Calling All Local Heroes….

If we can take one positive outcome from this pandemic, it’s the emergence of the true heroes in our communities.

We are indebted to the doctors and nurses and hospital staff, the scientists and the astounding fundraisers…non-better than Captain Sir Tom Moore who inspired the nation raising £39m for the NHS.

We also recognise and appreciate the everyday heroes who deliver our parcels, serve us in the supermarkets, teach our children and the volunteers who put themselves at risk to help others.

As we look forward to when life can hopefully return to the new normal, each business will be assessing the economic impact of Covid.  Some businesses thrived and others faltered.

One of the biggest sectors to have felt the impact is Charities.

Without the ability to carry out the usual fundraising activities, analysis in June 2020 by independent charity Pro Bono Economics  predicted a £6.4bn loss of income over the six months to December 2020 for the UK’s 170,000 charities, leaving one in 10 potentially facing bankruptcy.

Smaller, local charities are especially exposed to the crisis, as they also faced growing demand for their services with less income coming in.

As a business, we work with a number of charities and we know how hard they all work and the important role volunteers play.

Our new recruit, Annalie Ellis is passionate about supporting charities and her local community.

Here she talks about the type of work she has done in the past as a volunteer.  We hope it inspires you to discover your ‘inner hero’ and to look at ways to support your local charities as a business or as an individual.

Annalie:  HR Administrator
I worked at the Yorkshire Building Society where they provided a lot of support for the community.   For example, our branch raised money and bought a large ball pool for disabled children. I spent time at the centre interacting with the children enjoying themselves with a gift they didn’t think they would receive.

One memorable charity event involved the branch managers dressed as Santas’, cycling around the areas branches raising money. I followed in the back-up van in case of any incidents!

My involvement with charity work increased when I worked at a care home.  Front of house charity and community involvement was key. I was the face of the care home community, and I would ask local businesses for raffle prizes and hold events at the home.   I also took some of the residents to Morrison’s where they dressed up as staff and gave out sweets. 

The enjoyment I got out of watching people be happy and seeing smiles on their faces was just so rewarding. 

In my last job, I was tasked with researching local charities to see who needed support. I chose to work with the Children’s Air Ambulance.   We set a target of raising £2000 for the year. Within four months we had raised £1500, having completed a charity walk around a local reservoir dressed as Santa (bit of a theme!). 

I continue to look at ways I can support my local community.  I recently took part in a  doctor/ patient forum, having input to support doctors with ideas for the community.  I also got stuck in helping the local children’s charity with the Christmas fair. There are so many charities look for support.  Why not take a look?

Volunteering can have a positive impact on your mental and physical health and is a great way to meet new like-minded people.  So, if you’ve been inspired by Annalie, why not contact a local charity close to your heart and see how you can help.