CYCLE ROTES FOR GLANBIA 300 ANNOUNCED
CYCLE ROTES FOR GLANBIA 300 ANNOUNCED
The 2021 edition of Glanbia 300 takes place over a week-long period from the 6th to the 12th of September
In its seven years of existence, the event has raised nearly €240,000 for multiple charities and this year’s target is to raise €40,000 for Breast Cancer Ireland, The Samaritans and suicide awareness charity Teac Tom in Kilkenny.
The event is open to all Glanbia employees and friends and family who’d like to take up a 15K challenge through walking, running, cycling, swimming or any other physical activity that will contribute to GI’s ambition to reach 30,000K in a week!
Two groups that will contribute a huge number of kilometres to the grand total are our 100k and 150k cyclists who will leave Glanbia House on the morning of Friday 10th September for a competitive tour of South Kilkenny and parts of Tipperary. Overherd at Glanbia is happy to announce the routes the riders will take.
100K
Starting from Kilkenny, riders will head south into Tipperary towards the foothills of Slievenamon where the 100K group will split, heading for Carrick on Suir and on towards Granagh, where it’s a sharp turn for the long 45k stretch home.
150K
Once separated, the 150K group will continue towards the outskirts of Clonmel before a hairpin turn sees them straddle the Waterford border to Carrick and back on the main route through Granagh, Mullinavat and Ballyhale. From there they will pedal towards Paulstown before a sharp left turn for home.
The Glanbia 300 team has set some ambitious targets this year:
- 15 kilometres to be completed by every GI employee during the week
- 30,000 kilometres in total to be completed
- €40,000 raised for our three charities
Hitting these targets will not be possible without the help of all Glanbia Ireland employees, so we’re asking each of you to commit to a minimum 15K challenge from September 6th to 12th. You can complete this distance any way you want, whether that’s walking, running, swimming, cycling or anything else you can think of.
If each of our 2,000+ employees hits their personal 15K challenge, we’ll reach our 30,000 kilometre target.
With as many people involved as possible, we’re hoping to break through our €40,000 fundraising target. There’s just under a month to go until the start of the event, so you can begin fundraising straight away by sharing this GoFundMe link. To help you reach out to colleagues, friends and family for donations, the Glanbia 300 team has created this donation request form which you can fill in, save down and forward on.
Keep an eye out for more details about the event in the coming weeks, including how kilometres will be tracked. If you can’t participate but would still like to contribute, the GoFundMe page is live and accepting donations.
KEEPING FIT VOUCHER WINNER ANNOUNCED!
KEEPING FIT VOUCHER WINNER ANNOUNCED!
Last month, you were given the opportunity to win a €150 Elverys voucher by keeping us updated on your summer fitness activities. Thanks to our colleagues below who emailed in their photos or posted them on Yammer
Adrian Daly
Over eight weekends, Adrian Daly from our Belview plant is either cycling 10km or running 5km in every county in Ireland to help raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society.
Denise Smullen
Denise Smullen (pictured centre) from Lake Drive started running with a couch to 5k programme last year. Now she’s just run her first 10k and absolutely loved it!
Kevin Phelan
Kevin Phelan from Ballyragget is keeping his fitness up and the game flowing through his refereeing of the TG4 LGFA All Ireland Intermediate Championship.
Kieran Duggan
Some serious fitness on show from Kieran Duggan from our Dubai office who recently completed Hardman Waterville Triathlon in Kerry – that’s a 1.9k swim, a 90k bike ride and a 21k run!
Lauren Baker
A familiar face on Overherd, Lauren Baker jumped her horse ‘Rocky’ at an event in Tinahely recently. If that wasn’t active enough, Lauren has thrown in a snap of her marathon training with a friend on Curracloe beach.
Anna Zuziak-Janoszek
Surf’s up for Anna Zuziak-Janoszek from Lough Egish, who took up the sport just this year. She’s hoping to catch some waves this summer!
And the winner is….
Congratulations to Kieran Duggan who was randomly selected as the winner of a €150 Elverys voucher!
