Our CSR Programme - CluneTech Cares, is a fantastic representation of what we are - a team of truly caring individuals giving our best to support and add value, not only to our customers, but also to the communities in which we operate. CluneTech Cares is employee-led and has three key pillars: Wellness, Culture & Community, and Sustainability. It has been a busy quarter so make sure to check out some of our latest activities below.
Throughout the month of January, we dedicated our CSR Spotlight to supporting Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrant charities and the incredible work they do providing assistance to families and single people from a migrant or refugee background in Ireland and abroad.
Our main beneficiaries of the month were both Doras and Nasc Ireland.
Doras is an independent organisation working to promote and protect the rights of people from a migrant background in Ireland while also providing specialised support to migrant and refugee victims who have experienced human trafficking, domestic abuse and hate crime.
Nasc Ireland works with migrants and refugees to advocate and lead for change within Ireland’s immigration and protection systems, ensuring fairness, access to justice and the protection of human rights to all. Nasc's goal is to realise the rights of all migrants and refugees within Irish society.
Across the globe, our team came together to raise vital funds for both of our beneficiaries. Thanks to the support our staff showed throughout January, CluneTech Cares has made a monetary donation to Doras and Nasc for the crucial work they do day-to-day for all Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrants in Ireland.
From all here at CluneTech Cares, we want to thank our team for their incredible support and the difference they have made during the month of January.
February marked the month that CluneTech took a stand against Cancer, dedicating our CSR Spotlight of the Month to World Cancer Day. All donations from fundraising initiatives throughout the month went towards our cancer support charities selected by our teams around the world. These charities and causes included Waterford Hospice in Ireland and Една от 8 in Bulgaria.
Waterford Hospice is a remarkable organization dedicated to providing end-of-life care, particularly to those battling cancer and giving incredible support and peace of mind to their loved ones. The profound impact of their work extends beyond the walls of the hospice, touching lives not only within our wider community, but of our teammates and their families over the last number of months.
By aligning our efforts with Waterford Hospice, we are not only contributing to the crucial mission of offering comfort and solace during life's most challenging moments but also acknowledging the impact it has on the lives of our colleagues.
Our second beneficiary for the month of February was Една от 8 in Bulgaria. Една от 8 | One in 8 was founded by Nana Gladwish in 2013. Nana is a famous TV host in Bulgaria and breast cancer survivor. The organisation works with healthcare professionals, state authorities, patient communities, and other stakeholders to improve the Bulgarian healthcare system for those diagnosed.
The team strives for a better quality of life and outcomes for the patients they care for. Една от 8 | One in 8 is funded by company and community donations to support its existence and activities. Our team’s support during February was more important than ever, contributing to keep their amazing services running in Bulgaria.
Over the course of the month, an incredible 79 members of our team around the world took part in a walk / run / cycle in aid of Waterford Hospice in Ireland and Една от 8 in Bulgaria.
CluneTech Cares donated a total of €790 to our dedicated charities of the month. Well done to all of our amazing colleagues for their participation this month.
Each year, we launch our CSR request form where our staff can suggest the charity and causes they'd like to see us support throughout the year. Following their feedback, we dedicated March’s CSR Spotlight to World Autism Awareness.
The main beneficiaries of the month nominated by our team included ABACAS School Kilbarrack in Dublin, Gowran National School Autistic Unit in Kilkenny, and Autism Today in Bulgaria.
Autism is a neurological difference that many people are born with which affects how they experience the world around them and how they communicate with others. While autism awareness has greatly grown in Ireland and globally in recent years, we are still a long way from having a society which truly understands autism.
During the month of March, not only were we delighted to make a monetary donation to all three charities and causes, but we also had the pleasure of interviewing John McCarthy, Facilities Manager, CluneTech, and his son Adam, who we consider an honorary CluneTech employee.
For those who have had the pleasure of meeting Adam, they will be familiar with his bubbly and outgoing personality which brings so much joy to our HQ. Adam, who’s 27, has both autism and epilepsy, and was delighted to jump on camera and give us a unique insight into his life, his autism diagnosis and some of the many things he enjoys doing.
In Adam’s words, “Love will always come from the heart”. A massive well done to all who took part in last months CSR Spotlight of the Month and a special thank you to John and Adam for a truly inspiring interview in celebration of World Autism Awareness.
