New Balance HRD going the extra mile for flood victims

Corporate social responsibility isn't dead, as Paul Kennedy, HR Director of New Balance, and his team are proving as they walk 140 miles to raise money for those still suffering from the Cumbrian floods.

Charity, they say, starts at home. And when you find your local area devastated like New Balance did last year, it's natural to want to do something to help. And when your employees make a huge effort to keep their working lives on track and the factory open, you want to do something special.

The rains of November 2009 brought massive and devastating floods to Cumbria. In its wake, the floods left over 1500 homes and businesses damaged. Life in the area is very slowly returning back to normal. However, there are still infrastructure issues, people out of their homes, businesses closing down, and jobless rates increasing.

In response, eight New Balance associates, including Paul Kennedy, their HR director, will be walking from their corporate headquarters in Warrington to Dovenby hall, the centre for the Cumbria foundation, in an effort  to raise money and awareness for the flood victims.