Corporate Add Diversity To Voluntary Sector

PRESS RELEASE

Corporate Volunteers Add Diversity To Voluntary Sector

Volunteer Wellington has worked with more than 300 volunteers who are employees with corporates and small businesses throughout greater Wellington, during the past four months.

The push to involve businesses with communities has been the result of the Corporate Challenge series 2007, sponsored by Wellington Region Foundation and organized by Volunteer Wellington. An aim of the project has been to create more awareness of the breadth and depth of the voluntary sector; and the impact of employees volunteering in the community.

June 17 - 23 is national Volunteer Awareness Week, a time for both celebrating and witnessing the contribution of volunteers and volunteering within New Zealand society.

'More awareness means more diverse volunteers and more diverse volunteering projects,' says Julie Thomson, co-manager of Volunteer Wellington with direct responsibility for providing the organisation's 368 not-for-profit members with services designed to build community capacity.

Throughout the country events are being organized which will increase this 'very necessary' awareness of the power of volunteering. Volunteer Wellington is organizing a photographic exhibition and social gathering, hosted by KPMG, which will celebrate the finale of the Corporate Challenge series 2007 - as well as Volunteer Awareness Week.

The photographs will cover aspects of the 30 plus projects which have taken place during the series. 'The aim is to continue linking businesses with communities,' says Judy Kerr, Volunteer Wellington's Employees In The Community co-ordinator. 'Now that more businesses are aware of our role in facilitating and matching corporate teams with community projects, they are keen to be involved. It's a commercially and socially sensible programme.'

Staff of companies who become involved with volunteering are given one day a year to join forces (if teamwork is the preferred way to go) and work together on a carefully designed community project, which requires additional energy and resources. The projects either use 'brawn or brain' - but all require commitment and willingness, states Judy Kerr.

Examples of a few recent projects are KPMG who painted rooms with a team of 16 at Friends Who Care, a community centre in Wainuiomata for people from the mental health system; the British High Commission (with the High Commissioner included) planted for a day at the Pauahatanui Inlet; Arrow International built a stage in a day for Wellington City Mission's alternative school for youth; Mainzeal cleaned up and planted the Coolidge Street Reserve; ANZ National have done a number of conservation projects and are about to do a 'thinking team' strategy with Habitat for Humanity; Chilli Marketing cooked a meal - chilli con carne of course - for parents and families of sick children staying at Ronald McDonald House in Newtown.

'It's been a time of immense physical activity and community and team spirit,' says Judy Kerr. She adds that employee projects will continue after the completion of the Challenge series but with less intensity and pizzazz.

Any businesses wanting to have a close and rewarding relationship by working with a community organization in their district ring Judy Kerr on 499 4570 for more information about how to become a business member Friend of Volunteer Wellington, and then having access to any one of the organisation's 372 community members.

ENDS

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