The volunteering options are endless – The Big Help Out!
This article will take approximately 3 minutes to read
Published 30 May 2023 in Colleagues
When you think of volunteering perhaps you think of painting a fence or helping with a litter pick, but there are so many different ways you can spend your volunteering hours – the opportunities really are limitless. We hear from four colleagues on the slightly more unusual ways they volunteer.
Dragon boat racing is how Jen and her team used their hours
On 21 May, Merry Hill Store Manager, Jen Rust and a team of 23 Midcounties volunteers took to their boat named ‘All the Gear’ to race in the annual Rotary Club of Wolverhampton Dragon Boat Event.
Speaking at the event, Jen said, “It’s an absolutely brilliant day out, something we can all get behind to raise a lot of money for a good cause and just generally interacting with our colleagues and having a great day away from store doing a lot of good. It’s volunteering at its best.”
The money raised was shared between the Wolverhampton Regional Community charity partner Alz Cafe and Rotary Club Wolverhampton’s charitable good causes.
Taking part in the Wolverhampton Regional Community activities - Jen Rust, Store Manager at Merry Hill (right) with Julia, Alz Cafe (left) and Julia Farrell, MEC representative (centre)
From head shaving to fancy dressing, Christine likes to have fun with her volunteering
Christine Morgan from our Morton-in-Marsh store has become something of a local celebrity thanks to some of her more eye-catching charity activities. She’s extremely passionate about raising money to get more defibrillators installed in the Cotswold area, which is how it all started two years ago.
She says, “I first had an idea to hold a cake sale, but people were still wary about Covid, so I said "OK, I'll cut my hair off!" – and so the fun began. As my hair grew back, I dyed it orange for Halloween, red for Christmas, and had a staff and customer vote for the New Year, (purple won!).
But the big one was on 24 April when three members of staff, my son and I all did a tandem skydive. It was the absolute highlight of the year!”
Since then, she’s been known to dress up as the Easter Bunny and hand out red roses for Valentine’s Day in fancy dress. “If I could do something that both the young and old would enjoy getting involved with, and make them laugh, then I would do it!”
Fairtrade is where it all started for Donna
Donna Richards joined the Shawbury store 16 years ago and kicked off her fundraising journey by running Fairtrade assemblies at the local primary school.
From then on, she started running coffee mornings, bake sales, colouring competitions, name the giant teddy bear competitions, guess how many sweets are in the jar and Christmas bingo for charities including Mind, Children in Need and Macmillan.
These events have helped nurture a sense of community within the store. She says, “When the customers then come into the shop, they feel part of the shop and it’s as if they are coming to see a friend.”
It’s putting smiles on faces that Linda loves
Linda Freeman from Finance has been with the Society for over 35 years. In that time she’s walked dogs with the Border Collie Trust, put up and decorated 70 Christmas trees at local churches and taken them down again, read with children at primary schools, given blood and cleared up litter.
She’s also helped out at women’s refuges and care homes, as well as volunteering every week at Naden House Assisted Living Accommodation serving refreshments and bingo calling.
Linda says, “What I enjoy most about volunteering is the thanks and gratitude you receive at the end of it. How we put smiles on people’s faces, even the small children when reading.
I would urge all colleagues to volunteer where possible. It is a chance to give something back to the community. Each colleague is allowed 22.5 paid hours (pro rata) so please use them.”
The sky’s the limit
Whatever you’d like to do to help your community, find out how you can use your community hours to do it here.
