Corporate Social Responsibility
Many people depend on us: employees and their families, customers, suppliers and our communities. We value their trust and work hard to foster a culture of responsibility and ethics to maintain that trust.
Our employees are introduced to this through our Code of Conduct training at induction. We also set expectations internally through business conduct standards that keep our relationships with our customers and suppliers transparent.
We are committed to ensuring environmental sustainability and continuously focus on making advances in this area.
Educational Talks / Tours & Student Work Placements
We actively partner with local schools, colleges, universities and educational organisations to give talks/tours and where possible, offer student work placements to grow, mentor and develop the future talent within our communities.
JFC Innovation Awards for Rural Business
The JFC Innovation Awards for Rural Business started in 2006 to promote and highlight innovation in rural Ireland and to give inspiration to others who wish to turn their business ideas into reality. As the commercial sponsor of these Awards we collaborate with Teagasc, Dard NI, and the Irish Farmers Journal.
These Awards have given hundreds of business a chance to win prizes but more importantly given them an opportunity to develop their business. Award categories include: Energy / Manufacturing, Value Added / Speciality Food, Services / Rural Tourism and Start-Up’s.
“We compliment everyone who entered these Awards to date with their innovative idea. They are the lifeblood of the Irish economy and are a shining light on the future of Agri business in Europe” – John F. Concannon, JFC Group CEO & Co-Founder.
Sport Sponsorship & Support
We were delighted to sponsor the Galway Ladies Senior Football team when they successfully won the All Ireland Football Final in 2004.
We are the proud sponsors of Kilconly GAA Football Club in Galway, Ireland and Quinton FC Soccer Team (Division 1 of the Stratford Alliance and Division 2 in the Evesham & District Sunday League) in the UK.
Community Involvement
We recognise that as an employer we have a responsibility to the communities that supports us. We strive to initiate, nurture and support projects that are beneficial to our local regions and are reflective of the markets we serve.
Charitable Giving
Pieta House West
Pieta House West, was a campaign spearheaded by John F. Concannon to establish a service in the West of Ireland to help people with suicidal thoughts and those who self-harm. The first seedling of John’s notion were scattered when he featured on RTE’s “Secret Millionaire” series in 2011. For the programme, John was given a new identity and posed as a community worker and handyman in some instances. Fate lent a helping hand too. John travelled by train to Dublin. Had he sat in any other taxi in the rank outside Heuston Station, Pieta House West might never have come into being. Luckily John Quinn was the man at the top of the queue.
When John opened the door of Quinn’s cab, unbeknownst to him he was also turning the doorknob of Pieta House West. Both men got talking on the fare, where it came to light that John Quinn had become involved with Pieta House Lucan facility after the loss of his own son in 2005. He was in no doubt that his son would still be alive if Pieta existed then. From there he introduced John F. Concannon to the Pieta House facility based in Lucan and it’s founder Joan Freeman. All the time John F. Concannon being undercover as part of the programme…
Following the Secret Millionaire series and realising the great need for such a service for the west of Ireland John set about making it a reality. He was the driving force behind a 18 month fundraising campaign needed to establish the facility to serve the people of the west of Ireland.
On Wednesday 9th April 2014 the doors opened of Pieta House West in John’s hometown of Tuam Co Galway. Its services will stretch to umbrella counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. “It was the people in these counties who made it possible through countless fundraising events and activities” commented John.
RTE’s Secret Millionaire
John F. Concannon, CEO and co-founder of the JFC GROUP is given a new identity in the 2011 programme series and spends a number of days and nights in different areas of Dublin, sometimes posing as a community worker and in other instances as a handyman, on the look-out for people and charities to help.
In the programme we see the cameras following John around his business in Tuam, and then onto Dublin where most of the show is set with audiences seeing him working undercover.
In an emotional ending to the programme, John hands over three cheques to causes close to his heart in west Dublin; Joan Freeman of Pieta House in Lucan, Cathy White of the Carers Association in Clondalkin and Rachel Doyle and Michelle Reynolds of St Mark’s Rangers Football Club.
JFC GROUP Golf Charity Fundraisers
Over the last decade we have organised an annual charity golf event to fundraise for worthy charities. We select a different charity each year and the event has proved to be a huge success year on year. Past charities include the Nepalese Children’s Foundation, international aid charity GOAL, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Western Alzheimer’s Association and Pieta House West.
National Philanthropist of the Year 2012
John F. Concannon was awarded Philanthropist of the Year in 2012 following his tireless work to open the Pieta House West facility for the west of Ireland. The Community Foundation for Ireland awarded Mr Concannon for finding a premises in his hometown of Tuam, Co. Galway, and raising the €250,000 needed to run it for a full year.
“If this helps to save one persons life then it is a job well done. That’s all we are trying to do” commented John on receiving the award. John paid tribute to fundraisers across all the counties for supporting the new service and to RTE’s producers and production team for giving Pieta House such great exposure.
