Community Partnerships
Throughout our communities we work with charitable organisations, take leading roles in supporting fundraisers and maintain strong relationships with our partners.
We are constantly evaluating how we can play a meaningful role in aiding organisations whose values and cultures mirror our own. Our people, our facilities, our retail branches and our suppliers all play their part in creating innovative initiatives that raise vital funds.
Our charity partner, along with Glanbia plc, is Breast Cancer Ireland (BCI) which deliver strong funding streams for breast cancer research and treatment.
Real Impact
Events and fundraisers run throughout the year by Glanbia Ireland and our employees include the Pink Bales campaign, the Glanbia 300 Cycle and the Two Peaks Challenge. The staging of the three events saw around €100,000 donated to support breast cancer research in a single year
This year the BCI announced new funding to support continued research into precision medicine strategies that will impact breast cancer patients.
It is encouraging to see all the effort paying off. Over 3,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year and thanks to increased awareness, early diagnosis along with ground-breaking research and treatment the survival rate from the cancer stands at 85%.
Breast Cancer Ireland CEO, Aisling Hurley, says the organisation is delighted to be the beneficiary of funds raised through the annual initiatives of Glanbia Ireland and welcomed in particular the impact the pink bales have in driving awareness of good breast health across rural Ireland.
“The monies raised allow us to fund pioneering research and on-going awareness programmes. Early detection saves lives and we are grateful to those who help us to transform the landscape of breast cancer in Ireland,” she said.
Pink Bales
Our Pink Bales initiative plays a huge role in raising funds and awareness of breast cancer. Farmers are encouraged to buy the limited edition pink Mastercrop Agristretch silage wrap and for every roll bought Glanbia Ireland makes a donation to BCI.
Our farmers are also encouraged to embrace the ‘BaleWatch’ drive by placing some of the pink-wrapped bales in fields visible from the public road. With many farmers getting further involved in the initiative by posting videos and photos of their pink bales on social media using the hashtag #PinkBales.
Glanbia 300 Cycle
Every year a lively cohort of around 70 employees get on their bikes to complete the gruelling ‘Glanbia 300 Cycle’ to raise funds for Breast Cancer Ireland and local Kilkenny charities.
These intrepid Glanbia cyclists clock up a staggering 300km over the course of the two-day event. Starting from the Glanbia site in Ballyragget the journey has taken them to locations across the south-east of Ireland, including Wexford, Athlone and Dungarvan.
Since its beginning in 2014, the Glanbia 300 Cycle has raised over €203,000 to date for BCI and local charities.
Two Peaks Challenge
This regular challenge entails a strict training regime as Glanbia Ireland employees have taken on climbing some of Ireland’s toughest peaks. The Two Peaks Challenge sees around 100 employees climbing a set route along two different mountains two days in a row and all for charity.
Great Pink Run Series
One of our parent companies Glanbia plc has worked with the BCI on the Great Pink Run series which has become a major feature in the sporting calendar and a real focus for raising breast cancer awareness and encouraging physical activity.
Avonmore Slimline Milk has provided product to be enjoyed at the finish lines of the event that has become a major feature in the sporting calendar and a real focus for raising breast cancer awareness and encouraging physical activity.
The 5km and 10km events take place in Dublin and Kilkenny, while in 2019, for the first time Chicago hosted a pink run in the Windy City which was led out by Olympic athlete Sonia O’Sullivan.
The 2019 events raised €625,000 and such was its success that it is also going virtual to allow more people take part in the sporting event and feel part of the community.
Community events
Through our branch network we sponsor many events, big and small, that are important to those communities; we also support we sponsor many agricultural shows, food fairs and other events throughout the country, which are a mainstay of many rural communities.
Glanbia Ireland sponsorships also include the Kilkenny Arts Festival and food festivals such as Savour Kilkenny and the Waterford Festival of Food. We provide consumers with a flavour of the rich produce that Ireland has to offer.
Through GAIN Pet Nutrition, we deliver much needed donations of our Kindness nutrition feed to dog shelters and charities around the country. GAIN Equine Nutrition is a key supporter and sponsor of the Irish Horse Welfare Trust.