You can catch the full interview here today.
At CluneTech, we're passionate about giving back to our communities and we are proud to support a number of fantastic local clubs in Kilkenny where our HQ is located, one of those being the Kilkenny Hockey Club's Ladies' Team.
Paddy Dalton, Business Development Manager at TransferMate has been coaching for the club for over three years:
"I've been working with CluneTech for 10 years now and started as a coach with the hockey club back in 2021. I really enjoy coaching because of the buzz seeing the girls reach and exceed their goals. It gives me great satisfaction to see the group training, playing matches, and sticking to the structured game plan. We're delighted to have had CluneTech on board as sponsors for the last 3 years and it has enabled us to grow our women's section to 3 teams. We can now pride ourselves on being one of the biggest female adult sporting clubs in the county, providing hockey for all levels ages and abilities."
Thanks to the club for giving us the opportunity to get behind them and a huge well done to Paddy Dalton who not only goes above and beyond in his role with CluneTech, but within his local community too.
As part of our CSR Programme, CluneTech Cares, we were delighted to donate laptops to St. John of God Primary School.
Recognising the importance of technology in education, we have repurposed these devices to support the learning needs of students within our community.
This aligns with our dedication to sustainable practices, as we strive to effectively extend the life cycle of our technology resources while also supporting the next generation with the tools they need to thrive in their education.
A massive thank you to Norm Power for arranging this donation and to St. John of God's principal, Conor Gorey, and some of the school's pupils who visited CluneTech HQ to collect the donation.
On the 1st of March, our colleagues in Bulgaria celebrated Baba Marta, a Bulgarian holiday deeply rooted in folklore and culture, symbolising the arrival of spring and the wish for good health.
To mark the holiday, our teams in Varna and Veliko Tarnovo organised annual charity bazaars in support of children with special needs.
Thanks to our employees' contributions, a donation of 780 BGN was made to Karin Dom – a long-term CSR partner of CluneTech and one of Bulgaria’s most modern centres, providing a range of social, health, and educational services for children with special needs.
Additionally, 600 BGN was donated for craft materials for the children at the Day Center for Disabilities ‘Daga’ in Veliko Tarnovo, ensuring that children and young people with disabilities receive rehabilitation and engaging activities that support their development and social integration.
'Fast Heroes 112' is a prevention program with one grand mission - to educate the world about the symptoms of stroke and the need for immediate action.
After the successful launch of the award-winning educational program in Varna last year, in 2024 we will continue our mission to raise awareness of stroke symptoms in another well-known school in Bulgaria’s sea capital – Foreign Language School Alexander S. Pushkin. The second edition of Fast Heroes 112 will take place from February to April involving 150 students from first to fourth grade who will share their knowledge about stroke symptoms and first aid with parents and grandparents.
Last May, 150 first graders from Geo Milev school were officially named Fast Heroes 112 ambassadors as they learned the symptoms of stroke and raised awareness of stroke prevention among their loved ones.
Introduced in 2021, our CSR Volunteer Day empowers each employee to give back to the charities and causes closest to them. Since the inception of Volunteer Day, 160+ CluneTech employees have contributed to causes which they find meaningful, and this number keeps growing. See what they had to share with us about their experience this quarter:
Baba Marta at CluneTech
In preparation for this year’s Baba Marta celebrations, over ten colleagues in our Varna offices joined forces using their CSR volunteer day to hand-craft some martenitsi that were later sold at our in-house and other local charity markets in aid of children with special needs. A great tradition and a great use of their Volunteer Day as our colleagues managed to make 1,690 martenitsi in just one day!
Daffodil Day 2024 with Claire McBride, Financial Services Account Manager at TransferMate
Speaking about her Volunteer Day, Claire said:
"Daffodil Day is a special day where we all unite to remember the loved ones we’ve lost to cancer, to honour the people in our lives who are facing cancer and to acknowledge the bravery of those that have fought and won their battle with cancer. I am very fortunate to work for a company that affords and encourages staff to use their volunteer day to get involved in fundraising activities of all kinds. I am proud to play my part today for the Irish Cancer Society."
Well done to Claire on her involvement in this incredible volunteering activity.
