Time to Count: Gas Networks Ireland host Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt for local Cork and Dublin Students

Students and teachers from Scoil Aiséirí Chríost in Farranree, Cork and Mother of Divine Grace in Ballygall, Dublin recently visited Gas Networks Ireland’s offices to mark the completion of the Time to Count programme with Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI).

The visits took place during National Volunteering Week and Biodiversity Week 2025 and saw the students take part in a biodiversity scavenger hunt followed by a tour of Gas Networks Ireland’s office and facilities in both locations. 

The programme, which is part of Gas Networks Ireland’s partnership with BITCI, focuses on encouraging students to engage with Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths (STEAM). Over the course of ten weeks, employees from Gas Networks Ireland visited the school to engage students in fun interactive sessions using board games, playing cards and dice – all designed to help improve the students’ numeracy skills in an enjoyable way.

Commenting on the visits, Gas Networks Ireland Social Sustainability Manager Gráinne O’Reilly said: “We are proud to partner with Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) for this ‘Time to Count’ initiative. One of the main objectives of the programme is to build children’s confidence and enjoyment around numbers, and to give them an understanding of how maths is relevant in the workplace. The visits are the highlight of the programme for the students and volunteers who have just spent the last few weeks taking part.”

In 2024, Gas Networks Ireland was appointed as a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Champion by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication. In addition to the ‘Time to Count' programme, Gas Networks Ireland also collaborates with BITCI in delivering the ‘World of Work’ education initiatives delivered to secondary school students nationwide. These programmes support progress towards Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and Goal 4: Quality Education, while the Sustainability content in the 'World of Work' programme (developed through Gas Networks Ireland's sponsorship) supports progress on Goal 13: Climate Action.