Team Volunteering at Oakridge School, High Wycombe
These are just some of the volunteer earth-movers from the Marlow office of BeyondTrust who recently spent time at Oakridge School making a play area safe for children to use.
The task: Over the years, the pathway at the side of the play area at Oakridge School had sunk so much it was virtually a ditch, rather than a path, making it unsafe for the children to access the play area. The groups from BeyondTrust took on the task of filling in the ditch and levelling the soil, ready to be grassed over.
The volunteers: BeyondTrust is a multinational cyber security software company and a worldwide leader in Privileged Access Management. Seventeen colleagues from the BeyondTrust Marlow office tackled the project at Oakridge School with two teams – half worked in the morning, and half in the afternoon.
Tonie (2nd from the right above) organised the teams after finding out that the school needed help with this task through Community Impact Bucks.
What does the group get out of volunteering? On a personal level, seeing the task done gives everyone a great sense of achievement. It is evident that not only does the team work together effectively in business but also in this very different activity.
From a corporate point of view, it is a way of giving something back to the local community that the company is part of. BeyondTrust may be a global company but each office is based in a local community.
If the school had to pay for the labour to make the play area safe, it would be a sizeable bill and by saving the school that expense, it means the money can instead be spent on the children’s education.
Does the team have an interest in local charities? BeyondTrust in Marlow supported the Wycombe Homeless Connection last year with significant donations both in food and money. Each year the office chooses a charity to support. This year it is the Alzheimer’s Society and the staff at the Marlow office will take part in fundraising for that charity throughout the year.
Has the group done this type of volunteering before? The BeyondTrust volunteers have never done this type of volunteering before. The company is focused on culture and corporate responsibility globally. It does a lot of fundraising for charities, but this is first time that the Marlow office have done any group volunteering with people going out to give their time, energy and muscle-power to the community.
Are the group enjoying it and would they do it again? Yes, it is a different experience and Tonie will definitely look to taking on a similar project in the future.
Thank you from the Head Teacher: “The pupils and staff of Oakridge School are extremely grateful to the volunteers who dedicated their time to help us fill a sunken pathway on our playing field. The depth of the sunken pathway, with holes dug by local wildlife and exposed tree roots, made it a potential risk to pupils and staff. The volunteers arrived in force, worked extremely hard and levelled the whole area. We look forward to seeding this area and turning our playing field into a useable environment. A huge thank you from Oakridge School!”
Do you want to volunteer with colleagues? Register your interest with Community Impact Bucks here.
Do you have a volunteer opportunity suitable for groups of employees? Register your interest with Community Impact Bucks here.
