Glamour clubs score goals for charity November 16, 2008
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Top South African football clubs Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates have raised R100000 for charity with a goalscoring deal each time the two sides meet.
Further details can be found here.
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Somebody needs you November 12, 2008
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I know that in South Africa, we tend to become somewhat immune to stories of violence committed against young kids.
However I’m making a call to mobilise any resources I can to assist. I received a message from a guy who runs a children’s home in JHB. Over the last four years he has seen plenty of bad things and has regularly had to hit people up for cash.
I received the following SMS from him this evening and when he says things are bad - he means things are bad.
“Dear friends, we have a little girl named Kim (aged 6) who was badly raped - the worst we have ever seen. The cost of the reconstructive surgery is R100 000. My company is able to contribute R50000 and we are seeking sponsors for the difference”
I completely appreciate that things are tight at the moment but I have committed to assisting in the fundraising efforts.
If you are able to assist in any way please drop me a mail at marc@rival.co.za or contact me on 082-561-1585 to discuss further.
Kind regards,
Marc Ashton
www.ManufacturingHub.co.za
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Christmas wish list November 9, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.2 comments
It’s a very quick blog posting but in terms of a great corporate social investment initiative, the 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Christmas ‘wish list’ is one of the best initiatives out there at the moment.
Every year I think a huge portion of Joburg residents drive to work and listen to some of the heart-breaking stories and the way companies can make an enormous difference to one or two people’s lives.
It is a great initiative run by Highveld and I hope they keep it up.
With the economy in a serious downturn, I urge all South Africans to see if they are able to contribute in anyway to a charity and make somebody else’s life a little better….
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Cycle Lab October 22, 2008
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Cycle Lab is sponsoring a very worthwhile cause. The cause is the “Making Difficult Lives a Little Easier” project, which plans to raise money to buy wheelchairs which will be donated to disabled people.
Read the complete article here.
Nice initiative from the Cycle Lab team - well done!
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Sasol’s investment in the future pays matric pass dividends October 14, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.Tags: Education, Sasol
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The 96% pass rate, with 16 distinctions achieved by the 2007 Grade 12 class from Alexandra, compared to the 49% overall pass rate achieved by pupils in other Alexandra high schools, is expected to be emulated or even exceeded by the class of 2008.
At least 45 of the 58 learners of the class of 2008 have already applied to tertiary institutions. In 2007, 46% of the schools’ 12 graders obtained exemptions, compared to the national average of 16%. Over 50% of the class are now studying degrees ranging from actuarial Science to engineering at universities and the remainder in Colleges.
These remarkable results are due the highly successful Alexandra High Schools Programme, a structured Mathematics and Science educational programme facilitated at St. Mary’s Waverley and funded by Sasol.
The results show that the programme, which has 130 Grade 11 and 12 learners from five Alexandra high schools attending weekly Saturday and school holiday supplementary programmes facilitated by St Mary’s, has found the formula for success.
“Improved performance in Maths and Science is crucial to building a solid foundation for tertiary education and economic growth in South Africa,” says Pamilla Mudhray, Head of Corporate Social Investment at Sasol. “However, it is difficult for under-resourced schools that lack resources, laboratories and adequate mentoring to achieve good results. St. Mary’s has stepped in to provide valuable access to their facilities and teaching.”
Through the programme, learners from Alexandra who have shown potential in mathematics and science are identified by teachers and the Department of Education. Learners are given 250 hours extra tuition on Saturdays and during school holidays, at the classrooms, computer and science laboratories at St Mary’s in Waverley.
Cheryl Phophi from Reologile High school in Alexandra has attended the project for 2 years. The daughter of a slain struggle activist, Cheryl is determined that her father’s dreams will live on in her. A visit last year to a coal mine whilst attending the Sasol Techno X a science expo in Sasolburg sparked a keen interest in mining engineering and Cheryl has been awarded a full bursary to study mining engineering at the University of Witwatersrand next year.
“I gained an incredible amount from participating in this programme - including career and life skills to support the maths and science theory. I am one step closer to achieving my goals,” says Cheryl.
“We started this project with an aim to increase the number of learners from Alexandra passing with matric exemptions, which gives them access to tertiary institutions. We also need to see an increase in the number of learners registering in Maths and Science related career streams,” says Pamilla Mudhray. “With the partnership of St. Mary’s we are achieving these aims each year.”