GI IS OFFICIAL PLANT SUPPLIER FOR DIY: SOS
GI IS OFFICIAL PLANT SUPPLIER FOR DIY: SOS
Glanbia CountryLife is proud to be official plant partners of RTE’s DIY: SOS
Following this heart-warming show’s huge success in 2020, a second season of Ireland’s ‘DIY SOS: The Big Build’ will be proudly supported by Glanbia CountryLife, helping to ensure the gardening dreams of the families involved come to life. Having witness first-hand the transformational impact the show’s work had on the Guihen family in last year’s DIY SOS series, Glanbia CountryLife did not hesitate to get involved again to lend their support.
Fronted by Baz Ashmawy, the DIY: SOS team of volunteers set out to renovate the homes of deserving families, with the hope of positively changing their lives forever. Through a nine day build, each of the four homes involved in this year’s series will be transformed. Working hand in hand with the show’s garden designer, Peter Donegan, Glanbia CountryLife will help to reimagine and recreate each homes’ outdoor space into a haven for all the family to enjoy.
Speaking about GI’s involvement Grace O’Dwyer, Retail Marketing Manager said: “DIY SOS is an emotional and heartfelt show that goes right to the heart of community spirit. Our Glanbia CountryLife branches are often the hub of local communities, with our people mirroring that same community ethos on a day-to-day basis. We are thrilled to play our part on a national stage in helping to transform lives for the better.”
Volunteers
Not content to stop at supplying gardening plants and products for each home featured, Glanbia CountryLife is also joining the army of volunteers by providing feet on the ground to help with garden and home renovations. Fronted by horticulturist Fergal Joy from our Bunclody Branch, DIY SOS has the support of Glanbia CountryLife in more ways than one, with many staff members digging in and getting their hands dirty.
The CountryLife team is looking for more volunteers from across GI to join them in making a family’s dream come true. If you’ve got some gardening or building skills or aren’t afraid of a bit of hard work, please email GIPeopleServices@glanbia.ie for more details on how to get involved.
Due to air as part of RTE’s autumn/winter programming season but filming throughout the summer months, this emotional and heartfelt show is sure to capture the nation’s heart once again. The Glanbia CountryLife team look forward to rolling up their sleeves, embracing the community spirit of the show and helping to truly change the families’ lives in a meaningful way.
SUMMER SERIES – THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
SUMMER SERIES – THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
Here’s GI’s top 10 list of things to keep your little ones occupied over the summer
For children, there are no two better words than ‘summer holidays’ but for parents of young kids in GI, you may be dreading the words ‘I’m bored’. To help ease the boredom and build the excitement, Overherd’s Summer Series brings you 10 fun activities for kids over the summer. Some are for lazy summer days at home, while others are for special family days out.
1. Grow your own
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way not only to keep your kids entertained but also to give them an appreciation for the great outdoors. You don’t need to have a large garden to be able to grow your own produce; herbs such as parsley, sage, coriander, mint, tarragon and chives can be grown in small window boxes and they often grow quite quickly, which is exciting for kids who want to see the results of their labours fast. For those of you fortunate enough to have larger gardens, fruit and vegetables can be grown over the summer months such as carrots, beetroot, beans, lettuce, strawberries and raspberries. Check out countrylife.ie for lots of seed packs and tools to get you started!
2. Visit a zoo or farm
We’re lucky in Ireland that there are a number of zoos and wildlife parks dotted around the country such as Dublin Zoo, Fota Wildlife Park, Belfast Zoo, Tropical World Donegal and Wild Encounters Limerick. When it comes to visitor farms there are even more options. Some of the must see farms are Kia Ora Mini Farm, Wexford; Airfield Estate, Dublin; Leahy’s Open Farm, Cork; Tearaways Pet Farm & Activity Centre, Tipperary; and Loughwell Farm Park, Galway. A nice alternative for older kids would be to take part in one of the many Alpaca walking tours now available – K2 Alpacas Co. Wicklow, The Wild Alpaca Way Co. Donegal and Long Acre Alpacas in Co. Louth are just some of the options available. A backup plan in the event of bad weather may be to visit an aquarium such as Dingle Ocean World, Sea Life Bray, Aquarium & Visitor Centre are just a few.
