Local pharmaceutical company, Chiesi Ltd, held a Volunteer Day for its employees on 30th August as part of its commitment to the community and the environment. Employees spent the day with Blossom Mcr., who promote health through activity, at their local horticultural centre at Wythenshawe Park, in South Manchester, as part of an office-wide initiative. Blossom Mcr. has a Mission Statement which states their purpose as:
“To advance education in the Manchester area mainly but not exclusively by providing year-round education, workshops, learning and provide a drop in to teach the public how to grow their own food, care for plants, garden maintenance, enjoyment of nature and being outside and have a positive impact on health and our carbon footprint by valuing local seasonal produce to connect people with food in the ground and demonstrate how to produce cheap nutritious meals to alleviate food and fuel poverty.”
The company holds its own ‘We ACT – Day: We Actively Care for Tomorrow’ annually. The programme of community initiatives – this year focused on nature – is part of Chiesi’s wider ambition to promote a conscious and different way of doing business, with a positive impact on society and the environment.
Chiesi worked with the team at Blossoms Mcr. to understand how the company could best be of use. The community action day involved a diverse programme of activities, with employees helping to plant, paint, sow, cut, weed, and coppice. Chiesi purchased essential gardening equipment for the day, donating it to the enterprise for future use and gave a financial donation. Blossoms Mcr. has a number of local community projects, including the provision of education to local people on how to grow their own produce, a community farm, and a bee club. Chiesi hopes the donations will be used to further the sustainability of the horticultural centre and the ethos on which it thrives.
The activities highlighted Chiesi’s deep-rooted sense of responsibility to contribute to the wellbeing of people and the planet, aimed at reducing impact on the environment and preserving resources for current and future generations. This was visually depicted by the employees’ hi-viz vests with the message “0 Impact”.
“It is really important that we continue to live by our B Corp® values through our actions. This volunteer day at Wythenshawe Park was a fantastic initiative where our employees all came together to make a difference to our local community and the environment, all whilst having fun.” said Tom Delahoyde, Managing Director, Chiesi UK. “We ACT Day is all about leading by example, and Chiesi is dedicated to acting as a force for good in the community.”
The Chiesi Group aims to become net-zero by 2035 and is the first pharmaceutical company in the UK to be awarded B Corp® certification, a hard-won accolade given to companies that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance. We ACT Day is based on the Strategic Sustainability Plan, initiated by the Group’s European head office based in Italy, which seeks to contribute to some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