In addition to Maths and Science, the programme incorporates other learning areas including English, Accounting, Computer and Life Skills. Educators from the high schools in Alexandra are involved in workshops and forums conducted by St Mary’s. This year 40 educators from Alexandra and Tembisa High Schools attended English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, Life Skills and Home Economics forums.
“The enthusiasm and diligence with which the students come every Saturday is amazing, and judging from their results, we see their commitment being rewarded,” says Linda Giuricich, project manager and teacher at St Mary’s School.
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Social Responsibility Gets New Home At ThoughtRocket.com October 9, 2008
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USA (SANEPR.com) October 9, 2008 — Corporate Social Responsibility gains momentum with the help of Will Marre, acclaimed speaker and CSR advocate. Marre, CEO of Realeadership Alliance, today announced the launch of his new multi-media CSR resource and daily blog site, ThoughtRocket.com. Upon reviewing the site, Neville Billamoria, Vice President of Marketing for a regional credit union, stated, “This is exactly what people need, who have a persistent longing to make a difference right where they are, right now.”
To cite a recent example of how Corporate Social Responsibility can work in the real world, Marre (with co-founder Dr. Paul Cox) created a strategic relationship with a large international skin-care company, which agreed to use botanical ingredients found in tropical island plants in a popular line of products. In return, the company pays a 25-cents-per bottle royalty which helps fund Seacology projects. (Seacology [ http://www.Seacology.org “>, co-founded by Marre, is an innovative non-profit dedicated to saving the rain forests and coral reefs of tropical islands, while preserving indigenous cultures.)
“Every individual, from CEO to stay-at-home mother, can make a difference to save the world if they examine their unique gifts, talents and experience to make the biggest impact”, says Will Marre. “Imagine a future where all of us are making our best contribution to create our Greatest Total Value. That’s the world of Sustainable Abundance. And it’s within our reach.”
Marre’s latest book, to be published by Capital Books in early 2009, is titled “Save the World and Still Be Home For Dinner”. In this new book, he urges businesses and individuals alike to take responsibility and ask: What can I do to transform my job, my business, and my life to help create a sustainable future for all?
Marre’s mission for his new website is “to drive world-wide sustainable abundance by inspiring leaders with mind-blowing business ideas they act on.” His decades of experience have given him a powerful ability to translate what he calls the Triple Bottom Line [ http://www.thoughtrocket.com/triple-bott… “> - people, planet, and profit - into a unique value advantage. “When you combine people, planet and profit, the new sources of value and points of differentiation you uncover yield top-line growth, fiercely loyal customers, and committed internal and external talent”, says Marre.
Visitors to the ThoughtRocket web site [ http://www.ThoughtRocket.com “> are greeted by a short video, entitled: “Sustainable Abundance: the Greatest economic and leadership opportunity in the history of the world.” Marre truly feels that we should not view this movement as Corporate Social Responsibility, but rather Corporate Social Opportunity.
About Will Marre
Will Marre co-founded the Covey Leadership Center, and as President was instrumental in bringing the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” to millions. Marre has also been a personal leadership coach and advisor to CEOs of multi-billion dollar global companies. For the past 10 years, he has focused on making Corporate Social Responsibility strategic. He has helped publicly traded companies forge working alliances with non-profits, and helped non-profits find corporate partners. Will received an Emmy award for writing a learning documentary, “Reclaiming Your American Dream”, which continues to air on public television stations across the country.
Press Release Submission By PressReleasePoint
Contact:
Will Marre
info at thoughtrocket.com
http://www.thoughtrocket.com
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Izibead October 7, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.Tags: Breast Cancer, business, Cancer
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I came across these guys on an e-mail they sent me. I don’t know much about them, nor do I endorse or know much about what they do. i.e. it sounds good but a bit of investigating is always recommended no matter what any charity or sponsorship initiative says.
But the concept sounded good and proved the point that anybody can make a contribution, no matter how small.
Check out their website here - http://www.izibead.com/Main/aboutus.html
The e-mail sent to me read:
A truly dear friend of mine is battling through her treatments as I write this. More and more people are being affected by this disease every day and there is still no suitable cure. For each kit sold Izibead will donate R3.00 to Breast Cancer Research. Our goal is to make a difference, no matter how small.
Please take a look at our website for more details. An order form is available on our site for download. It would be greatly appreciated if you could print one out and circulate amongst your staff.
Izibead supplies schools throughout South Africa with educational material. For this initiative we are more than happy to supply the private sector also.