3. Take part in water sports
When planning this sort of activity, it is always important to remember the importance of water safety and for this reason, it can be a good idea to partake in a planned activity with trained instructors. The Lagoon Activity Centre in Co. Cork has a floating water park, kids pedal boating and stand up paddle boarding are perfect for a fun-filled family day out. On Ireland’s west coast, you’ll find countless surf schools which could provide your teenager with hours of entertainment, while younger kids can enjoy a number of aquatic centres with slides and lazy rivers. The National Aquatic Centre in Dublin, Bangor Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex and the Aqua Dome in Tralee could provide an exhilarating day out for younger children.
4. Have a teddy bears’ picnic
Children are known for having a great imagination, so why not make the most of this and let your little ones enjoy afternoon tea with their favourite cuddly toys. This could be an inexpensive and simple way to entertain your kids for an hour or two. All you need is a blanket to sit on and a few tasty refreshments. This afternoon tea could take place from the comfort of your own garden or for a bit more adventure, why not hold your teddy bears’ picnic in your local park or along one of the many walking trails spread across the country.
5. Visit an adventure centre
Dunmore Adventure Centre in Co. Waterford offers guests a variety of experiences such as sailing, kayaking, caving, paddle boarding and climbing. They also have the biggest “wipeout” course in Ireland, an obstacle course on the water with swings, slides, spinners and a massive action tower. Lough Key Forest and Activity Park in Boyle, Co. Roscommon will provide your children with hours of entertainment as they take part in zip lining, nature walks and archery, to name just a few. Tanagh Outdoor Adventure Centre, Co. Cavan offers mud slides, raft building, mountain biking, electronic orienteering, white water kayaking and rock climbing.
6. Go camping
Why not let your children camp out? It could be as simple as setting up a tent and letting your children camp out in the garden with cousins or friends but you would be surprised how this could be the source of lasting childhood memories. For those who have the resources, it could be even more exciting to bring your children on a camping trip to a local woodland or national park. Some important points to remember are to always ensure camping is allowed where you choose to set up, never leave a trace and always bring plenty of supplies. For more information on where you are permitted to camp, visit https://outsider.ie/ireland/wild-camping-ireland/
7. Try something new
Ireland mightn’t get buckets of snow in the winter time but fear not – you can still take the kids skiing! The Ski Club of Ireland is situated at Kilternan Golf and Country Club and offers ski and snowboard lessons for kids of different ages as well as day courses, freestyle nights and practice sessions for those that already have the hang of the basics. Jump Zone is Ireland’s first trampoline park and has three locations – Sandyford, Santry and Liffey Valley. There are also a number of “foot golf” courses dotted around the country, which provide the perfect opportunity to show off football skills outside of the football pitch! Foot Golf courses can be found in Limerick, Cashel, Cork and Dublin.
8. Become a wildlife conservationist for the summer
Children learn so much about protecting the environment and biodiversity in school so why not let them put this into practice? You could help your child protect our precious pollinator population by planting an area in your garden dedicated to pollinators who love purple flowers such as lavender, alliums, foxglove and catmint. Your child could improve the biodiversity of your garden by making their own “insect hotels” using bits of wood and twigs, egg boxes or anything suitable you might find around the house.
9. Relive the past by visiting a historic sight
Although the prospect of visiting a historic site may not seem too exhilarating, you would be surprised how engaging some of the visitor centres around the country are. Many of these places are set up to engage a younger audience and to keep them amused. EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum, Dublinia and Kilmainham Gaol are just a few of the great attractions located around Dublin city. As you move away from the city, there are a number of other heritage parks and museums set up to cater for kids such as Ferrycarrig, Co. Wexford, the Titanic Museums in Cobh and Belfast, Foynes Flyingboat Museum, Co Limerick and Tara’s Palace Museum of Childhood, Co Wicklow.
10. Arts and crafts
Why not take your arts and crafts to the outdoors over the summer months. Make tie-dye clothes, do rock paintings, do leaf prints, splatter paintings or water balloon paintings in a paddling pool – the options are endless!
CHEWING THE CUD WITH… BARRY HAYES
CHEWING THE CUD WITH… BARRY HAYES
Each month, we put the spotlight on a Glanbia Ireland employee and for our July newsletter, we spoke to Barry Hayes, IT Applications Manager
Tell us how long you have worked in Glanbia and a little about your role?
