BT volunteers win grants up to £1000 for South East organisations
Worthy causes in Kent, Slough, Brighton, Hampshire and Guildford
included in BT People Awards
Ten organisations in the South East have received grants of up to £1,000 from BT to help them continue with their excellent work in the community.
They are Swale Gloves Boxing Club, which received £1000; 5th Dartford Scouts, which received £230; Brighton Theatre Group, which received £1,000; AC Delco Bowmen Archery Club, which received £500; Warsash Wasps SFC, which received £500; Service by Emergency Response Volunteers (SERV Kent), which received £500; Ash Manor School, which received £500; Telecommunications Eastern European Challenge (TEECH), which received £700; Rajasthan Welfare Society, which received £700 and Worthing District Scouts, which received £230.
The grants were awarded through the company’s employee recognition scheme, the BT People Awards. The scheme recognises and rewards BT’s volunteering heroes, who offer their time and skills to help people in their local communities, by providing grants to organisations in which they are involved.
Dave Axam, BT’s South East regional director, said: “The People Awards acknowledges the time and commitment that BT people in the South East are giving to the local community groups for which they volunteer.”
Brighton Theatre Group beat off national competition to win the Arts and Heritage category of the awards for the contribution it makes to the local community. Formed by the late Mavis Ward in 1968, Brighton Theatre Group has for forty years provided musical theatre to the city of Brighton & Hove and is now one of the most respected, reputable companies on the South Coast of England and has successfully been awarded one of the top three theatre companies around the UK.
Keith Shepherd, Chairman of the Brighton Theatre Group, said: “I’m delighted that the hard work we do in the community has been recognised by the BT People Awards. We will put the money towards helping youngsters develop an understanding for theatre and art. Our theatre group is made purely of volunteers who give their time and skills to providing choreography, direction and in some cases simply helping people to learn their lines. We’ve quite an age range, our youngest performer is 8 years old and our oldest member is 49. Our next production is West Side Story which will be performed at the Brighton Dome in February next year.”
Applications were submitted by BT people from all over the world including Peru, India and Belgium. These included a wide range of community organisations from football clubs to police cadets to red squirrel protection, illustrating the wide variety of activities in which BT people are involved.
For more information and to see a complete list of the latest award recipients please visit:www.btpeopleawards.co.uk or see what BT can do to help charities by visiting:www.bt.com/charityportfolio .
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For further information please contact the BT People Awards Press Office on 0845 257 6792 or the regional BT regional press office on 0800 085 0660.
