Our Corporate Social Responsibility program, GHD in the Community (GITC), is designed to have a positive social and environmental impact on the communities in which we operate.
GHD people are actively involved in community and partner with many not-for-profit organisations. This includes the provision of pro-bono services and the support of a range of community-based enterprises for fundraising, volunteering, workplace support and engagement. Our people proudly consider, formally apply and then nurture GITC partnerships, making this program one of deep interest and personal pride amongst our workforce.
Our clients also play an important part in this program by highlighting their challenges or identifying opportunities for our assistance. We are grateful for their involvement which enables us to add value and a make a real difference to disadvantaged communities or causes.
Projects of national or international significance - that help rebuild communities after disasters, assist with vital infrastructure or simply provide much needed support to affect positive change - are a key part of our approach to GITC.
Making a difference to US and Canadian communities
Our people supported an increasing number of causes: Habitat for Humanity, American Heart Association, Take Your Kids to Work/Earth Day event, Sick Kids Hospital, MS Society, Siena/Francis House, CANstruction, Movember, Pierre Lavoie Challenge, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Vision Research, Never Alone Foundation, Volunteers for Youth Justice, Women's Crisis Services, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, and more.
Engineers Without Borders
Many of our people support Engineers Without Borders (EWB) programs to assist communities in Australia, USA, Canada, Asia & Africa. This includes a range of study tours and technical mentoring of volunteers, and a development program in The Gambia, West Africa. In Australia, our people have worked with EWB to support the Yorta Yorta Indigenous Community and the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation.”.
Supporting disaster relief
In the USA, we supported the victims of the Valley Fire in Northern California. In Australia, we partnered with Sydney Water to donate more than 300 bales of hay to drought-stricken farmers. And, as part of our partnership with RedR Australia, our people were deployed to Nepal following the earthquake and Vanuatu to assist with drought relief, and helped the WHO respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Assisting Indigenous people
GHD is continuing to make a difference to Indigenous communities. Our 10- year partnership with CareerTrackers in Australia is providing professional internships for Indigenous university students (45 to date). We also participated in NAIDOC week activities and collected hampers for young people in the Koori Court Program. In Western Australia, we support Year 12 Aboriginal students through the Clontarf Foundation.
Fundraising for Multiple Sclerosis in Canada
For the seventh year in a row, a team of GHD people in Canada have completed a 150 km (93 miles) roundtrip bike ride from Grand Bend to London in Ontario in support of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society of Canada. Our team raised more than CAD36,000 to help improve the lives of people living with MS. This is the second largest MS event in the country.
Dragon boating for charity in the UK
The rouGHDiamonds, a team of GHD rowers, participated in the London Construction Industry Dragon Boat Challenge. They came first in the 2016 event and made a significant contribution to CRASH, a charity that assists homeless and hospice not-for-profits with construction related projects. This is the fourth year we've been involved.