Wales & West Utilities helped the local community by taking part in the first Wales Action Week and supporting Foodbanks in Newport and Cardiff.

Wales Action Week, which ran from November 10 to 14, was a week of business volunteering co-0rdinated by Business in the Community, the business-led charity which stands for responsible business.

Nigel Winnan, Wales & West Utilities connection manager, who is a member of the BITC Wales’ Community Impact Leadership Team, volunteered to work a shift sorting and weighing food donations at the warehouse which serves five Cardiff Foodbanks.

At the same time, other colleagues at the Newport headquarters of the gas network operator were showing their support by donating contributions for their local Newport Foodbank.

Foodbanks support people who are experiencing a short term crisis in their lives, by giving individuals and families packs of food that provide three meals a day for between three to five days. Recipients are referred to foodbanks by a range of professional partners.

Nigel Winnan said: “I’m delighted to be taking part in the first Wales Action Week. As a business that values our links with the local community, it is great to be giving something back in this way, especially at a time of year which can be challenging for many members of our society.

“Our contribution to the campaign also involves our wider team at our Celtic Springs headquarters. Colleagues were asked to make a contribution for our local Newport Food Bank, and I’m pleased to say that our call to action has been very generously answered.”

Rosie Sweetman, director, Business in the Community Wales, said: “Wales Action Week is another fantastic opportunity for business to demonstrate it is a force for good in our communities. Wales Action Week is supported by BITC Wales’ Community Impact Leadership Team who are acting as a catalyst for the business community to work collaboratively to address the pressing challenges in Wales today.

“We know that employee volunteering makes a real difference to people’s lives and at the same time develop their own skills and give something back. Through our Action Week we are bringing the passion and expertise of business volunteers to bear on some of the fundamental challenges people in Wales are facing today, including accessing food banks and developing employability skills.”

More than 7.5 million people rely on us to deliver gas for heating homes and powering businesses in Wales and the south west of England. Our dedicated team manages a network of more than 35,000 kilometres of gas pipes to make sure we provide a safe and reliable gas supply 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We deal with over 2,000 reported gas leaks a week and over 1,000 calls a year where evidence of carbon monoxide is found.