I did my second interview for Glanbia the day before I got married, back in 2015. I got a call on our honeymoon to say I got the role. I wanted to be an accountant since I was 10 years of age and worked as a Chartered Accountant with Glanbia until April of last year when I moved into an IT Applications Manager role. I’ve seven people reporting to me and while I loved accountancy, this is a far more fast-moving and dynamic role. I had worked closely on the GlanbiaConnect online shop project in my previous role; it gave me a flavour of the IT involved and I knew that if I wanted to progress in the company, I needed to be more dynamic.
Your department is one of the lesser known teams in GI, tell us about what the team looks after
We support the business on two fronts – through 85 different IT applications and we enhance the business through new and existing applications. Any of the large projects in GI tend to have an IT element so we’re brought in at the outset to play our part. IT is becoming more and more important to the company at every single level.
What’s your favourite thing about working in Glanbia Ireland?
Every day is different. When I worked in accountancy, once you completed the months’ end, you repeated the task. In my new role, everything is different and there are new challenges every single day, particularly in such a big and diverse organisation as Glanbia.
What are you most proud of in your job?
The way we pull together, particularly in a crisis. During the recent SAP outage, we worked long hours and worked to our collective strengths. It was the first time that the business saw the whole IT operation working together as one unit, as a very tight and close team.
How do you describe GI to friends or family outside of work?
As a great place to work and a place where your talents are recognised and rewarded and your future is nurtured. I’m a Limerick native but I’m made feel very much at home at Glanbia.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m very involved with the GAA. I train the ladies football team in Old Loughlin in Carlow and have also trained the Kilkenny ladies football team. I trained Castlecomer hurlers last year. I love coaching and the GAA in the evenings takes your mind off the challenges you face during the working day. When you turn up for training, nobody wants to know what kind of a day you’ve had. You’re there to do a very different job.
What are you most looking forward to post Covid/lockdown?
I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing Limerick win an All-Ireland again and this time being in the crowd in Croke Park. Not being there when they won last year was cruel. I’m also looking forward to going back into the office; to chatting with people face to face in the canteen. I’m also looking forward to being able to go out for meals with my family.
BRING YOUR ALL
BRING YOUR ALL
Five high profile sports ambassadors are helping to elevate Avonmore Protein Milk’s campaign
In April 2021, Avonmore Protein Milk launched the ‘Bring Your All’ campaign alongside Dublin footballer Brian Fenton, Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, Irish Rugby player Beibhinn Parsons, Ireland and Shelbourne FC Soccer player Jamie Finn and Kilkenny hurler Eoin Murphy.
‘Bring your all’ is a campaign that highlights the ‘positive and never give up’ spirit within all of us involved in sport or exercise. The campaign is amplified by social media videos featuring the five ambassadors showcasing their sporting talent, their background, and most importantly what helps them ‘bring their all’. Rhys McCleneghan and Eoin Murphy feature in June and July.
After winning gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and European Championships, Rhys McClenaghan continued his success by becoming the first athlete to qualify for a World Championship Final in 2019 before taking bronze. He goes into 2021 as a top contender for a medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in July.
Four-time All-Ireland winning Kilkenny hurler Eoin Murphy perfected his game as a goalkeeper for his county and plays out field for his club Glenmore, winning a Junior Club All-Ireland with them in 2016.
Later in the year the campaign will continue with videos from Beibhinn Parsons, a top talent for Ireland Women’s Rugby and try scorer during Ireland’s recent Six Nations games and Dublin footballer Brian Fenton, part of the six-time All-Ireland winning team since they began the streak in 2015. Be sure to keep a look out on Avonmore Protein Milk’s Instagram page (@Avonprotein) for more content from these excellent ambassadors.
NEVER RUN OUT OF MILK AGAIN!
NEVER RUN OUT OF MILK AGAIN!
New and improved mymilkman.ie website launches
After more than a year of design and development, the mymilkman.ie website was launched recently and not only does it look good, it’s extremely intuitive, making the consumer journey even better. The new website now makes it easier for users to find all their favourite products and add them to their basket with just one click. The best deals are now easier to spot in the special offers and promotions section, while there’s an easier sign-up process and quick account verification via SMS. With the improved ‘My Account’ page, consumers can manage and amend their next delivery, weekly or once-off orders and it’s easy to ‘Refer a Friend’. Added to this, the new mymilkman mobile app launching next month will make it even easier for customers to manage their account.
