# Simon wins national fundraising award

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/11/09/simon-wins-national-fundraising-award/
- Published: 2009-11-09T09:33:21+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The Simon Communities of Ireland has won the 2009 ‘Fundraising Campaign of the Year
Award’ at the recent National Fundraising Awards.

 

The homelessness charity won the award for its work with CRH on the CRH Simon Safety
Challenge. The CRH Safety Challenge is an all-island initiative which is based on
an incentive scheme where the company provides a sum of money for every accident
free quarter (3 months) achieved at any CRH company location across the island of
Ireland.

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The challenge raised €777,022 in 2008 and €842,355 in 2009.

 

Funding to Simon is allocated on a regional basis where individuals units of Simon
are located. CRH locations which achieved a full accident-free year donated an additional
25% bonus payment on top of the four combined quarterly donations.

 

Simon Communities in Dublin, Dundalk, Cork, Galway, the South East, the Midlands,
the Mid West, the Northwest and Simon Community Northern Ireland have all benefited
from the Challenge to date.

 

Patrick Burke, CEO of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said: “As well as significantly
improving the safety of their workplace, CRH staff are making a real difference 
to the lives of people who are experiencing homelessness”.

 

Mr Burke said it was particularly noteworthy in the current economic climate that
CRH had set themselves even more ambitious targets for year three of the partnership.

 

Jim Rea, CRH Safety Challenge spokesperson, said one of the major challenges for
their business is keeping the issue of health and safety front of mind for their
employees and it is encouraging to see continuous improvements in this regard.

 

He added that they are firmly committed to demonstrating leadership in the national
campaign to end homelessness and initiatives like the CRH Simon Safety Challenge
have proven to be an excellent vehicle to move closer towards this ambitious goal.

 

www.simon.ie

 

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