Here at GC, our volunteering policy, Volunteer2day, allows you to take up to two days leave in any one-year rolling period to volunteer.
You can take your two days leave in hours, half days and full days, and if your volunteering is done outside of the working day, you can claim this time back in lieu.
If you have already done volunteering in the calendar year which you would like to count towards your two days, you are able to do this and claim the time back in the same way.
Colleagues Volunteer at The Barlow RC High School
Colleagues took part in a practice interview session with some students at The Barlow RC High School, interviewing some of their brightest young minds.
They assisted the students with mock interviews and shared some strategies to help them navigate the world of work. Volunteering on the day were Tanina Sheath, Gaile Yeung, Margo Borish, Rebecca Taylor, Martin Rogers and Stephanie Preston.
About the experience, Tanina Sheath, IPSPC Service Manager told us:
"The IPS Primary Care Team had a fun morning supporting our next workforce generation with mock interviews. We met some remarkable young people with aspiring futures. Thanks to The Barlow RC High School for having us and All Our Futures Ltd. for organising, it was great!"
Gaile Yeung Marketing Manager also volunteered and said she was amazed at how articulate some of the students were in expressing themselves at such a young age. She told us:
"Engaging with these young individuals offered fresh perspectives and ideas. Their unique viewpoints and answers reminded me of the value of staying open-minded and adaptable in my ever-evolving work. Providing constructive feedback and seeing the immediate positive impact on their confidence was incredibly rewarding. It reinforced the idea that mentorship and support are crucial in nurturing the next generation of professionals.
"Volunteering was a fulfilling experience that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to give back. It was a wonderful reminder of the importance of supporting and investing in our future’s talent."
Wigan in the Community
Wigan Education & Skills learners have once again been out in the local community.
Working with Dulux, VIY and headed up by Jackie Morgan, Additional Tuition Coach, our learners spent three days at Clifton Street Community Centre, helping the staff to build planters, painted the entrance way and landscaped the gardens.
Despite it being on the hottest days of the year so far, all learners had a great time and got to speak with Dulux regarding apprenticeship opportunities, and all came away with free t-shirts and hoodies.
VIY and the volunteers at Clifton Street commented that:
“Despite the extremely warm weather, all the young people in attendance worked very hard and have made a massive impact at our centre, enabling us to welcome members of the community for indoor and outdoor activities. We are grateful to each and every one of them.”
General Election Volunteering
During Volunteer Week (3rd-9th June), we let colleagues know that they could make use of one of their volunteering days during 4th July's General Election and help out within your local communities.
Local authorities up and down the country were looking for people to help ensure the day ran smoothly and colleagues could potentially get involved by opening polling stations, issuing ballot papers, or even counting votes!
Georgia Sampson, Strategic Insight Analyst in BGH signed-up to volunteer and told us:
"Following the email that went out to staff, I decided to volunteer for the count in Warrington. Here's a picture of one of the results being read out. We began at 10 and I left at about 4am – it was a great atmosphere with a positive buzz and the counting wasn’t too hard! I would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of doing it in the future."
