Challenging care for safety

22/04/2004

A North East company is challenging its employees to be safer at work.  Being safe means thousands of pounds for a leading UK charity and a safer, healthier and happier work force.

Children and adults with a learning disability in the region are to benefit from Northumbrian Water’s ‘Care for Safety’ challenge.  Launched this week, the challenge will raise up to £100,000 for Mencap.

The water company’s 1650 employees are being encouraged to be proactive in improving the safety of their working environment.  Steps they can take which will trigger donations to Mencap include:

Reporting and addressing all health and safety issues and concerns.
Reporting all accidents and near misses.
Completing good quality accident/incident reports.
Prompt return to work after an accident.

Mencap works with children and adults with a learning disability, their families and carers, fighting to end discrimination and prejudice, and provides a wide range of quality services.  There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK – about three in every 100 people.  Learning disabilities are life-long and affect a person’s ability to learn, but with the right support people can lead fulfilling and active lives.

Dave Warren, father of 16-year-old Paul who has a learning disability, lives in Sunderland and work’s at Northumbrian Water’s head office at Pity Me, Durham:  “ I have no doubt that this scheme is one that can bring support and benefit to many more individuals and their families.  I am really pleased that my company has made this commitment and I urge each employee to rise to the challenge!

“This partnership is a win-win-win situation which will benefit employees by having a safer, healthier and happier working environment and in turn benefit the business.  Communities local to where Northumbrian Water operates – from Berwick down to North Yorkshire and across to the Pennines – will most certainly benefit.”

Mencap’s Chief Executive, Jo Williams, said: “I am delighted that Northumbrian Water will be working with Mencap on the ‘Care for Safety’ challenge.  I am sure Northumbrian Water employees will all rise to the challenge to make it a huge success!  All their efforts towards the challenge will make a significant impact on the lives of people with a learning disability, their familites and carers in the North East.”

For further information contact Cara Hall, Communications Adviser, on 0191 301 6720.

Notes to Editors:

For information about learning disability issues please call the Learning Disability Helpline (England) on 0808 808 1111 or  www.mencap.org.uk/press.