Qantas 2003 Annual Report Download - page 26

page 24
2003 Qantas Annual Report
UNICEF Pathfinders Qantas Cabin Crew Team
Bangarra Dance Company Australian Youth Orchestra
Australian Swimming Australian Cricket Board Australian Rugby Union
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE
COMMUNITY
In a difficult operating environment,
Qantas continued with its commitment
to the highest standards of corporate
social responsibility. During the year,
Qantas acted quickly to assist customers
and other Australians in need on
numerous occasions. The airline is
a proud financial and hands on supporter
of a wide range of community, arts and
sporting organisations, in keeping with the
company’s concern for the communities it
serves and in which it operates.
In April 2003, Qantas was awarded
the inaugural Queensland Community
Foundation Award in recognition of
the company’s ongoing support of
communities in need, with particular
mention of Qantas’ efforts following
the tragic bombings in Bali.
Qantas responded to the Bali bombings by
carrying more than 4,500 people from Bali
to Australia (including many people with
tickets to travel on other airlines);
scheduling nine special evacuation flights
in addition to regular scheduled services;
sending two Qantas doctors and three
Qantas nurses to Denpasar to provide
medical assistance; carrying 16 medical
specialists from Emergency Management
Australia to Bali; carrying medical supplies
to Bali; and working with the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the
repatriation of victims‘ remains.
Following the devastating bushfires which
hit Canberra and Sydney over the summer,
Qantas transported firefighters to areas
in need, offered free domestic seats to
Canberra residents who had lost their
homes to the fires and needed to relocate
to other Australian cities, positioned extra
staff from Sydney to Canberra to assist at
the airport and to relieve Qantas staff who
had lost or were defending their own
homes and offered support groups
working with affected people Qantas
blankets and free meals.
In partnership with UNICEF Australia, the
airline received national recognition for the
Change for Good program, winning the
Cultural Events and Community Activities
category of The Australian Financial Review
Magazine Corporate Partnership Awards.
With the program now in its 12th year,
Qantas was the first airline in the world to
implement the initiative which has raised
more than $8.6 million since 1991 for
UNICEF programs that help disadvantaged
children around the world. The program
has also been adopted by Qantas’
oneworld partner airlines as their global
charity, with US$37.4 million raised to date.
Through groups such as Pathfinders and
the Qantas Cabin Crew Team, Qantas staff
continued to raise significant funds for a
range of causes.
Qantas also continued its strong track
record in Indigenous employment. The
airline has had an Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander employment and training
program in place since 1988 and currently
employees 213 Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people across all areas of
operation. The program aims to increase
this number to 240 by next year.
This commitment to creating employment
opportunities for Indigenous Australians
was strengthened by Qantas‘ participation
in the Federal Government’s Corporate
and of course, supporting the community!
Sydney Dance Company Soccer Australia