Team’s time and willing delivers priceless community benefit for Charity of the Year
A team of eleven community spirited Novacroft volunteers has spent two days during this year’s National Volunteers’ Week (taking place from 1st to 12th June 2016) sprucing up an overgrown and underused outdoor space at our Charity of the Year Workbridge, for the benefit of all service users.
Workbridge plans to use the outdoor space (previously used for bike storage and sports) as a restful and relaxing area for breaks and picnics, and will be discussing with service users how they would like to develop it.
Novacroft chose Workbridge, a local charity and part of St Andrew’s Healthcare, as Charity of Year following annual team nominations and voting. Workbridge offers a vocational pathway for people with mental health needs, learning disabilities or brain injuries.
The UK Government Community Life Survey 2014 – 15 found that 13.8m people formally volunteer regularly, which equates to 42% of the UK population. Novacroft is determined to contribute to this figure and offers each team member four paid volunteering days annually. Volunteers’ Week, an annual celebration of the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK, provided a great incentive to make a difference to Workbridge.
Jo Phelps, Head of HR at Novacroft, and one of the volunteers, said:
Every single one of us from Novacroft that has taken a trip to Workbridge has returned inspired. It’s a hidden gem in the Northamptonshire community. Known to few of us at Novacroft, despite being used by many people locally. We’re privileged to be contributing to it.
Debra Charles, Novacroft CEO and Founder, added:
Volunteering helps companies build stronger roots in their communities. Team members can learn new skills and give something back, use different talents and gain a different perspective. Research has confirmed it gives a real personal boost to self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and resilience.
For Novacroft, turning time and talent into tangible community benefits comes with its own rewards, in the form of the company’s Ucando-it social action programme, currently in pilot phase. Ucando-it encourages activity and community action, such as volunteering, measuring the feel good factor and wellbeing of participants for employer/employee benefit.
Novacroft will be in close contact with Workbridge to return and further develop the outdoor space, and heartily thanks Katie, Shampa, Jason, Jo, Tracey, Louise, Corin, Ian, Claire, Mae and Rachel for their hard work, along with Workbridge for their support throughout.
