NOT even a pandemic and rising cost of living costs have dampened the enthusiasm of Tomago Aluminium’s employees when it comes to helping worthy causes.

This year the company’s 1000-strong workforce has donated an impressive $102,000 to the employee-run Workplace Giving Fund, with an additional $26,000 from the business owners lifting the total to $128,000.

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Some $80,000, almost two-thirds of that amount, has been earmarked for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, which has been supported by the Newcastle smelter for more than 35 years.

“We have been an ongoing supporter of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service since 1985 and we are proud to have donated more than $1 million in that time to help keep the chopper in the sky,” Tomago Aluminium’s Communications Advisor Katie Burns said.

Last year Tomago donated $73,000 to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service to buy a new training winch and this year’s donation will go towards upgrading its maintenance program.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service’s Business and Community Partnerships Manager, Jason Bourke, said the tremendous amount of money raised by Tomago Aluminium’s employees has enabled the service to deliver the highest standard of aero-medical rescue services to the people of the Hunter for more than 45 years.

“Funds raised by Tomago Aluminium staff this year will enable the Service to invest in an expansion of our deep-level maintenance facility at Broadmeadow, which will create a safer and more efficient workspace for our engineering teams and allow for the application of new technologies and equipment to service and maintain our helicopter fleet,” Mr Bourke said.

The money was presented to the rescue service at a special morning tea event on Thursday, June 30, which was attended by Tomago Aluminium employees and management.

As well as supporting the rescue helicopter, Tomago Aluminium’s Workplace Giving Fund supports a number of other charities with employees choosing four important charities each year.

The charities were chosen by Tomago employees as part of the Program’s annual charity support campaign, which this year raised $48,000.

Those charities, Nova for Women and Children, Lifeline, Variety, the Children’s Charity and NETS, will each receive $12,000 from the Workplace Giving Fund.

Tomago Aluminium’s Workplace Giving Fund has been recognised nationally as an industry leader, winning gold in the ‘Best Launch or Refresh’ category of the highly-respected Workplace Giving Excellence Awards in 2020 and backing it with bronze for ‘Best Overall’.

Katie Burns said every new Tomago Aluminium employee is automatically enrolled as a Fund member, a move which resulted in a fifteen percent increase in donations in the year following its implementation.

“I believe that moving to an opt-out approach rather than asking people to opt-in has allowed the Workplace Giving Fund to grow year-on-year, achieving great results and allowing us to better assist those in the community who really need help,” Katie said.

Tomago Aluminium employees and management have been heavily involved with charity work since 1985, raising over two million dollars for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service and dozens of Hunter-based charities.

By Marian SAMPSON