BT volunteers win grants up to £1,000 for south west organisations
Worthy causes in Exeter, Bournemouth, Bideford, Bristol, Bridgwater and Cheltenham included in BT People Awards
Six organisations in the South West have received grants of up to £1,000 from BT to help them continue with their excellent work in the community.
They are Exeter Street Pastors, which received £1,000; Bournemouth Churches Housing Association, which was given £700; Bideford Bay Surf Life Saving Club £500; Lime Kiln Carnival Club in Bridgwater £500; 1st Crockerne Scout Group in Bristol £230; and 637 VGS Royal Air Force Cadets, near Cheltenham, £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.
Jon Reynolds, BT’s South West regional director, said: “The People Awards acknowledges the time and commitment that BT people in the South West are giving to the local community groups for which they volunteer.”
Exeter Street Pastors received its award as a result of the volunteering work of Iain Miller, a BT manager based at Exbridge House in Commercial Road, Exeter, who is part of a BT team which solves IT problems.
Iain, 58, is currently the chairman of Exeter Street Pastors, having joined the organisation when it was formed in 2009. On Friday nights he leads a team of typically eight volunteers, who patrol Exeter city centre between 10.30pm and 3.30am helping vulnerable people. Last year, Exeter Street Pastors assisted more than 3,200 people.
“We are very appreciative of BT’s support,” said Iain. “The grant will provide an important boost for our work. Our aim is to help people usually made vulnerable through drinking too much. Exeter city centre is a very busy place on Friday and Saturday nights with literally thousands of people out and about.
“Where necessary, we call ambulances, administer first aid and sometimes intervene to prevent minor anti-social behaviour situations escalating. We work in close partnership with the Police, Ambulance Service, the city council and the door staff of pubs and clubs.”
Four hundred and fifty one applications were received for this round of grants and 84 applicants received awards totalling £50,980.
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.
ENDS
The South West winners are:
• 637 VGS Royal Air Force Air Cadets, Near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 2LR £230
• Lime Kiln Carnival Club, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 4DW £500
• 1st Crockerne Scout Group, Bristol, BS20 0LU £230
• Bournemouth Churches Housing Association (BCHA), BH1 3NS £700
• Exeter Street Pastors, EX4 1DU £1000
• Bideford Bay Surf Life Saving Club, EX39 4AJ £500