The doorstep team has seen a huge jump in uptake for the mymilkman service since the beginning of the pandemic and while the initial focus was to manage the upswing, the team is now focused on making the platform more user friendly. The new website and app will simplify the whole sign-up journey and help manage the service on a day to day basis, while further increasing convenience by allowing consumers to manage their account on the go.
GROWTH INGREDIENTS HOLDS FIRST WEBINAR
GROWTH INGREDIENTS HOLDS FIRST WEBINAR
The Commercial Ingredients team recently held their first webinar, with almost 700 people registered to watch
The Commercial Ingredients team recently held their first webinar with almost 700 people registered to watch.
Titled Milk Proteins: The Single Protein Solution to Achieve Functional and Nutritional Benefits in Food and Beverages, the webinar demonstrated the functionality of milk proteins compared to other protein sources during manufacturing, in end product and in food and beverage applications.
A significant amount of work went into making this webinar happen. From working with Food Ingredients First; our media partner, to developing the webinar content and promotional communications, to the webinar shoot itself. It was a great example of ‘winning together’ and only made possible by exceptional cross-functional collaboration between the Commercial Growth team, Research and Development (R&D), Market Research and Insights (MR&I) and the GBS Digital+ team.
This webinar is another step on our digital transformation journey which is now well under way. We are utilising new tools and channels to build awareness of our expertise and show customers that we can support their product development.
Click here to watch the full on demand version or check out the highlights below.
EXCITING TIMES AT BALLYRAGGET
EXCITING TIMES AT BALLYRAGGET
Equipment installation a milestone at Ballyragget’s new R&D facility
A milestone was reached at Ballyragget recently with the arrival and installation of major equipment from TGE in France, who specialise in the industrial processes of milk evaporation and drying. The dryer line equipment, pictured being installed, is a major step towards completion of Glanbia Ireland’s construction of a customer focused R&D Centre on the Kilkenny site. Once up and running, the facility will significantly improve our interactions with customers and in-house product and process development capabilities.
The dryer line will enable GI to perform the appropriate number of trials to our timelines independent of external availability. We’ll be able to generate samples for applications and sensory testing; enable process development and New Product Development (NPD) in clinical nutrition and fat filled milk powders; build application capability and support our value add strategy through customer driven application and marketing collateral.
In an exciting time for our R&D colleagues, the first employees at Glanbia Ireland’s newest facility will begin to arrive on site in September of this year. Keep an eye out for more news on the big move!
AND THE WINNER IS…
AND THE WINNER IS…
Truly Grass Fed recognised with a Mindful Award
Truly Grass Fed was awarded “Butter Product of the Year” at the 2021 Mindful Awards recently, which recognise top mindful companies, services and products within the packaged goods industry in the US. The mission of the Mindful Awards program is to honour conscious companies and products that do what’s right for people and the planet, recognising the best in transparent, fair, natural, organic, sustainable, healthy and delicious products.
The 2021 awards program attracted more than 1,500 nominations from companies all over the world. All nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of experts within the consumer-packaged goods industry, with the winning products and companies selected based on a variety of criteria ranging from brand principles, environmental impact, health, taste and transparency.
Announcing the award win, the Mindful Awards program press release references the 3,000 farms that supply milk for the Truly Grass Fed range as certified ‘Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World’, meaning that animals are raised outdoors on pasture their entire lives, using truly sustainable, high welfare farming practices.
“Truly Grass Fed Dairy is committed to product excellence, the highest levels of animal welfare and delivering a net-zero environmental impact,” said Travis Grant, Managing Director, Mindful Awards. “From every aspect, Truly Grass Fed Dairy exemplifies the type of company we value and want to recognise. We are proud to honour their commitment as this year’s winner for ‘Butter Product of the Year.’”
Conor O’Donovan, Senior Director of Market Development said: “We are honoured to accept this award for excellence as a nature-focused, conscious dairy company. Animal welfare, environmental impact and transparency are essential pillars of our brand. Our goal is to mindfully provide consumers with great-tasting products while continuing to improve our sustainability footprint now and into the future.”
Congratulations to the TGF team!