Neighbour of Choice Programme
Making a difference – to our communities
One of our global initiatives, co-ordinated by the global corporate social responsibility office, is the annual Neighbour of Choice programme. This offers MSD operations worldwide the opportunity to partner with local charities, organisations and projects to apply for a grant of up to $100,000 to support a programme or initiative.
MSD Ireland have been active participants in the Neighbour of Choice programme for many years, supporting many causes close to the hearts of our employees and the communities we operate in.
We were delighted to select our Neighbour of Choice partner for 2023 as VOICE, an environmental charity that empowers individuals and local communities to take positive action to conserve our natural resources. As the NGO expert in Ireland on waste reduction and circular economy, VOICE’s mission and ambitious goals are aligned with our continued focus on and commitment to sustainability.
For VOICE, the Neighbour of Choice grant will enable them to expand their Picker Pals schools programme, an initiative designed to support and enable primary school children to become sustainability advocates from a young age.
The Picker Pals programme currently engages 7 – 9 year-old children across 1184 schools in Ireland providing them with the tools and opportunities to help their communities become greener now and into the future. The Neighbour of Choice grant will enable VOICE to significantly expand the programme to a further 174 schools around the country this year with many located near our site locations across the country.
We hope this partnership will help VOICE to continue to get children excited about sustainability from a young age, helping them to feel empowered by championing green practices with their own families and communities. We look forward to working with VOICE and learning from each other as we continue on our efforts to inspire the next generation of inventors, with sustainability and a people-first approach at the heart of everything they do.
For more information you can visit the VOICE website here.
Our previous Neighbour of Choice partners include:
2022: Central Remedial Clinic, one of Ireland’s largest organisations dedicated to the achievements, wellbeing, and health of people with physical disabilities, the CRC provide a range of services and supports for babies & toddlers, school children, teenagers, and adults, as well as their parents, carers, and families. MSD Ireland’s funding enabled the development of a new digital support programme which aims to bridge existing gaps in accessing services for people with disabilities, families, and carers.
2020/2021: Teen-Turn, an organisation dedicated to highlighting career opportunities in science and technology to teenage girls from under-represented backgrounds. MSD Ireland’s funding enabled the organisation to continue to expand their programme both online and in-person.
2018/2019: Jigsaw, the national youth mental health centre. This partnership enabled them to launch Jigsaw Online, an online youth mental health service which will ensure they can reach more young people across Ireland, broaden their range of essential services and increase their accessibility by offering an always on 24/7 services.
Neighbour of Choice
Environmental and sustainability pillars
Junior Achievement Ireland
