In 2008, we held our fifth RE Cares Challenge to encourage staff to work together to build skills and relationships while making a difference in local communities. Business units across the group submitted 21 ideas for new or extended business-sponsored volunteer activities advancing the RE Cares mission of education for disadvantaged young people. At stake were eight prizes ranging from $10,000 to $2,500 for their chosen charities.
Employees throughout the company voted on the top two finalists and chose LexisNexis Leeds’ Mary’s Meal as the first prize winner: a project to build a kitchen at Viyere Primary School in Malawi to benefit 828 students. To raise funds for the project, staff engaged in payroll giving and 30 colleagues used one of their Two Days to complete the 16 mile Scafell Challenge, scaling England’s highest peak. Since 2006, LexisNexis Leeds has helped Mary’s Meals create two day care centres and a school science block at Viyere Primary.