Two local charities have a received a financial boost thanks to the safe working practices of Norwich-based contractor Kier Construction.

Kier, which has a Norwich office based on Mason Road, off Mile Cross Lane, has donated �400 to the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) and �700 to the palliative care unit at All Hallows Healthcare Trust, in Ditchingham, near Bungay.

The donations come as a result of two successful health and safety initiatives run by Kier.

The EAAA was chosen to benefit by the winners of Kier's Positive Safety Leadership Skills Awards; Chris Clifton, Kier site manager at the City Academy Norwich building site in Earlham, and Paul Grimes, a supervisor from Kier supply chain member MJS.

They both won �200 each to give to a charity of their choice in recognition of their consistently high standards of safety management and communication and their promotion of behavioural safety.

Chris and Paul both chose the EAAA because they are interested in motorbikes and Motocross, activities the air ambulance is often called to.

Jess Down, fundraising manager for the EAAA, said: 'We are delighted to receive this support from Kier Construction. We really appreciate their donation and welcome their outstanding safety schemes.

'Despite receiving no direct government funding, the EAAA operates two air ambulances, 365 days per year, and needs to raise �4.2m a year to maintain the service.'

The gift to All Hallows was the result of Kier Construction's site safety award scheme, in which the company directors reward building sites that demonstrate exemplary safety standards.

Kier's safety team at the Police Investigation Centre site in Great Yarmouth were the highest performers and chose to give the money to the All Hallows, a cause close to quantity surveyor Craig Charnley's heart.

The All Hallows palliative care unit looked after his father while he was terminally ill with a brain tumour in 2008.

All Hallows operational administrator, Helen Southern, said: 'We are currently in the process of finalising a new specialist palliative care service that will enable us to offer regular blood transfusions to local people who currently have to travel to an acute trust much further away.

'To be able to offer this facility we need to raise over �5,700 each year to maintain the equipment and Kier's donation will be put towards this project.'

Kier director, Dennis Cotton, added: 'Our initiatives of recognising excellent safety performance at both site and individual level with charitable donations have proven very successful, and we are pleased to support these worthwhile charities.'

- Are you raising money for charity? Contact Local Life editor David Freezer on 01603 772418 or david.freezer@archant.co.uk