Environment & Social Projects…
16.12.19 | OliverCurrent Charity Projects…
Charity of the Year 2020: Just a Drop
Our nominated charity for our 35th Anniversary year is Just a Drop. It’s 7 years since we last raised money for this wonderful charity, when our joint MD Oliver jumped out of an airplane in Dubai on Tuesday 11th June 2012.
During 2020, we have committed to contribute £1 per holiday booked with us.
We have also donated £500 to start the campaign instead of sending Christmas cards in December 2019.
During the year we will update our clients on the progress of the fund raising and the development of the project too.
Project: Saayi School, Uganda…
At the school, there is a serious issue with hygiene, specifically the latrines, which are not fit for purpose. There is only one latrine (with 5 stances) for girls, boys and teachers, it is close to falling down and presents a real hazard to health – maggots are common. In the past months, the government have threatened to close down the school if no action is taken.
Just a Drop therefore propose to build a brand new 14 stanced latrine where 2 stances are for the teachers and 12 stances are divided between boys and girls. The latrines will be double faced, which has the advantage that the girls will use one side and the boys the other. Further, it will be built to such a design that it can be emptied, meaning it can be used for many years.
In addition to the latrines, we will also deliver a training programme to help the school community understand safe hygiene practices.
It has been seen that during their periods, girls commonly miss school due to taboos and a lack of hygienic facilities. In the latrines, we will include a wash room for girls , to ensure privacy and dignity.
Other recent Charity projects:
Ronald McDonald House
In November, we were delighted to be invited to taker part in a special fund-raising event for Ronald McDonald House Charities. We arranged a special auction holiday prize which raised over £1,600 for this excellent cause. This could house a family for 64 nights at a Ronald McDonald House! For more details visit: www.rmhc.org.uk.
Lichfield Cathedral
We are one of the local supporters of the Cathedral to help restore and renovate this beautiful local landmark and important historical building. In 2020 we have helped raise funds to automate the clock on the Cathedral to ensure it continues to work in years to come.
Caring for our Environment…
Environmental issues such as sustainable tourism and carbon footprints have become major topics of discussion in the travel industry of late. We are addressing these through engaging with our industry to learn more, review our processes and implement change.
Carbon Offsetting
At RB Collection, we offset the carbon footprint for all of our staff travels in 2019 and will continue to do this into 2020. We also offer this on several the holidays we arrange and are working on a new scheme to offer this over every single holiday booked with us going forward.
There are a number of challenges to this and we want to make sure we work with ethical and reputable organisations so that the money contributed is used effectively.
Supporting communities around the world
Tourism can be a huge benefit and many communities rely heavily on tourism to fund their livelihoods. We are learning more about this and will be working on training for our team so we can pass on this relevant information to our clients when booking with us.
Company review
We are also reviewing all of our processes to reduce the environmental impact, from our administration procedures, business partners and even down to our office supplies and soap in the kitchen.
One of the immediate changes we have made is to use 100% recycled paper for our company letterheads and envelopes we print in the future.
Travel Explorer Magazine
We have also made the decision to remove all the plastic from our annual magazine mailing to our clients, and offering future copies in digital format also. The envelopes and company stationary will be printed using r100% recycled paper.
Ongoing effort
We understand and accept we have a responsibility to monitor and control our environmental impact and look forward to exploring this more.
We’d be happy to discuss this topic with your further so please do get in touch.
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