We offer our employees the opportunity to volunteer up to eight of their working hours a year to our community projects and services.
Our 2017 graduate cohort chose to volunteer their hours to the Way Ahead project in Leamington, helping to prepare food, chat with the service users and they even built a wooden bench swing!
We offer our employees the opportunity to volunteer up to eight of their working hours a year to our community projects and services.
Our 2017 graduate cohort chose to volunteer their hours to the Way Ahead project in Leamington, helping to prepare food, chat with the service users and they even built a wooden bench swing!
What they got up to…
9:00am: Our graduates arrived at the Way Ahead project in Leamington. This Orbit-funded project provides drop-in advice and activities for approximately 120 people a month who are homeless, or struggling with alcohol, drug use or their mental health. They are given a brief introduction of what to expect and what activities they will be taking part in.
9.30am: The group came in for breakfast so the team of six split up with half staying to chat with them whilst they were eating, trying to sign them up to the Cooking on a Budget masterclass being held by Crisis. The other half of the grads were tasked with building a wooden bench swing outside and doing some gardening.
10:00am: The group started to head outside after breakfast and helped the grads to build the swing and got involved in the gardening, digging up the weeds.
12:00am: A lady from Crisis came to run the Cooking on a Budget masterclass which three of the individuals stayed behind to take part in. With help from graduates Rosie, Busola and Farhat they prepared a feast of lasagne and garlic bread.
15:00pm: The wooden bench swing is finally complete and looking really good.
Rosie Ward, graduate tenancy officer said: “I really enjoyed the day; it was good for the graduates to work together. It provided great insight into the services provided to vulnerable people in Leamington and the sessions they have for example Cooking on a Budget; teaching the service users how to make delicious homemade food as cheaply as possible. It was brilliant to be part of a much needed and valued service for the Leamington community.”
Farhat Hussain, graduate trainee - strategic asset management said: “You realise how hard it is for them to get out of their situation once they are in it. It is really great that this service is available in Leamington to help those who need it overcome the many barriers they have to face.”
#ivolunteerbecause