KIDS Foundation and Alcoa recognised for safety education programs

The KIDS Foundation and Alcoa of Australia partnership recently won the $10,000 first prize at the inaugural Rotary Club Community Service Awards. The partnership was also awarded the ‘Community Group - Youth Services’ Award for their work in injury prevention.

The partnership was recognised for its work in delivering quality safety education programs and the overall benefits the partnership provides to both organisations.

Susie O’Neill, Founder of the KIDS Foundation, said: “We’re honoured to accept Rotary Club’s inaugural Community Service Award, and it’s a great recognition of our partnership. Alcoa has, for the past six years, been more than just a corporate partner providing financial support, they have been engaged in the programs we have managed with our community stakeholders and they have also engaged our programs and stakeholders across their national workforce, reinforcing the need for their employees to remain safe.”

The Corporate Affairs Manager for Alcoa of Australia, Brendan Foran, added: “Safety is a vital driver for Alcoa and the awards are a great acknowledgement of efforts to extend that commitment into the community. The KIDS Foundation changes the lives of people all over Australia every day, including our employees whom they have engaged in employee volunteering and behavioural safety programs. We’re very proud of what we have achieved by working together on workplace and community safety.”

The partnership runs a number of safety-oriented programs helping develop a culture of safety with children that they can carry with them as they enter the workplace.

Some of the programs include:

• SeeMore Safety program - delivered to 24 pre-schools across the eight Australian Alcoa sites to help develop risk-management life skills that will increase safety awareness and decrease injuries in children.
• Safety Club - delivered to 40 primary schools across the Australian Alcoa sites as a school-based program to guide school communities on issues of safety and injury prevention.
• Injury Free Day in Schools - held annually, with participation from schools and businesses nationally to raise safety awareness and contribute to reducing the incidence of childhood injury.