Volunteers’ Week - A Big Thank You

This week is Volunteers’ Week in which the unpaid efforts of people across the country are celebrated. And today, Thursday 3rd June 2021 is the day when we particularly focus on business volunteers. 

In a year when we have all been coping with an international pandemic, we quite quickly run out of language and superlatives to describe what we have been going through. Putting it simply, the effort, support and commitment from business volunteers we have seen this year has been amazing. When COVID struck, business people stepped up. Although they were now working from home, they found new ways to carry on giving back. Getting food to food banks; helping relieve isolation for the elderly and those sheltering; making sure young people were still getting mentored and supported in their first steps into work; doubling the annual festive toy appeal; stepping forward to lend their expertise to community organisations; and rallying round to deal with the digital divide which has emerged so sharply through the last year. Over 5,800 employee volunteers were involved – a superb result.

We know volunteers themselves get a lot out of what they do – satisfaction, insight, skills development – but the main impact is on young people, residents, the community. To you all, from the staff and trustees at ELBA and BIG Alliance, from all our community partners and the communities of east London and Islington, on this your day, a huge and enormous THANK YOU.

Written by ELBA CEO, Ian Parkes.