Giving back to the local community
From Monday 2nd – Sunday 8th June, we celebrate Volunteers’ Week and we are looking at how our teams have been actively supporting both our local communities and client projects through meaningful volunteering efforts this year.
What have we been up to?
From beach cleans and school mentoring to clearing a community garden support, our teams have been out making a real difference through volunteering in the local area.
Clearing and tidying a community garden in Canning Town
As part of our work with Cadent in London and due to our visibility in the area, Lina Boulkout and Owen Bell worked with BuildUp for a day, helping to clear rubbish and building waste from a site in Canning Town, which will be transformed into a community garden.
The space was previously a youth centre and has been closed for 20 years. This year, BuildUp is working with local organisations PEACH and E16 CLT to open a community garden onsite, the first step towards transforming the building into a community centre.
Volunteering at a primary school in South London
Aimee Baker spent the day volunteering at a primary school in south London, helping to build and create a new library for the children.
The school previously had no reading facilities, and so in April volunteers worked to build shelving, register and organise over 500 books, and decorate the space. The goal was to surprise the children with a fully stocked library when they came back after the Easter holidays.
Beach Clean for World Environment Day
Through our partnership with the Scottish Seabird Centre, Sheridan Hilton travelled to East Lothian to take part in a beach clean-up with a group of other volunteers.
Other ways Copper has been volunteering this year
- Igor Vianna donated blood!
- Peter Taylor volunteered in May to take the 1st Keswick Scouts on a two-day hike. The troop were struggling for volunteers with mountain leadership experience, so Peter leaned in to support.
- Caitlin Johnson-Bowring mentored a 10-year-old in a local school for 1 hour a week as part of the Transforming Lives for Good scheme.
- Sean Ranson volunteered as a governor at a local primary school. In that role, he supported the school in reviewing and updating its communications plans and recruiting new administrative and communications staff.
- Hannah Jarrett has held a voluntary position as Chester Ladies Circle Chair for 3 years running! The Ladies Circle is a social group for 18–45-year-old women looking to build a network in their local area, where the goal is to have fun, make friends, fundraise and volunteer. The charitable efforts support local causes, whether it’s Chester Raft Race, Local Fairs and Fetes or hosting events, such as quizzes and pamper nights.
Ways you can get involved in volunteering by giving up as little as 30 minutes of your time
Here are a few ways how…
- The Trussell Trust – Host a food drive for your local food bank: www.trussell.org.uk
- The Girls’ Network – Give an hour a week to inspire and empower girls aged 14-19 from disadvantaged communities. Become a mentor
- AgeUK – Chat with someone to help with isolation via the telephone friendship service.
- Be my Eyes – Download the app to help blind or low vision individuals from your home. Be My Eyes Help Centre
- Cleanup UK – Volunteer to pick up litter in your local area. Litter picking groups
Social value delivery
If you’re looking to make your project give back in a more impactful way, get in touch. At Copper, our social value offering is designed to help you create lasting change.