Commercial celebrates change champions’ success

The new year is traditionally a time to pause, to take stock and to reflect on the previous year’s challenges and successes. Commercial is celebrating the success of its award-winning change champions programme and its volunteering scheme, where people take a day off to support local charities and causes

Last year 24 people from across the business took time out to support no less than six charities, including the James Hopkins Trust, CCP, IT Schools Africa, the NSPCC, Sue Ryder and Maggie’s.
On the most recent volunteer initiative, members of the Commercial team supported CCP at the end of December, gift wrapping for two days. Katie Dainty from CCP said: “Our Christmas gift wrapping service is the main fundraising element for hamper scamper, which helps us to provide food hampers to those struggling to afford food and heating alongside the expectations of the festive season. We really appreciate the support from Commercial, one of the local businesses that take part every year.”
“The beauty of the volunteering scheme is that suggestions of charities to support can come from anywhere in the business,” said Simone Hindmarch, MD and co-founder. “While they have been mainly proposed by the HR team to date, in 2020 we want to encourage more ideas from across the business, and engage more of the wider team. Our experience has taught us that fostering our employees’ passions means that we never run out of new ideas.”
The volunteers help a cross-section of local charities which provide a wide range of support, from charity shops to providing educational opportunities for children in Africa.
“We are incredibly grateful to companies like Commercial that generously donate a work day a year to charity for each of their staff,” said Ria Heap, events and volunteer manager at the James Hopkins Trust. “Thanks so much to all for choosing to spend your volunteer day helping us.”
According to Jenny Evans, marketing co-ordinator at IT Schools Africa, “The equipment Commercial kindly donated to IT Schools Africa is transforming education in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The students and their communities will benefit from life-enhancing knowledge and skills, access to further education and improved opportunities for employment. Thank you Commercial, for helping us to offer brighter futures to African schoolchildren.”
Hindmarch concluded: “The people from Commercial who have taken part have also benefitted from the chance to connect with colleagues from different parts of the business, off-site, as members of a team doing something very worthwhile.”
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