Philanthropy – introduction and philosophy
We have a long history of philanthropic engagement with the communities in which we live and conduct our business. We define philanthropic engagement as:
A charitable regard for one’s fellow human beings, especially in the form of benevolence to those in need, usually characterised by contributions of time, money and other resources to various good causes.
Unlike sponsorship, our charitable activities form no part of our marketing and public relations programmes, and we view any favourable publicity accruing to the Group as a welcome spin-off rather than the fulfilment of any strategic intent. Our philanthropic decisions can therefore be guided solely by altruistic considerations, in keeping with our core values.
This ‘giving’ philosophy goes beyond the financial: we encourage our people at all levels to invest their time and expertise in appropriate charitable activities. We also match up to an agreed limit charitable contributions our people make, including via our Give As You Earn scheme.
Policy
Our community policy covers all charitable activities and donations
made by employees on behalf of the Group or acting as its representatives,
worldwide.