Bord na Móna - Source Issue 10 - (Page 8)
BORD NA MóNA’S FOOTPRINT IN LOCAL COMMuNITIES gOES BACK TO ITS FOuNDATION AND ITS CONTRIBuTION TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE OF IT’S HINTERLAND REMAINS A CORE vALuE
Community
n 2011, Bord na Móna outlined core values that help to shape how it achieves the objectives inherent in the company’s overall vision, the New Contract with Nature. These values – Respectful, Resourceful, Engaging - outline how Bord na Móna behaves as an organisation, internally and externally. Those values have a particular resonance in the community in which Bord na Móna operates and in which its employees live and socialise. Communities are the building blocks in society and Bord na Móna has been part of the wider Irish community – and local communities – since 1934. A welcome addition to many communities, Bord na Móna’s initial contribution was economic – jobs in areas with high unemployment helped to stem the tide of emigration and kept young people in the community. Coill Dubh in Co. Kildare, for instance, was established as a Bord na Móna village where no village had existed before. Places such as Kilcormac, Co. Offaly, and Rochfortbridge, Co. Westmeath, adjacent to Bord na Móna bogs, experienced an increase in housing and population as Bord na Móna workers moved in. Bord na Móna has also contributed to the social life of communities across Ireland. For example, 400 acres at Abbeyleix bog was handed back to the
VALuES
community as a local amenity. Lough Boora, Co. Offaly, was developed into a wonderful wildlife and social facility in collaboration with the local community. Local sports clubs have received financial funding throughout the years to supplement money raised locally. Indeed, many clubs would not have survived without Bord na Móna employees as players. The All-Ireland winning Offaly football team of 1982, for instance, comprised many sons of fathers who moved to Offaly to work for Bord na Móna or the ESB. Even today, Bord na Móna works actively to keep employment in local communities. As the company exits from peat production, its proposed wind farm in Mount Lucas, its Midlands Chamber initiative, its composting facility in Drehid, Co. Kildare, its work with Lullymore Heritage Park all show a commitment to the vibrancy of local communities, again under attack from unemployment and emigration. This corporate social responsibility is not a new initiative at Bord na Móna. It is something Bord na Móna has been committed to since its inception. Whether through employees with new skills, or business advice to start-ups, or new business initiatives, Bord na Móna has had a positive effect on communities across the Midlands. And, it is important to state that Bord na Móna has benefitted from its presence in the Midlands, through a committed workforce who have embraced change and moved with the company into its sustainable future. And communities have supported the company through their purchase of Bord na Móna products and support for new projects that safeguard the company’s future.
I
RESPECTFUL
Online archive Bord na Móna’s unique Heartland website (www. heartland.ie) started as a sister site to the 75th anniversary celebrations and travelling Heartland exhibition. “The main objective was to provide a permanent online home for Bord na Móna’s history and heritage,” said Tony McKenna of the Communications department. “We wanted to put as many images and articles on the Internet for people to access them on an ongoing basis.” A Heartland Facebook page has been added and links back to Heartland.ie to help drive traffic to the website, which contains fascinating insights into life around the Turf Development Board. Factsheets on bogs and peatlands have proved popular with students as well as those interested in wildlife. “Our next plans include uploading 200-year-old maps of the bogs from 1810-1814, which were
8 | Source Summer 2012
http://www.heartland.ie
http://www.heartland.ie
http://www.Heartland.ie
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bord na Móna - Source Issue 10
Bord na Móna - Source Issue 10
Contents
A round-up of news from around the company
Community Values
Looking Ahead with Confidence
From Waste to Compost
Saving Energy
Building Commitment
At the Coal Face
Annual Report Results
A Dog's Life
Updates on important developments and projects
Heritage Corner
A nationwide spotlight on special occasions, events and achievements across the company
Bord na Móna - Source Issue 10
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