‘Tis the season to give: JCDecaux puts its famous ‘Ham Day’ on hold and instead donates to those in need in partnership with OzHarvest

Following weeks of social posts regarding the logistics of delivering JCDecaux’s famous Christmas hams around the country, the Out-of-Home company today announced it was putting its annual ‘Ham Day’ on hold. This year, instead, JCDecaux is announcing a significant new partnership with OzHarvest.

JCDecaux, General Manager – Sales, Oliver Newton, said: “We have been through several different versions of lockdown and a reduced capacity to see our colleagues and clients, so we are placing an even higher value on the face time that we do get to enjoy together – and Ham Day would normally have been one of those times. Unfortunately, in 2020, the logistics of safely delivering hams to clients across the country will not be possible. Rather than leave some disappointed, we have decided to turn this into a positive and support people in our community who need it the most.”

Instead of its traditional ham deliveries this year, JCDecaux will be making a significant contribution to OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue organisation.
 

OzHarvest Head of Impact, Ashley Killeen, said: “2020 has been an incredibly tough year for many Australians, with so many new people turning to charities for the first time in their lives. This year has seen a dramatic rise in demand for food relief, at a time when our resources are under pressure.  Thanks to this contribution from JCDecaux we can continue to get good food to those who need it most.”

This contribution forms part of an ongoing partnership between the two organisations, developed as part of JCDecaux’s commitment to charity and overseen by its new Social Impact Committee. The Social Impact Committee is a panel of individuals from across JCDecaux in Australia and New Zealand.
 

JCDecaux Director of Government and Public Relations, Tess Phillips, said: “The purpose of the Social Impact Committee is to streamline the way in which we work with our charity partners, ensuring that we provide meaningful support to charities. This goes beyond standard advertising display, although that still forms a part, and will engage JCDecaux employees at all levels to help contribute towards making a difference in people’s lives. Our staff recently told us that making a positive change in their community is important, and we are excited to roll out a series of initiatives over the coming months to support our company’s, and our people’s, values.”

Recognising the special place that ‘Ham Day’ occupies for its people and clients, JCDecaux commissioned local Melbourne artist Alison Turnbull to create a piece of artwork for its Christmas cards announcing the changes and its donation to OzHarvest.