Corporate Social Responsibility

At Eugene F Collins we are committed to being a responsible business and responsible citizens. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and initiatives reflect our Firm values of Professionalism, Integrity, Teamwork, People and Communication.

1. Community
We are committed to improving our local community. We support various charities through fundraising and volunteering events throughout the year.

Charity of the Year
Each year we support a different charity as voted by our employees. Our 2016 Charity of the Year is Jigsaw (formerly Headstrong), supporting youth mental health. Our CSR activities and initiatives are driven by our CSR and our social committees who organise fundraising events in support of our chosen charity. In addition, the Firm supports by making supplemental donations or giving staff time. Previous fundraising events include: cake sales, table quizzes and most recently the Hell & Back endurance obstacle course. For further information about our charity of the year see www.jigsaw.ie



Other Charitable Activity
We have built up a tradition of supporting a number of charitable causes and events over a number of years that have become dear to the hearts of all members of the firm. We support every year:

• The Calcutta Run – a 10km race through the Phoenix Park in aid of the Peter McVerry Trust and Goal.
• The annual Irish Hospice Coffee Morning in September.
• The Dublin Simon Community Sing for Simon carol singing campaign in December.
• St. Vincent de Paul’s annual giving tree appeal in December.
• We organise quarterly trips to the Blood Bank for those who wish to give blood.

2. Pro Bono
As lawyers, we believe that providing our skills, knowledge and training on a pro bono or reduced fees basis is central to how we can make a difference in the community. We support a number of charities and not for profit organisations, by providing our services on a pro bono, reduced fee or free hours basis.

We are also conscious of the need for experienced practitioners to participate in committees and working groups to improve the law and knowledge of the law in Ireland. Members of the firm participate voluntarily on committees in the Law Society and the Dublin Bar Solicitors Association and other groups working to support the quality of legal knowledge in Ireland.

3. Environment
We are committed to conducting our business in a sustainable manner and have implemented a number of green initiatives, such as:

• Waste management: We removed bins from individual offices and replaced with segregated recycling bins on each floor.
• As a law firm we are conscious of generating significant quantities of paper and so have implemented:
• Our printers are defaulted to double-sided printing and we use ‘FollowMe’ printing software, a system that improves efficiency of printing environments.
• Promoting the use of electronic storage (using CD Bibles) instead of printing
• Recycling: Of both confidential and non-confidential waste and of electronic equipment
• Energy usage: We address conservation on an on-going basis by reminding staff to switch off lights when leaving the office and to turn off equipment when not in use.

4. Our People / Workplace
Our people are integral to our success. Being in a hard-working but friendly environment is core at Eugene F. Collins. We understand the value of “work-life” balance. Individual self-improvement is important to us and we encourage our people to keep up-to-date and take personal responsibility while being supported by the Firm. As a responsible employer, we have introduced a number of HR initiatives such as:

• Health & Wellbeing Programme in association with Pat & Karl Henry Gym and Complete Fitness
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme/Staff Training
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Lunch & Learn sessions – Recent talks include: Managing Your Money, Motivation and Nutrition.