Corporate Social Responsibility
Through the delivery of various projects for local clients, McAdam began to be actively informed of some of the wider social/environmental issues in areas of the local community and in 2021 we made the commitment to become a more responsible, community focussed business.
The main schemes that we are currently working with are Live Here Love Here and the Lagan Dragons, detailed below, but we also regularly participate in charity events, such as Food Drive for local food banks, Mental Health Awareness Week raising money for Suicide Awareness charities and making annual donations to charities within areas we are undertaking projects and working with the Woodland Trust in their tree planting initiatives.
During 2021 alone we donated over £50,000 to local schemes and staff undertook 500+ hours of volunteer work.
Lagan Dragons
Lagan Dragons Boat Club Regeneration
Lagan Dragons (LD) is NI’s first ever Dragon Boat club of paddlers affected by breast cancer. The club recently acquired a Boat Yard on Stranmillis Embankment but it was heavily overgrown and unsafe for members so we offered to help. In just a few months we achieved the following:
Throughout we met regularly with LD to identify their needs and plan the regeneration.
The site has been totally transformed to a secure site enabling the club to safely enjoy their sport and to accept many more members. The Boat Club was officially opened by DfI Minister Nicola Mallon in November 2021.
On scheme completion LD’s Chairwoman Jenny Colmer said:
“We were totally blown away by your generosity. What a massive massive difference you made! It was barely habitable or safe until you guys took over so to have our very own home is just fantastic.”
We feel our Community Investment activities with Live Here Love Here (LHLH) and Lagan Dragons (LD) in particular, have reinforced our brand and show our staff, clients, partners and wider public that we are committed to the social and environmental wellbeing of our communities.
Thank You McAdam!!
Copeland Island Bird Sanctuary
12 of McAdam’s hardiest staff volunteered to roll up their sleeves for Copeland Bird Observatory and got stuck into hard manual labour on Lighthouse Island. Tasks including painting, scything and mowing were successful completed under the watchful gaze of manx shearwater, arctic tern, gulls and puffins.
Over the past few months, McAdam have been working closely with CBO to support their ambitions to provide safe high tide access to Lighthouse Island, a designated Special Protection Area (SPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) and one of the 3 Copeland Islands located 5.5km off the coast of Donaghadee.
The marine licence and planning application for the provision of new jetty, robust enough to withstand the forces of the Irish Sea, are currently out to consultation and include a biodiversity checklist, HRA and oCEMP to ensure this beautiful area remains protected yet accessible to continue with CBO’s vital conservation works.
Live Here Love Here
In 2021 McAdam established a partnership with LHLH aimed at helping both organisations deliver on their aims to enhance local communities. We agreed on the following to help us meet our shared goals:
Community Grants Initiative
LHLH Small Grants are funded by 10 Local Councils, NIHE, McAdam and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The grants fund social and environmental schemes enhancing local communities.
McAdam, as sole Private Investor, agreed to fund 10 schemes throughout NI which we selected, in discussion with LHLH, based on social and environmental community value. Below lists some examples.
Helen Tomb from LHLH said:
“We would like to thank McAdam for supporting the Small Grants Scheme and, thereby, helping to support community projects that look after our environment and boost the health and wellbeing of people across NI.”
Big Spring Clean Up
As part of Live Here Love Here, McAdam employees also volunteer to help clean up local community beauty spots.
In 2021 we removed over 60 bags of litter at Foster Green Hospital and Connswater Community Greenway and in 2022 we helped to clean and weed the grounds at Knockbracken Healthcare Park.
These events get a fantastic turnout from staff who are keen to their part to give back to the community.
