At a time when they are preparing to hand over the trophies in the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland, the sponsors were picking up one of their own this week, winning the Outstanding Company Award at this year’s GALAS LGBTQI+ Awards.

SSE Airtricity was nominated for its partnership with LGBT Ireland over the last year which included funding the national helpline, raising awareness through radio and digital campaigns, and the FAI League of Ireland / LGBT takeover weekend.

Other finalists included Google, Aviva and Bank of Ireland so the standard was high.

The Outstanding Company Award recognises the contribution that the business community and companies have in promoting the equal treatment and full inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in both the workplace and in society.

An inclusive workplace culture as well as being visible in the LGBTQ+ community as a champion are two of the key elements in being nominated.

In advance of Pride month, SSE Airtricity brought two of its partnerships together to promote awareness of the National LGBT Helpline within the clubs, fans, and communities of the League of Ireland.

The new campaign was launched by players Roberto Lopes and Keeva Keenan and attracted strong media interest. 23 media interviews were secured across TV, online, and print – including a 2-minute segment on Virgin Media News and interviews on national radio station 2FM which equated to an earned media reach of 13.1 million.

Read the Sport for Business coverage of the campaign here.

Dedicated branding across the weekend included a pitch centre circle flag (pictured below), pitch side boards, player armbands, and media backdrops all of which promoted inclusion and diversity in Irish Football.

National TV broadcasts across the weekend also included branded shots on Virgin Media and an interview with the CEO of LGBT Ireland, Paula Egan, discussing the importance of the campaign on TG4.

Video content was captured across the weekend and was promoted across all channels to drive further awareness.

“Alongside LGBT Ireland, the FAI have been a great partner of ours and enabled us to bring the LGBT Takeover to life in May,” said Ashley Morrow, Head of Brand, Advertising and Sponsorship at SSE Airtricity.

“The FAI and the clubs must rightly share in this success with us.”