Prudential staff taking part in a community project

5 May 2010: Plan Thailand has won the first prize of £10,000 in Prudential's 2009 Chairman’s Award programme.

It is the third time in 5 years Plan has won the flagship global volunteering initiative’s award, which supports community projects in all the countries where Prudential operates.

Launched in 2006, the award is part of Prudential plc’s corporate social responsibility programme, and connects company volunteers with a wide range of charitable projects across the globe.

Prudential employees volunteer within their own country, choosing which project they want to support. Worldwide, Prudential staff then go on to vote for which of these projects should win the award, based on how great an impact they felt the project had on the community.

Impressive project

In total, 368 Prudential volunteers have been involved in Plan Thailand’s Children’s Environmental Development Project in Chiang Rai. The ongoing project aims to encourage the community to improve and care for its environment, support their children, while highlighting the importance of good sanitation.

Activities have included rehabilitating 2 child care centres, training carers in child-friendly learning methods, supporting the growing of vegetable plots at the school and conducting forestry conservation workshops.

Benefiting communities

Ms Panadda Samsithong, the Prudential Chairman’s Award Co-ordinator in Thailand said: "I felt proud because it gave me the opportunity to encourage people to think about themselves and how they can help themselves. We did not go and tell people to do things or to promise them what we would give. Rather, we would help them to think about the way they could stand on their own feet."

Village pride

Mr. Poosit Saelee, the village headman, said: "On behalf of the people in Tarntong, I would like to say thank you to Plan and Prudential company for working and supporting us. We feel proud of this joint project where our people also contribute. We feel good to see our young children attending a village child care centre.

"In the past, many parents were afraid of sending their children because of the limited space and it looked unsecured. Now, there is more demand from parents to have their children placed in the child care centre and the primary school."

Plan UK has been involved with the Chairman's Award programme since its launch. As part of this initiative, Prudential donates £100 to the relevant charity partner for each employee that registers as a volunteer and again when they participate in volunteering initiatives.

Find out more about Plan’s work in Thailand

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