Powerful friends

Apr 29 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

HARTLEPOOL power station's charity partnership with fundraisers Help the Hospices finished on a high this week with more than £500,000 brought in by staff and contractors at British Energy nationwide.

Since support began 18 months ago, the Hartlepool site alone has contributed around £18,000 to its local Hartlepool and District Hospice and Butterwick Children's Hospice, which was matched by British Energy, bringing the total to £36,000.

Under British Energy's corporate social responsibility plan, which has been part of the nuclear energy company’s vision since 2000, plants across the UK were twinned with local hospices so that staff could volunteer for a cause close to the hearts of communities.

Cynics would say it’s nothing more than spin from a sector that badly needed to mend bridges with the public, but Hartlepool-based spokesman Martyn Butlin disagrees.

He admits it gives him ‘an easy PR win’, but he says the £600,000 raised for good causes over the past few years isn’t conscience money.

“In the past, what we do was just known as being a good neighbour to the community. Ever since Hartlepool has been up and running, it has had close links with the community, especially because we need quality staff so it’s important we build relationships with schools. We have always looked at partnerships, rather than just writing cheques.”

More important, he says, is actively encouraging the involvement of staff in local affairs where they act as ambassadors for BE.

“The ethos and culture of BE is to get involved - it puts our real people into real situations and it helps to build up trust.

“On the big, clanking corporate stage we can do all we can to say BE is safe and reliable but to have someone who lives and breathes it every day sitting on your local committee gives us oodles of added credibility.”