Run a team challenge in the community – and we’ll meet half the cost
On 31st May, a group of 12 individuals from various Bankside businesses and other organisations – including The Forster Company, Waterman Group, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Tate and London South Bank University – undertook a volunteer challenge at Mint Street Adventure Playground, just off Southwark Bridge Road.
The objectives? Principally to make the Playground useable again, by clearing it of junk and accumulated vegetation, creating new flower beds, laying new surface materials and painting the walls. In this respect, Jason Brown, Senior Play Worker at the Playground, pronounced himself more than satisfied. ‘It was a great job. Everybody who has seen it loves it and wonders when you’re coming back.’
The second objective was to ‘try out’ such a challenge with a view to making it a service which Better Bankside can offer to its member businesses.
As a result three volunteer challenges are on offer, which need to be undertaken by the end of the year. They cost £750 each (plus materials) – a discount of 50% on the usual price from Volunteer Centre Southwark.
On 9th June Better Bankside held a seminar at Lloyds TSB in Red Lion Court about the various ways in which businesses could give ‘in kind’ support to community groups and their users. There were four presentations, all of which are available for download.
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Andrew Caldwell of Volunteer Centre Southwark spoke about the services VCS offers to business volunteers.
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Lindsey Nash of PriceWaterhouseCoopers spoke about PWC’s ‘connecting with our communities’ programme.
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Trevor Bottomley of Central London Connexions spoke about ‘employing local young people’.
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Arthur Hayward & Andrew Alleyn of Southwark Education Business Alliance spoke about various initiatives linking businesses and schools.
Volunteer Centre Southwark
http://www.volunteercentres.org.uk/
PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Corporate Social Responsibility http://www.pwc.com/Extweb/aboutus.nsf/docid/E730B80D96F1C7F980256F3500347980
Central London Connexions
http://www.centrallondonconnexions.org.uk/
Southwark Education Business Alliance
http://www.southwarkeba.org.uk/
