News @ UOW
Opinions & Experts
Multimedia
Campus News & Events
Resources
Community giving program wins a Commonwealth award
The UOW Cares Program is now being lauded on the international stage.
The program, co-ordinated through UOW’s Office of Community and Partnerships, has won the category of Outreach and Community Relations category in the 2008 Association of Commonwealth Universities PR, Marketing and Communications Awards.
Judges were strong in their praise for the program saying it was “an admirable and novel initiative which seems appropriate to the work and ethos of the University” and that the initiative should be applauded.
“The University is to be congratulated on taking such an initiative reflecting its already impressive international standing,” the judges report said noting that UOW won against a number of other entrants in a particularly strong category.
Staff at the University of Wollongong have the chance to make a real difference in their community by making regular voluntary donations to charity through their fortnightly pay.
The UOW Cares program was launched in 2007 and allows staff of the University and ITC Group of Companies to contribute to one or more of their favourite charities to ensure regular, stable and on-going funding for a range of vital community organisations.
"Community collaboration and service is enshrined as one of the University of Wollongong's shared values," said Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton at the time of the launch.
Professor Sutton said he was delighted to learn of the program’s success through the Association of Commonwealth Universities describing it as a tribute to all those concerned.
Manager of Development Alumni and Community, Ms Monique Harper-Richardson, praised the team effort undertaken to achieve the winning submission including staff from the Office of Community and Partnerships and marketing staff from UniAdvice.
The overall program is backed by the UOW Cares Workplace Giving Committee and other general program supporters.
Nine charities and one UOW cause have been chosen to reflect staff preference for giving.
The charities are The Smith Family, The Cancer Council, The Fred Hollows Foundation, Autism Spectrum, the Australian Conservation Foundation, Oxfam Australia, Indigo Foundation, RSPCA and Para Meadows School for Children with Disabilities while the UOW cause is UOW Equity Scholarships.
For further information contact Monique Harper-Richardson on 4221 5759.