Pearson Community Award 2011 Winners Announced

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) - December 20, 2011 - Each autumn, nine panellists from around the company have the opportunity to review the applications for the Pearson Community Awards (PCAs) and select between five and seven award recipients. The panel, drawn from senior members of staff at each of Pearson's businesses, learns about the many wonderful volunteer teachers, sports coaches, medics, accountants, trekkers, fundraisers, community organisers and other secret superheroes we have at Pearson. Trying to select the final award winners is never easy.

Once again, the panellists were struck by the commitment and enthusiasm each applicant displayed in helping their chosen charities and causes achieve their aims. Robin Baliszewski, Pearson plc's director for people and chair of the panel said: 'We chose this year’s seven award recipients because each is engaged in activities which reflect the fundamental purpose of our work at Pearson – to help people of all ages progress in their lives through learning.'   Each of the PCA recipients will receive $500 (or local equivalent) in recognition of their dedication and a $2000 contribution to their chosen charity from Pearson plc. Two additional finalists were also cited for special commendation. As an additional ‘thank you’ for their community work, the award winners will each be taken to lunch by a member of Pearson’s Management Committee. Pearson plc will also aim to get the awardees on film over the next period, as a permanent memento of the commitment people at Pearson show to being brave, imaginative and decent in their own time.   Pearson people and businesses are active citizens of any community we operate in, and keen partners of other organisations which promote access to education and literacy. In 2010, our charitable giving totalled £13.1 (2009: £10.5m). We give in a variety of ways across the company, including through in-kind support, such as staff time, advertising space, website hosting, publishing expertise and book donations. Many of our people are involved in charity work and fundraising – we support their efforts wherever we can through matched fundraising and local volunteer programmes that encourage our people to give their time to community initiatives during the working day.     About Pearson
Pearson is the world’s leading learning company. Our major businesses are: Pearson, the world's biggest education business, providing print and digital learning materials and services used by more than 100 million students of all ages every year; The Financial Times Group, which has an international network of business and financial newspapers and online services that are read by millions of business executives and investors every day; and Penguin Group, which is one of the pre-eminent names in consumer publishing, with an unrivalled range of fiction and nonfiction, bestsellers, and classic titles. Through our books, newspapers and online products and services, Pearson helps people of all ages to live and learn. See www.pearson.com   PEAR19667