A team from NUI Business.solutions has won a 2004 Business Volunteer Award for the East of England. The team picked up the award in recognition of the community work it carried out during 2003.
| A team from NUI Business.solutions has won a 2004 Business Volunteer Award for the East of England. The team picked up the award in recognition of the community work it carried out during 2003. Co-ordinated by Sandra McKay (development manager) and Steve Johnson (BPM manager), 40 staff from Business.solutions contributed more than 700 hours of voluntary services to the local community during 2003. |  |
| The team contributed more than 700 hours' work to the local community. | |
The team supported a variety of community projects in Norfolk using mentoring, coaching, IT and consultancy skills. They worked with more than 20 local charity and community organisations including: Age Concern, the Hamlet Centre, the East Anglian Children's Hospice, the Asperger Society, the ‘Big C' Appeal, the RSPB and several local schools.
Work carried out ranged from fundraising activities to IT consultancy and advice, including:
- Building a database for the East Anglian Children's Hospice and providing IT training to help them become more self-sufficient
- Examining the IT infrastructure at Age Concern
- Assisting in the project management of a family centre for the ‘Big C Appeal’, and raising Ł2,000 for the charity, and
- Providing reading and numeracy mentoring in local schools.
Sandra said: "This is a great achievement and recognises both the willingness to participate and the hard work put in by many Business.solutions staff last year. A huge thanks to all those people involved in this unique opportunity."
The personal touch
As well as making a valuable contribution to the local community, individual volunteers also benefited from participation in these projects. Improved listening and communication skills through team building were just some of the personal benefits they experienced. There was also a strong feeling of personal satisfaction and enjoyment from being involved in the community.
It also helped individuals improve many of their office-based skills. Commenting on the mentoring work in local schools, one volunteer said: "I had to judge the children’s level of interest, recognise their concentration windows and choose the right time to engage them. All of these skills are just as applicable to work."
Business benefits
Sandra explained that work with organisations like the RSPB and Age Concern also helped improve NUI’s profile and reputation locally. Additional benefits included reduced staff training costs and greater opportunities for personal development.
"Thanks to all the Business.solutions staff who have supported the community initiatives in 2003. Let's continue to contribute during 2004 and see what we can achieve this year," said Sandra.