C&W launches charitable foundation
Hurricane relief supplies
arrive in BVI through C&W/Flow
(CNS): One of the biggest telecommunications and entertainment providers in the region has launched a charitable foundation to help Caribbean islands impacted by catastrophic hurricanes this season. C&W Communications (C&W), the parent company of Flow, has also launched a ‘Text To Donate’ campaign, whereby customers in the Caribbean can pledge a $1 donation for relief effort through its foundation by texting ‘GIVE’ to shortcode 2300.
C&W says it has launched the Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation, with seed funding of US$500,000, to help support humanitarian efforts across the region. The initial primary purpose of the foundation will be to serve as a fundraising hub, enabling funds raised to be directed to local, regional and international agencies to execute projects in affected territories.
To this end, the company is making a concerted effort to raise further funding from partners, suppliers and individual donors, and has launched an internal payroll giving scheme for its 7,000 or so employees.
“The 2017 hurricane season continues to have a grave impact upon some of the markets in which we operate, and the present situation requires a concerted effort to provide much needed relief,” said C&W CEO John Reid. “What has been truly uplifting, however, is the huge desire amongst our employees, partners, and customers – as well as our extended Liberty Global family – to help improve the situation on the ground. The establishment of the foundation is our commitment to do just that – and we’re looking to get everyone involved to help drive hurricane relief and other humanitarian efforts.”
In the longer term the foundation will also support other charitable and community causes in the markets where the company operates, the company said.
C&W and its employees have been working to assist those affected by the hurricanes since Irma passed two weeks ago. In the early hours of Tuesday, 12 September, C&W employees in St. Vincent and Puerto Rico loaded aircraft with desperately needed supplies and equipment bound for Anguilla and BVI.
Country Manager of Flow BVI, Colin MacDonald, and his team offloaded the first shipment, which included bottled water, non-perishable food items, baby supplies, tarpaulins, blankets, medical kits, water purification tablets, mosquito destroyers, flashlights, and batteries. Additional shipments left Jamaica on Wednesday, 13 September, and C&W’s operation in Antigua delivered mobile and satellite phones to the government of Barbuda, to equip the teams coordinating their relief efforts.
Other C&W businesses are also joining in the efforts to assist their colleagues in the affected markets, the company said. In Grenada, for example, employees have volunteered to take salary deductions in September, with the funds raised going towards the purchase of much-needed supplies.
“These are just a handful of examples from the many incredible actions taking place across the region in response to this tragedy,” Reid also said. “It’s humbling for C&W to be part of this wider response and I hope, together, we can make a difference.”
The company has also deployed engineers and equipment to impacted markets, and given assistance to customers through free calls. C&W will also continue to work with local governments and agencies to get supplies and expertise into the affected markets, it said.
Category: Local News
I am surprised to see the way we react to things that happens in our lives and how we respond to them .
Here we have one person who made a big mistake , and one that wrote a disgraceful comment , and we would beat them up with comments that might help correct their behavior in the future.
Then we have a situation / article of desperate people who are victims of disaster and needs all the help they can get to get their lives back together . Then one that has made billions of dollars of these said victims they are not talking about using their company money to help these victims , but can ask us overcharged victims to help the hurricane victims.
Why can’t we shame this big billions dollars company into matching every thousands of dollars raised to help the victims of the hurricane .
Let’s put our priorities and comment to good use .
Why don’t take the extra $1 they slapped on my bill and the extra $35 I get in my bill because I live in a certain part of West Bay where we still have no competition. Our regulator should have the power to set rates like they do with elec. utilities and just control prices where we have monopolies or where they is collision between the service providers.
Huge fines can balance budgets and reduce the high cost of living that was created by some of these very beasts.
Boy that Text to Donate scheme is a real con job. First of all to donate $1.00, I will have to pay Flow 80 cents for the text message. Meaning Flow is going to add 20 cents to my 80 cents and say that they are matching my dollar. Not true , I am contributing $1.80 and Flow is contributing 20 cents. Here’s a better idea, get rid of that old scam ,sorry , scheme and send out this text instead. “To Donate to the hurricane relief fund text GIVE to 2300. Text message will cost $5 which will be donated to the fund . Flow will will match donations up to a total of (?) Million dollars.”
I wonder why C&W are not saying that they would match every million dollars raised sense they are so big in this victims relief efforts. Two million dollars can go alot further than one . They have made their billions of dollars off these same victims and is asking for donations from us overcharged victims again . Who are going to see that funds / money goes to the mostly needed people ? Or where the money would go .
Well said.
They built their empire on the backs of West Indians who were “retired” off early with a so called package, which has not lasted until their golden years. They should be nationalised to keep the money locally and build up our economies in the region.
It’s about damn time C&W serve up some relief they’ve been serving Cayman up the a$$ for decades.