As the UK’s premier container port, and one of the Eastern region’s major employers, the Port of Felixstowe recognises the importance of developing and maintaining close links with the communities within which it operates.

Over the years, the Port has worked closely with local authorities, development agencies, charities, schools and other stakeholder groups on a number of initiatives, aimed at building a stronger and more prosperous community, and developing a real sense of partnership.

Education

In keeping with the ethos of the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Group, the Port of Felixstowe focuses a considerable proportion of its community efforts on the younger generation, through its participation in HPH’s ‘Dock School’ programme.

Local schools are offered the chance to apply to the ‘Dock School’ programme for funding, and proposals that have recently received support include the refurbishment and restocking of a school library, a new main school hall, and a new Reception class play area.

The Port is keen to work closely with schools in Suffolk to encourage students and teachers to learn more about the ports and logistics sectors. Representatives from the Port frequently visit schools to give talks and presentations, as well as arranging tours of the Port for interested schools.

The Port is also one of the key players in an annual ‘Sea Port Role Play Day’, organised by the Suffolk Education Business Partnership and Haven Gateway Partnership, which is based upon an imaginary emergency scenario within the Harwich Haven. Up to 100 students take on the roles of the sectors involved in the emergency response, and learn valuable decision-making and problem-solving skills, as well as becoming more aware of the jobs and opportunities available within the Port of Felixstowe and associated industries.

The Port has also been recognised for its involvement in the Haven Gateway Partnership’s ‘Investing in Communities’ initiative. The Port received awards in 2007 for its work with Suffolk College to improve the ‘benchmarking’ of the various levels of literacy and numeracy skills that are required for each type of position within the ports and logistics industry. The two-year project, entitled ‘Moving on in Logistics’, is the very first of its kind nationally, and has been funded by the East of England Development Agency, through the Haven Gateway’s ‘Investing in Communities’ scheme.

The Port also received an award for its efforts in promoting Suffolk Education Business Partnership’s ‘Passport to Success’ mentoring scheme within its business. The initiative, aimed primarily at professionals in the construction and engineering industries, pairs up Year 10 students from local schools with a ‘business mentor’, for once-a-week, one-hour mentoring sessions over a twelve-week period. Ten employees from the Port, eight Engineers and two ‘general’ mentors, volunteered their services to work with local students, to provide them with valuable support and careers advice at an important time in their school lives.

A number of Port staff are also involved with local schools as Governors, and members of Parent Teacher Associations.

Community

The Port’s ambulances provide important back up to the East Anglian Ambulance Service, dealing with, on average, around 400 calls per year from the local community. Not only is this service excellent for relations between the Port and the local community, but it enables the Port’s Paramedics to keep up their skills and sample different emergencies and situations.

The Port is keen to benefit and improve the surroundings of the community within which it operates, and, as such, has provided sponsorship for a number of enhancement initiatives within Felixstowe. In 2007, the Port became a new major sponsor of ‘Felixstowe in Flower’, a successful annual community competition to add colour to the town of Felixstowe and create an attractive environment in which to live and work.

The Port also recognises that its employees form a key part of the local community, and, in Summer 2006, held two ‘Family Fun Days’ to which all employees and their families were invited. The Fun Days were in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Port of Felixstowe as a working port, and it it estimated that over 10,000 people attended over the two-day event.

The Port of Felixstowe has also made a significant contribution to the amenity of the local area. In 1992 it donated a portion of land at Landguard Terminal to the local authority for use as a viewing area. This is now one of the area’s leading tourist attractions. The reconfiguration of Felixstowe South will provide a larger, enhanced viewing area, and a state-of-the-art visitors’ centre. The Felixstowe-Harwich-Shotley passenger ferry will also be provided with a new dedicated berth through the plans.

Charities

The Port recognises the important role played by charitable organisations within the local community, and is committed to helping these organisations achieve their goals. Its involvement is focussed upon, generally speaking, medical and educational causes within Felixstowe and surrounding areas, but requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

As a responsible corporate citizen, the Port has come to the aid of many charities over the years. This has included contributions to the local efforts of large national charities; but, more often than not, it involves providing assistance to local charities run by local people, trying to make a real difference to the communities in which they are based. and get their lives working.

Each year, the Port holds a ‘Charity Day’ to raise money for a chosen good cause. Beneficiaries of the considerable funds raised from this event have included St Elizabeth Hospice and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.

The Port also has an ‘employee sponsorship’ programme, which enables all employees to apply for sponsorship from the Port for their wide-ranging, and often adventurous, fundraising activities for local charities.

Partnerships

The Port is closely involved with many important and influential organisations that work towards improving the economy and environment of the local region. Amongst others, it is a major stakeholder in the Haven Gateway Partnership, the Stour and Orwell Estuaries Management Group, and the Landguard Forum.

The Port hosts Local Authority liaison meetings twice each year, which give members of District, County, Town and Parish Council the opportunity to discuss a variety of issues affecting them and the communities in which they live.

The Port is also keen to promote its operations and activities to local schools, and so works closely with the Suffolk Education Business Partnership on educational initiatives, such as mentoring and schools challenges.

In order to improve its waste management, the Port has entered into a partnership with Suffolk Coastal Services, whose expertise has become invaluable as the Port endeavours to recycle and divert from landfill as much of its waste as possible.

Here, at the Port of Felixstowe, we fully believe in giving something back to the local community, and remain committed to ensuring that as many people as possible have the chance to share in the continued prosperity of the UK’s premier port.