Visit us here
www.izibead.com/breastcancer.htm
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Finally South African Rock Music with Heart! August 13, 2008
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Author: Morag Stiles
When I heard of Feedback from Cape Town, I honestly thought in my arrogance that no one could compare with Seether at this point. However I have been a fan of Rock music since the tender age of 8, when my father caught me listening to KISS, and thus I must admit that this band left me pleasantly surprised.
Reminiscent of early LIVE, sumptuously infused with Creed overtones, Feedback’s lead singer has a signature sound which instantly transported me to the first time I heard Lightening Crashes by Live. I became an instant fan.
Moreover, in contacting this band to find out how the rest of the country can get hold of one of their CD’s, my opinion of Feedback escalated out of the stratosphere. Finally a South African Rock band boldly exposing their caring hearts. For every single CD sold by Feedback, two extremely worthy causes get a donation. The Animal Anti Cruelty League and Save the Dolphins, are listed as the two causes that Feedback are giving back to at the end of their fiscal year.
Thus if you are a fan of rock music and would like to support a worthy cause and a worthy band, please log on to www.feedbackband.co.za to order a copy of their CD now!
The best news is that our readers will get the CD at the lower than retail price, at only R70 until the end of November this year. Although Feedback are already looking forward to the trauma caused by fireworks around the country during the months of October and November. Help them to make a worthwhile donation to the SPCA by paying the normal retail price of R100 per CD. Feedback have made a pledge to give the extra R30 to SPCA’s around the country, to help support and feed the traumatized animals of our fireworks displays.
So show that YOU have a heart, by supporting local music that GIVES BACK. When you compare this bands intentions, instantly their competition doesn’t even compare. They are helping to make our world a better place, and in the process, you get to do your Christmas and Holiday shopping early.
Empower FEEDBACK to Feed Back.
to listen to the music first go to
http://www.myspace.com/feedbacksa
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Call Centre helps fight cancer, abuse against women & gives jobs August 10, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
Disadvantaged women who have been subjected to physical abuse are receiving training and jobs, thanks to the donation of a contact centre, initially for the Shavathon – a national awareness campaign for cancer.The contact centre, donated by ATIO Corporation and Interactive Intelligence, enables organisations like the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) to implement awareness and fundraising drives, such as the Shavathon, Women’s Day initiatives, breast cancer luncheons, etc. These awareness drives are advertised by providing a number for the public to call, which in turn reaches the cause marketing contact centre.
Depending on the project, women from sanctuaries for abused women are employed and receive training to handle calls, faxes and emails, as well as basic secretarial skills. Most of the women have never worked in an office environment before. As a result of the training, five have obtained fulltime employment in other contact centres. According to Noelene Kotschan, MD of marketing agency, Sho-Sho-Loza Marketing, the awareness drives and training for the women would not be possible without the contact centre.
“Before using contact centre technology, we had a traditional switchboard system which could not cope with the call volumes for our cause marketing initiatives,” she says. “Thanks to the contact centre, we’ve also been able to reduce operating costs by about 40%.
This is significant because it means that we can give more money to the beneficiaries.” ATIO was compelled to assist the CANSA Shavathon as the company felt that most people in the community had a personal experience of friends or family affected by cancer. ATIO approached one of its key partners, global IP communications solution provider, Interactive Intelligence to provide the system as its commitment to corporate social investment mirrored ATIO’s.
“Because it is an all-in-one solution, Interactive Intelligence’s system gave the CANSA Shavathon the ability to have one platform for its contact centre and office environment, driving up productivity and reducing integration and maintenance costs,” says Dawn Hollingworth, ATIO’s business development and marketing director.
“The system is also easy to use therefore providing an ideal environment to train agents with a low skills base.” In fact, Hollingworth says that the call centre agents can be trained on the basics of the centre within half a morning. “This enables significant flexibility for all cause projects and gives the trainees a great sense of achievement,” she says.
Dave Paulding, Interactive Intelligence’s regional sales manager for UK and Africa says that being involved in this project is a privilege. “We are delighted to donate our technology and expertise to support organisations doing such admirable work in the community.” Hollingworth further stated that should any other deserving cause be in need of a contact centre solution, they should contact ATIO directly.
Source: Pressportal
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Entertain your brain at Sasol Techno X 2008 August 9, 2008
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Science and technology developments are introducing new and exciting career choices for young people. The eight annual Sasol Techno X, taking place from 11-15 August 2008 at the Boiketlong Complex, Sasolburg, is aimed at sharing with learners the endless and exciting possibilities of science and technology.
Read the complete article here.
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)