenix Energy is proud to be involved in and we thank Business in the Community for putting together such a great and rewarding initiative.”
More information can be found at www.bitcni.org.uk.
For more information on the Consumer Council visit http://www.consumercouncil.org.uk/
For more information on Phoenix Energy, visit www.phoenixnaturalgas.com.