DC13-190 12 June 2013
Doncaster engineer wins BT Chairman's award
local charity awarded £3,000 by BT Chairman Sir Michael Rake
Phil Hall, a customer service engineer for BT's local network business Openreach in Doncaster, has been announced as the overall winner of the 2013 BT Chairman's Awards, after dedicating more than 25-years to helping disabled children.
Phil, who was also the winner of the fundraising award category, was personally chosen by BT chairman, Sir Michael Rake, for his outstanding commitment to volunteering. He has been volunteering for 25-years with HCPT Doncaster Group 101, which takes children with disabilities on holiday to Lourdes every Easter. He received £3,000 for the charity at an awards ceremony at the BT Tower in London.
Phil has been group leader of the Doncaster charity for 18-years and works tirelessly with other volunteers, including his wife Margaret, to provide fun, once-in-a-lifetime trips for children, as well as important respite for their parents and families. Since Phil became involved, the charity has been able to provide holidays to over 250 children with varying disabilities. Phil is responsible for helping the group raise all the required funds for the trips, more than £10,000 per year, as well as ensuring that all logistics for the trips, including CRB checks for volunteers and travel arrangements, are in place.
BT's Chairman's Awards have been running for more than 10 years and reward employees who go the extra mile by volunteering their time in the local community on worthwhile causes. The awards have a number of categories and look for outstanding contributions and volunteering in areas including: arts and heritage, community cohesion, diversity, education, environmental sustainability, fundraising, sports and health.
This year BT received 160 applications from employees across the world including India, Peru, Malaysia, the Netherlands, USA and the UK. Each category winner receives £500 for the community organisation or charity where they volunteer. The overall outstanding achievement winner, this year Phil Hall, receives an additional prize of £2,500.
Volunteering is a core element of BT's Better Future strategy to be a responsible and sustainable business leader. In 2012/13 BT employees volunteered more than 43,600 days of BT time to community projects worth £13 million. Every BT employee around the world is entitled to three fully paid days every year to volunteer for a cause close to their heart.
Speaking after receiving his award from Sir Michael Rake, winner Phil Hall said: I am so proud to be involved with HCPT Doncaster Group 101 and honoured to be recognised as the Outstanding Achievement award winner. It is incredibly rewarding to see how the trip we take every year enriches the lives of so many children and their families, and it's an amazing feeling to be able to show them somebody cares and accepts them for who they are.
Fellow volunteer and Phil's wife, Margaret Hall, added: This award money is fantastic and will give some very deserving children a wonderful holiday. There aren't words to describe these trips they have changed people's lives.
BT Chairman, Sir Michael Rake, said: Phil is a true inspiration to both BT employees and the wider community. His ongoing commitment, dedication and drive have undoubtedly contributed to the success of the HCPT Doncaster Group 101 over the years and changed so many people's lives for the better.
It's vital that our employees play an important role in their local communities. Not only does volunteering benefit society, it also benefits BT as our people develop new skills and are proud to work for the company.
Sir Michael also awarded an additional award this year for Personal Inspiration to Elaine Sherlock, a capability development manager for BT Business, who volunteers as a fundraiser for Kidney Research UK. After overcoming many personal challenges including dialysis and a kidney transplant, Elaine has proved to be an incredible inspiration to everyone around her. She now volunteers on a regular basis at the Renal Dialysis Unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria, Scotland, and has raised more than £25,000 for kidney disease research.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
Individual category winners won £500 for their chosen charity and included:
Arts and Heritage: Andy Simmons, Openreach, has been a volunteer at the University of Salford for 18 months. He was instrumental in the acquisition, design and construction of a portable Strowger exchange exhibit.
Civic Champion: Paul Copley, BT Wholesale, is a call-out member for Bolton Mountain Rescue team and has been involved with the group since 2010. Paul is on call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to provide emergency response services where needed in the West Pennine Moors. He is also involved in co-ordinating the deployment of teams, fundraising and administration for the group.
Community Cohesion: Candace Merle, BT Global Services from Indiana, USA, is a peer advocate for Albion Fellows Bacon Center, providing emotional and advocacy support for victims of domestic violence and rape crisis. Candace has been involved with the group for over 14 years.
Digital Champion: Naomi Rosenberg, from BT subsidiary Plusnet, has been volunteering with BitFixIT in Sheffield for five years, helping to provide free access to working computers for the local community. She spends almost every Saturday removing malware, replacing hardware, and building refurbished computers from donated machines for people who otherwise would not have access to the internet or a computer.
Diversity: Gary Monti, BT Global Services, Rhode Island, USA, is a volunteer with African Refugee Service
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
DC13-190 12 June 2013 
