Staff of ANZ bank have donated $5,483 to be put towards a new phone system for OUTLine NZ. Thanks heaps: ANZ's cheque handover yesterday at OUTLine HQ The ANZ National Staff Foundation, funded by regular contributions from ANZ National staff - and matched dollar for dollar by the company – made the grant in its latest round of quarterly funding, supported by ANZ Technology team in Wellington. Outline New Zealand chair Lorraine Martin says "Our centre takes between 4,000 and 5,000 calls a year - the new phone system will enable us to answer more calls, and save money so we can invest that into helping people in other ways. "In 2007 GLBT people had some of the highest rates of depression and suicide in the country, and this phone line allows those people to reach us if they need help. Now the cost of doing this has dropped, and that is going to make a huge difference." ANZ National Chief Executive Jenny Fagg says that the Staff Foundation is an important part of the bank's wider community strategy, which also enables staff to take one paid day's volunteer leave a year. "As one of New Zealand's largest employers, we're proud to be leading the way in payroll giving. The Staff Foundation is a way to establish genuine partnerships between our people and the community." Over the past seven years, the ANZ National Staff Foundation has given over $1.4 million in grants to more than 300 community organisations throughout New Zealand. Around 1,300 employees are members of the Foundation, which support a wide range of projects delivering benefits across the community. The ANZ National Staff Foundation is a charitable trust, and in order for a charitable project to be considered for an application, it must have the support of an ANZ National Staff Foundation member. ANZ's generous donation has been added to GayNZ.com's running tally of funds raised by the community to help OUTLine NZ in its fundraising month dubbed 'OUTLine October'. The total money raised now stands at $26,694, and is expected to reach the $30,000 target this weekend, following several more fundraising events in LGBT venues around New Zealand.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 27th October 2009 - 4:12pm