Are you aware of Telstra’s community engagement?
Filed under: citizenship, report, social investments
As a company that connects with almost every Australian, Telstra understands that the success of our business and the health of broader society are mutually dependent.
With a presence in so many places across Australia, Telstra’s engagement with the community is significant1, and yet many people are not aware of the extent of our contribution. One way we try and report back to you about our community activities is to produce an annual Community Report.
Today, we launch the second edition of Telstra in the Community, detailing our social investments, our involvement with communities and some ‘beyond the call of duty’ activities of our people. Some examples include:
- Providing 114,000 fixed lines at special rates to our charity and non-profit customers
- Assisting one million low income customers every month through our Access for Everyone programs
- Recognising 96 Indigenous artists through the Telstra Art Award nomination process
- Holding the Telstra Disability Forum with representation from 13 Peak Disability consumer organisations twice a year
- Recognising 4,220 women through the Telstra Business Women’s Awards nomination process
- Creating a dedicated cyber-safety webpage with tips and advice for all internet users
- Launching Payroll Giving with 16 charities supported by Telstra employees
- Distributed 625 Telstra Foundation grants to grass-roots organisations through the Telstra’s Kids
Fund
The PDF version of the Telstra in the Community report is available online here
Pic: To the rescue: Telstra’s Colin Partridge and fellow volunteer Peter Stride are two of 550 ambulance volunteers in Tasmania.
More information:
- Telstra Access for Everyone
- Telstra Art Award
- Telstra Disability Forum
- Telstra Business Women’s Awards
- Telstra cyber-safety web page
Were you aware of Telstra’s community engagement?
I work alongside the Telstra Hardship Team and I have to say I admire the work they do. They work tirelessly in assisting customers in hardship, in particular people affected by natural disasters. As I’m sure you can well imagine they are extremely busy after the Queensland floods & Cyclone Yasi. Constantly I hear them not only assisting with the best options for the customer and the Telstra services but are also working as an off the cuff councilor. While I work in deceased estates with compassion, I could not do the work they do. Jane, Geoff, Jill & Talie, you are amazing. You are some of Telstra’s un-sung heroes.
Gee. That sounds like a good idea!
I do that, too. I have been working on computers for over twenty five years, and now work as a volunteer for a Salvation Army store, just north of Wollongong. There are many underprivileged people in this area, and have given some of them refurbished computers, donated by individuals, and local businesses.
I also give my time to help them when they need top contact people like Bigpond Technical Support, because sometimes they have no idea what the Bigpond people are talking about, and vice-versa.
Also some of my clients have to work, to make ends meet, and cannot afford the “two or three hours” that are necessary spending the time talking to overseas call centres that have absolutely no idea, what the problems, nor how to fix it.
My clients start getting rather “hot under the collar” listening to people reading from a “flowchart”, telling them to “power cycle” their computer, but they don’t know where the pedals are, when the call center staff actually mean to be turning the machine off and then on again.
“Power cycle” sounds so professional: meaningless, but professional.
I would be interested in talking to Telstra about your “Access for Everyone” program, so that some of my clients on low-income, disability and other support income people can be helped, in my area.
Hi Robert, I’ve just asked for a tech support person to call you asap. Regarding your request to speak with someone about Telstra’s Access for Everyone program, can you email me somemore info and I’ll have someone get back to you. Brendan