The Peninsula gets Imvelo Awards nomination

The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel has long been dedicated to empowering its surrounding community and fulfilling the role of a socially responsible corporate citizen. For its various community-strengthening endeavours, this hotel was nominated in the category of Best Social Involvement Programme in the Imvelo Awards For Responsible Tourism, which strive to recognise the establishments helping to build an ethos of corporate responsibility in the tourism sector.

The awards' Best Practice for Social Involvement category considers those businesses that have made a great effort in ensuring the integration of their activities with their local communities.

"The Peninsula has always believed that it has a fundamental responsibility to assist in improving the lives of South Africans. Our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) policy is aligned to our overall mission and vision, which is to make positive, sustainable impact through investing in improving the quality of life of the communities in which our company operates, and in which our staff live," said Chris Godenir, GM of the Peninsula.

Extensive CSI sector

The hotel has undertaken a wide range of programmes under its extensive CSI sector, including numerous projects for the SOS Children's Village - a home for over 121 disadvantaged children in the community of Thornton.

The Peninsula's relationship with SOS started in 2009 and continues to the present day. During this period, the hotel and its staff have contributed over R57,937 to the home in both cash contributions and improvements to its facilities.

In its 'Charity Begins at Home' project, The Peninsula directly assists members of its staff in improving their lives. Through this programme, The Peninsula's maintenance team is elected to repair the houses of staff to better their living conditions. So far, the team has repaired a severely fire-damaged home and entirely refurbished another, much to the benefit of the staff members in question.

Staff also benefit from the hotel's Paulus Wellness Day, which was started in honour and remembrance of a porter who died of tuberculosis-related complications in 2009, and sees the Delft Clinic conducting a full wellness check on all staff and in-house guests over a two-day period once a year.

The hotel is, furthermore, involved in the Wish for a Dream foundation, the Jobstart Programme, Street Smart South Africa, Reach for a Dream, Mandela Day Beach Clean Up and numerous other initiatives.