Our Role in the Community

The National recognises it has a contribution to make to the communities in which it operates. Globally, we make this contribution through philanthropic activities and through social investments that address gaps or improve the ability of people who are disadvantaged to access financial services.

The specific needs and concerns of community groups vary from market to market. In Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, the National and its employees have had a strong focus on programs involving education, health and volunteering.

As with all our activities, we are constantly striving to improve the way we make our contribution to the community and welcome feedback from customers, employees, communities and shareholders.

Australia

• The National's Community Consultation Forum, chaired by the Reverend Tim Costello and comprising church, welfare and consumer group representatives, helps us improve affordability and accessibility of services for low income and disadvantaged people.
• The Forum was instrumental in the design of the National Concession Card Account, effectively a fee-free bank account for concession-card holders, launched in August 2001 for customers on low incomes.
• The National contributes $5 million a year on community and sponsorship programs in Australia, including sponsorship of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Other community partners are Lions Australia, Volunteering Australia, the Australian Conservation Foundation, Ourcommunity.com and Ecumenical Community Housing.
• The National's arrangement with Australia Post enables it to deliver on its commitment not to leave any community without an alternative bank service. Over 2,900 Post Offices offering the giroPost service across Australia deliver face to face personal banking to National customers.
• We have been working with Australia Post since early last year to expand its giroPost service to offer a business banking service at selected rural and remote locations.
• The National is trialing audio or voice-enabled ATMs in Australia to enable customers who are blind, vision impaired or elderly to perform basic ATM transactions. The advanced technology is the first of its kind to be released in Australia.
• The National's CommunityLink Volunteer Awards has channelled $1.2 million over five years into 352 small to medium sized volunteer groups from urban to remote areas in all states and territories.
• Under the National's Staff Volunteer Grant Program, Australian-based employees can apply for a grant of up to $2,000 for their own community not-for-profit organisations.
• Wealth Management division employees actively engage in and contribute to their community. This year their efforts equated to over 7,000 volunteer hours benefiting more than 40 community organisations.
• At the annual Wealth Management Community Day this year, over 970 employees volunteered their skills and labour to a range of community activities from bush regeneration to business strategy and financial planning. This aims to bring employees in touch with their local communities, develop an awareness of their needs and actively make a difference.

New Zealand

• The Staff Community Involvement Programme allows employees to voluntarily support the Bank's sponsorship program and their local communities. The programme centres on key sponsorship relationships with Heart Children NZ and the Kiwi Recovery Programme.
• Staff support for children born with congenital heart conditions and their families has included fundraising, helping to set up local support groups, reading to children undergoing treatment at Green Lane Hospital (NZ's only paediatric cardiology unit) and donating non-perishable foods, books and toys to BNZ Heart House (family accommodation unit next door to Green Lane Hospital).
• To help NZ's national icon, the kiwi, many staff across the country are learning how to monitor the birds, set and check stoat traps and advocate the issues affecting kiwi to the public.

Great Britain and Ireland

• In Northern Ireland, the Northern Bank built on its award-winning Time 2 Count numeracy program in which employees help school children with fun maths activities. 'Maths in a Bag', the pre-school numeracy resource, was rolled out to Education and Library Boards, for use in pre-school and community groups throughout Northern Ireland.
• Northern Bank supports Youth Action's Youth Achievement Awards and Community Leadership programs that promote active contribution to local communities among young people.
• The Young Enterprise Northern Bank Company of the Year entered its second year, with over 30 employees volunteering their business skills in support of enterprise and business start-up projects.
• The Minister for Social Development congratulated the Northern Bank and the Volunteer Development Agency on the achievements of their three-year corporate partnership promoting best practice in volunteering.
• The National Irish Bank supports the Simon Community youth and outreach program tackling homelessness. A comprehensive education pack was delivered to schools throughout the country and the charity was the partner in the bank's annual Charity Bond.
• The national Junior Achievement Primary Programs continued to flourish with support from the National Irish Bank and from employees volunteering their skills in support of the local community.
• The Ark Children's Cultural Centre presented a festival of animation, with children of bank employees taking part in a tailor-made workshop.
• Age and Opportunity in partnership with the National Irish Bank engaged older people in their community through an ongoing series of community workshops. "I've Always Wanted to Try" encourages older people to try something new and play an active part in the community.
• Clydesdale Bank's partnership with basketballscotland, aimed at 5 -18 year olds, promotes participation in the sport and encourages a healthy lifestyle. In April, the sponsorship was shortlisted for Best First Time Sponsor at the "sportscotland Awards 2002".
• At the Clydesdale Bank, 29 staff volunteers give presentations to schools on various issues related to business and banking. They have made 18 presentations in the last three months.
• The Yorkshire Bank's Charitable Trust Educational Awards Scheme provides financial awards to schools to help with specific curriculum related projects. In February 2002 over £50,000 was donated to 161 schools.
• In March, staff once again volunteered for the quarterly 'Leeds Cares' program in which employees participate in a community project, such as painting a school.