Pennies from Heaven 2016 introduce new Platinum Award
Melanie May | 30 March 2016 | News
The Pennies from Heaven 2016 Awards have taken place with a new category for employers with over 40% staff participation.
The Platinum Award is now the highest level of the awards, which celebrate charitable giving in the workplace. One in six of this year’s awards were Platinum, given to B. Braun Medical Ltd, Liverpool Womens’ NHS Foundation Trust, LV=, Motor Insurers’ Bureau, The Bank of England (staff), and VocaLink Limited.
This year’s Pennies from Heaven Chairman’s Award went to Borough of Poole, for demonstrating the difference an opt-out approach can make to take-up of the Pennies from Heaven scheme. With agreement from Unions they launched an opt-out approach for new staff in January 2014. Overall participation has since risen from 3% to 11% and continues to increase month by month. Also within the NHS, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust received a Platinum Award while South West Ambulance Service NHS Trust gained a Gold Award with its 20% take up.
2015 saw Barclays Bank also raised its £1millionth penny, and a number of new employers and charities join the scheme, including L and G, Public Health Wales, Médecins sans Frontieres, Youth Cancer Trust, the Prince’s Trust and The British Paralympics Association.
Platinum award winner B. Braun’s HR manager Lisa Burns said:
“We are delighted that we have been awarded one of the first Platinum awards having held the Gold award for three years running. For B. Braun to be publicly recognised in this way as an employer with employees who, year on year, have demonstrated commitment and generosity to local charities is an achievement which makes us very proud.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.