Diageo Ireland has today published its first ever Community Impact Report, detailing a substantial €1.7 million investment in community initiatives in the twelve months between July 2023 and June 2024.
In addition to financial support for community initiatives and causes, Diageo employees have also volunteered a significant number of hours to help local schools and charities, particularly in the Dublin 8 area.
The report documents Diageo’s long-standing commitment to supporting vibrant and inclusive communities in Dublin 8 and beyond. This commitment to community stretches back generations, continuing the legacy of the Guinness family by investing in local initiatives and working with community groups.
The Community Impact Report focuses on four core pillars: Culture, Education & Training, Community Projects & Charitable Contributions and Inclusion & Diversity.
Culture
Diageo Ireland invested a total of €395,000 in cultural initiatives over the twelve-month period highlighted, including the sponsorship of local events such as Culture Night and the transformation of unused spaces in Dublin 8 into vibrant art installations created by six talented Irish-based artists, through the ‘A Better City’ project.
Through the Guiness Storehouse, €125,000 has been invested in showcasing social stories featuring businesses based in the Liberties on the Guinness Storehouse social channels.
The three local businesses profiled as part of the project over this period were Noel’s Newsagents on Meath Street, Rumi Café and Some Neck Guitars. The aim is to introduce 27 new stories into The Guinness Archives featuring personalities from the rich and diverse Dublin 8 community by the end of 2027. Through this initiative, Diageo will utilise the social reach of the Guinness Storehouse to promote the thriving businesses in Dublin 8.
Education & Training
Through an investment of €987,000, Diageo Ireland provided education, training and upskilling opportunities to 1,750 individuals between July 2023 and June 2024.This included a partnership with TU Dublin to deliver state-of-the-art learning facilities for students of culinary, beverage and hospitality courses, as well as the successful Diageo Bar Academy ‘Grow with Guinness’ training programme for the hospitality industry.
The ‘Grow with Guinness’ programme has trained 1,200 people in the past year, with 2,750 people receiving training since the initiative began in 2022.
Additionally, Diageo has continued to invest in its global business and hospitality skills programme, ‘Learning for Life’, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in May 2024. Since its launch, over 2,000 people have graduated from Learning for life programmes on the Island of Ireland. This programme, like many of the other Diageo funded education and training initiatives is specifically designed to support people from marginalised communities who have experienced barriers to education in the past.
Diageo Ireland employees provided 269 volunteering hours to local schools such as Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in Inchicore through the Junior Achievement Ireland initiative that helps to prepare young people for their futures by delivering experiential learning in entrepreneurship. Also in partnership with Junior Achievement Ireland, a “Hospitality and Tourism Careers week” was hosted by the Guinness Storehouse which sought to give students an insight into the hospitality industry.
Diageo Ireland employees have supported the Business in the Community World of Work programme for over two decades in Presentation Secondary School, Warrenmount, with up to 50 students each year benefiting from mock interviews, local history lessons and work experience.
Community Projects & Charitable Contributions
A total of €234,000 was provided by Diageo Ireland towards community projects and charitable contributions with 690 Diageo employees getting involved in fundraising and supporting these initiatives.
The company supported various local charity causes over the past year through events such as the Liberties Fun Run, Liberties Festival and Guinness Triathlon and raised a total of €100,000 for 17 local charities.
Inclusion & Diversity
Throughout the year, Diageo Ireland invested €121,000 in inclusion and diversity initiatives. This included providing core funding for the Open Doors Initiative and supporting neurodiverse individuals by partnering with NOW GROUP, where members of the neurodiverse community take up internships at Diageo’s Marshalls Road packaging plant, helping them to build their employment skills and experience. To date, the site has employed five interns through the Now Group partnership. The Guinness Storehouse, Roe & Co Distillery, and Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny have all also become more accessible by gaining accreditation from As I Am, Ireland’s national autism charity.
"Building on our legacy, we strive to make a positive impact in the communities where we operate," said Shane Kelly, Director of Corporate Relations, Diageo Ireland. "This report reflects the dedicated work of our colleagues in fostering vibrant and inclusive communities full of creativity and opportunity. Initiatives like Grow with Guinness and the Liberties Festival exemplify our commitment to the community. We're excited about the future and the opportunities to deepen our impact even further.”
The full Diageo Community Impact Report can be accessed Here
