Giving young people a boost – The Big Help Out!
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Published 6 Jun 2023 in Colleagues
It's Volunteers’ Week so it’s the perfect time to round off our five-part volunteering series linked to The Big Help Out. In this story, we’re speaking to four colleagues going the extra mile for the next generation.
Valérie and Toby are building futures with Go Beyond
As an extension of Your Co-op Travel’s partnership with Go Beyond, a charity that gives young people facing serious challenges a much-needed break, today a team of Co-op Holidays and Your Co-op Travel colleagues are building an orienteering course at Go Beyond’s Daleside Centre in Derbyshire.
The project is being led by Valérie Hibbert, Commercial Manager Tour Operation for Co-op Holidays, who also helped fundraise to purchase the materials needed. She says, “The course will encourage the children to enjoy the amazing countryside that’s at Daleside and give them new skills like problem solving.”
Valérie (second from right) - volunteering to litter pick
Tour Operator Analyst Toby Moy is also taking part in this hands-on challenge.
Toby is no stranger to volunteering and ran the London Marathon twice on behalf of youth charity The Outward Bound Charity Trust, raising a combined total of £17,000 with his five Midcounties running mates.
Toby says, “I really enjoy volunteering and fundraising. As well as running the London Marathon, I’ve raised money through bake sales, car washes, friends and family donations and I spent a full day cycling on an exercise bike at our Chipping Norton store.”
Partnering with Gloucestershire Young Careers is rewarding for Chris
As a Regional Communities (RC) ambassador, Simple Stores Manager Chris Chandler has worked closely with his RC’s most recent charity partner Gloucestershire Young Carers (GYC), and he says that knowing he’s made a difference to young people has added “significant value” to his life.
He says, “Since working with GYC, I have been part of their Fundraising Committee and supported at various career and coaching events. As a team of colleagues in the Forest of Dean we have supported GYC with fundraising activities including parachute jumps, fire walks, quizzes, fun runs and walks, cake sales and much more which has been so rewarding and fun at the same time.
I would highly recommend that every colleague finds the right volunteering opportunity for them or gets involved in their local Regional Community. It is so rewarding for the people you support and for you, and makes you feel proud to work for a business that encourages this level of support for our local communities.”
Not sure how to use your volunteer hours? Find volunteering opportunities near you:
Find volunteering opportunities near you:
Serving as a school governor is a privilege for John
In 2009, John Street, Head of Business Transformation for Food, became a Community Governor at Bicton Church of England Primary School and is now Vice Chair, helping to guide the school’s strategy so that it can provide the best possible education for its pupils.
He says, “It has been a privilege to serve and engage with the school during challenging times. The school also has a great relationship with our store at Bicton Heath and the two have combined to support the local community with litter picks, Christmas carol concerts and by raising awareness of reducing waste and increasing plastic recycling.”
As well as this, John has also worked at the Shrewsbury Food Bank and is an ambassador for Shropshire Regional Communities, through which he has built lasting relationships with many local charities.
He says, “Everyone working at Midcounties has the opportunity to volunteer and I have found it a wonderful way to make a difference and engage with the communities we serve, meeting the most extraordinary and generous people who dedicate so much of their time and effort to help others.”
Plan your volunteering today
Colleagues can spend 22.5 hours (pro rata) volunteering in the community each year. For more on how to volunteer and report your hours, take a look here.
