Rezidor's Responsible Business Action Month in full swing

A dedicated initiative to engage with employees, guests and the local community, the RBAM programme has seen substantial funds raised to support Rezidor's corporate charity organisation, World Childhood Foundation, and other local causes.

A number of initiatives have already been rolled out, from car free days and charity auctions, to planting trees and providing Iftar for the underprivileged.

"Supporting worthwhile causes and caring for the environment is something Rezidor implements all year round. However, during Ramadan we pay extra attention to highlighting our engagement, pooling our resources, and arranging a variety of events to give something back to the community,"

said Fathuma Hamziya, Responsible Business Co-coordinator for the Middle East and Africa.

"By timing this initiative with the Holy Month of Ramadan - an extremely important time for Muslims, and one that reflects the charitable nature of Islam - we hope to do our best to give something back to our guests, the local community, the environment and those less fortunate," Hamziya added.

Staff at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Kuwait, has undertaken a series of activities including visiting and helping out at a home for the elderly, where they donated 90 blankets, a scrap disposal scheme - where all waste was collected and sent to a recycling plant for re-use - and holding a no-smoking day.

In addition, the Kuwait management team visited the Handicapped Medical Rehabilitation Center on September 15th for Kerkean - a traditional event held over three days during Ramadan, where children go from door to door asking for sweets, nuts and mints. As children from the Handicapped Medical Rehabilitation Center were unable to go out, the staff brought Kerkean to them, organising a mouth-watering buffet.

In Bahrain, Radisson SAS staff visited schools to celebrate Ramadan's Ghagaoun - a traditional Bahraini children's celebration - and distributed sweets, small gifts and arranged traditional games.

A number of UAE-based Radisson SAS properties also got in on the action. Management and staff of Radisson Resort, Sharjah, undertook a 'Plant a Tree' campaign. Five new trees have been planted in the hotel's grounds to help clean the air and improve the greenery.

In Egypt, the Radisson SAS Resort, Sharm El Sheikh's management team has developed a free online challenging quiz, where for each application, either successful or failed, one Egyptian pound will be donated to a children's cancer charity. The property has also replaced all conventional light-bulbs with energy saving models. The Radisson SAS Resort in El Quseir collected funds and bought a total of 10 sheep that were given out to deserving families in the local community.

The Radisson SAS, Dubai Media City, launched the Shoe Box Appeal, a programme to collect daily-use items for Dubai's construction workers. So far, more than 7,000 shoeboxes have been donated and the distribution of them will commence by the month's end.

And the Radisson SAS, Deira Creek, has made healthy food items available in the staff cafeteria at half the market price. To promote and encourage healthy eating habits, the Deira Creek staff have printed posters with nutritional information and placed them around the cafeteria. All proceeds from the sales are going to charity.

"The feedback and support we've had from our activities has been fantastic. We have already raised considerable funds for various charities; we've made our hotels a better place to work and we have brought smiles to the faces of children and those in need. Most importantly, we've had a lot of fun doing it on the way," added Hamziya.

The Responsible Business Action Month is part of an ambitious company-wide Responsible Business Programme. In 2001, Rezidor was one of the world's first hotel companies to devise a comprehensive social and environmental programme across all its operating regions - comprising the responsibility for guest and employee health and safety, respect for social and ethical issues within the company and a reduced environmental impact. Rezidor was also one of the first international hotel groups to offer all guests carbon offsetting programmes.

For its engagement Rezidor has received several awards including the Worldwide Hospitality Award in 2004, and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the prestigious organisation ITP (International Tourism Partnership).