HUGHES Insurance has launched Action for Impact, an initiative dedicated to its Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance agenda (ESG) in 2023 and beyond.
The programme has been specifically designed to support community led projects, improve wellbeing within the Hughes team and create positive environmental impact.
To fulfil its commitment, Hughes has committed over £100,000 in 2023 to Action for Impact including supporting ongoing relationship with the Mary Peters Trust, Business in the Community and Women in Business.
The local insurance firm has also announced new partnerships with two local environmental charities, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Ulster Wildlife.
Bernie McHugh Sonner, Director of Operations and Customer Services at Hughes Insurance, said: “Directing resource to our ESG strategy is a priority. Doing so strengthens our commitment to our staff, our customers and the community in which we all live.
“We have big plans for Action for Impact to become the embodiment of our core values to Act Responsibly, Put People First and Make Things Better.
“Our staff and our customers expect a high level of corporate responsiveness on global issues.
“We are committed to sus-tainability, and Action for Impact is a dedicated programme that brings to life our commitment to positive social change.”
Emma Haughian, Senior Marketing Manager at Hughes Insurance, added: “We are proud to be one of Northern Ireland’s leading insurance brokers and believe in integrating our ESG strategy throughout the business and ensuring our impact on our people, the environment and the community is positive.
“Action for Impact has been set up with the future in mind and we look forward to supporting our partners in 2023 and engaging more partners as we expand the programme’s footprint in the years ahead.”
The partnership with The Con-servation Volunteers will support a tree nursery at the Ulster Folk Museum to harvest over 250,000 native seeds per year to cultivate saplings that will be planted in many of Northern Ireland’s woodlands to protect and replenish biodiversity.
Hughes Insurance will also support an ongoing project at Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh where TCV is working to support the restoration of bogland to support carbon offsetting and enhance biodiversity.
Dave Morton, NI Assistant Director with The Conservation Volunteers, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Hughes Insurance on these important projects that protect and restore our natural environment, increase biodiversity, and connect people to conservation.
“The funding landscape is chal-lenging at the moment, so we value this commitment from Hughes and look forward to working with their team in 2023.”
With 18 nature reserves across Northern Ireland, Ulster Wildlife will also benefit from the fund which will support the charity’s Let Nature In campaign which aims to empower households in Northern Ireland make space for nature.
Dawn Miskelly, Director of Dev-elopment and Governance at Ulster Wildlife, said: “The importance of boosting nature’s recovery in Northern Ireland cannot be underestimated as one in 10 indigenous species is at risk of extinction.
“With support from Hughes and their staff, we hope to encourage households to offer support by bringing nature back into their gardens and outdoor spaces.”
As part of Action for Impact’s commitments, Hughes will also extend its existing relationship with the Mary Peters Trust into 2023 to continue to provide bursary funding for amateur athletes, in addition to working with Business in the Community to enhance carbon literacy in the workplace and Women in Business Timely Careers, a platform supporting flexible working for women returning to workplace.
Commenting on the partnerships, Bethany Carroll, Marketing Executive and Hughes Insurance Ambassador, said: “It’s really rewarding to work for an organisation that cares about the issues that we as staff also care about.
“I’m really excited, as are many
of my colleagues, to get involved
and contribute where I can as we work towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.”
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