Valuing differences

We want our employees and our mobile services to make a difference. Our strategy over the next three years is to continue to support young people, particularly those with disabilities in the area of communication. These activities will complement our corporate commitment to diversity and good corporate behaviour.

Diversity is something we feel strongly about. A diverse workforce represents an inclusive workforce, one that is best placed to understand and provide the services that our many and varied customers want and need.

In April this year we sponsored a Gala Banquet with the charity RehabCare to raise funds for a National Suicide Prevention Programme. It was a great honour to have the support of former US President Bill Clinton and Noble Peace Prize winner John Hume, who were there on the night and addressed the guests. In Ireland, more people die from suicide than on the roads. It is a national crisis and O2 Ireland plans to support the prevention of suicide in Ireland in whatever way it can.

Following a series of employee focus groups in Dublin and Limerick, we have chosen youth and disability as our community commitment for 2005/06. We are close to nominating a main charity of choice for the coming year as well as a new volunteering programme to support the scheme.

Employees in O2 Ireland remain committed to our community projects. But our target is to go further. We want to encourage all our employees to support O2 in the community projects and in particular our new charity of choice. We hope that in time, at least 10 per cent of our employees will become actively involved.

400,000 people (1 in 10) have some form of disability in Ireland

Chief executive officer Danuta Gray champions diversity for O2 plc. It is both her personal passion and a Board responsibility. She is also a board member of Business in the Community in Ireland and up until May 2005, Danuta was a trustee of Common Purpose, a non-profit organisation involved in community activities.

One of the ways we will start to make a difference is through a programme of diversity and disability awareness training for all employees in the coming year, to help us respond better to colleagues and customers with diverse needs. At O2 Ireland we value the differences between people and, more and more, we are running our business and serving our customers accordingly.

We know we have much to do, however, we were very pleased to be commended by the Chamber of Commerce of Ireland, for our 'sustained success in implementing good Corporate Social Responsibility practice across all aspects of its activities', at their CSR Awards in 2004.