Arla Foods’ colleagues support local causes

Arla Foods’ colleagues accessed more than £26,000 to support over 40 local community projects in 2010, taking its support for charitable causes to almost £80,000 in three years.

Arla’s donations to groups and charities come on the back of its commitment to work with local communities and its Community Challenge scheme has now helped over 100 community projects local to its UK sites.

Through the scheme Arla colleagues are encouraged to help within the community and the company supports them through providing grants or match funding.

The scheme has supported a range of projects including scout and brownie packs and local football clubs, as well hospices and schools.

Max Morgan, senior vice president for human resources added: “Community Challenge is a great way to encourage colleagues to participate in community activity and to reward their commitment and dedication to supporting projects and volunteering outside of work.

“Arla is committed to playing an active role in the communities in which we have operations and we anticipate supporting more projects in 2011 as more and more colleagues get involved in the scheme.”

Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.

Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.

Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.