The Thomas Cook Children’s Charity: Making dreams come true for sick and disadvantaged children

The aim of our new charity is ‘making dreams come true for sick and disadvantaged children’. It is governed by a Board of Trustees which consists of Manny Fontenla-Novoa as Chairman, five employees, the CEO of University Hospital Leicester and a past patient of London's King's College Hospital. Funds are being raised by customers and employees of Thomas Cook UK & Ireland. Customers are asked to make a donation when they book a holiday and employees raise funds via creative fundraising events.

The Thomas Cook Children’s Charity accepts applications for funding for a sick or disadvantaged child or children from individuals or organisations.

Measuring our carbon footprint: Thomas Cook Group plc commended by Carbon Disclosure Project

In 2009, Thomas Cook Group plc was commended by the Carbon Disclosure Project (“CDP”) for its approach to climate change disclosure after taking part in the project for the first time since the merger in 2007.

Thomas Cook’s achievements have received further recognition, with the Company being featured in CDP’s Leadership Index after just one year in the FTSE 100. The index highlights the top 10% of companies within the FTSE 350 Index that have displayed the most professional approach to corporate governance in respect of climate change disclosure practices.

The Travelife Sustainability System: Successfully engaging with our suppliers

The Travelife Sustainability System is an all in one sustainability management tool which enables us to monitor and measure the environmental and social impacts of our accommodation suppliers. Suppliers who actively engaged with sustainability are rewarded with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards which are displayed in brochures and websites to communicate this commitment to our customers.

To date our UK business has audited over 370 hotels – 75 of these have achieved award status. The success of Travelife continued in 2009, with our Northern Europe, Belgian and Dutch businesses now also using the system.

Working with the Travel Foundation since 2003: Bringing benefits to destinations and holidaymakers alike

The Travel Foundation, a UK charity which “cares for the places we love to visit”, is one of our main partners. Thomas Cook was a founding member of the Travel Foundation in 2003 and has raised over £1.3 million to date.

Last year we worked with them on sustainable projects in The Gambia, Cyprus and Turkey. Our overseas employees are directly involved: they gain experience, offer a wealth of knowledge and provide continuity to the projects. This is a vital element of our successful partnership.