A transition to remote volunteering

BIG Alliance and ELBA are engaging corporate volunteers to create Ecobricks. — a simple, low-tech solution to put our plastic to good use in short and long term applications. Ecobricks can be reused over and over again and safely secure plastic out of the biosphere to build spaces that enrich our community.

In the run up to Christmas, volunteers wrote cards and letters to vulnerable people feeling lonely and/or isolated.

During a “normal” year, Christmas can be an especially lonely time for many people. Amid a pandemic involving lockdowns and limited social contact, their experiences of loneliness and isolation are understandably more profound.

As part of our skills-based volunteering offer, BIG Alliance recently moderated a pro bono consulting sprint (half day session) with two teams of volunteers from Macquarie Group’s Commodities and Global Markets team where they were given just a few hours to come up with the best solutions possible to a challenge set by Choices London CIC, our participating community partner.

During our facilitation of Expedia’s Month of Caring this year, we asked their employees to share a little insight into their roles and any advice they have for young people and jobseekers. Here we highlight self-made videos shared by three of the fantastic volunteers who offered this support from Expedia Group.

Ahead of this year’s CoRe report, we shine a light on some of the key reflections which were shared at the 2020 celebration event by the amazing CoRe volunteers from both Macquarie Group and Slaughter and May. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we are delighted CoRe 2020 acted as a conduit for significant connections and understanding across sectors which seemed even more needed this year.

From the 23rd of November until the 18th of December, ELBA and BIG Alliance will be collecting, sorting, and distributing what we hope will be an expected 10,000 toys to support children and families in need. Find out how you can get involved.

In partnership with Islington Council’s Black History Month programme and our continued commitment to BAME Equality, BIG Alliance Programme Manager Tom Browne chaired our first panel discussion on board diversity and more specifically the barriers and opportunities to increasing BAME (black and minority ethnic) representation.

In support of MUFG’s Laureus Sport for Good partnership, BIG Alliance recently helped deliver a series of communications workshops for Fight for Peace, a London-based programme supported by Laureus.

Lockdown has been tough for the hundreds of children who usually attend the playgrounds. Many sites have only recently reopened with reduced offers and limited capacity due to the necessary protective measures needed. Despite the lower numbers, the playgrounds will still see plenty of use and come the end of summer, they are going to need a lot of TLC to keep them safe and looking their best.

It has been over 3 months since ELBA and BIG Alliance, their member companies, and community partners had to show an incredibly fast community response when lockdown regulations were first implemented.