Team Challenges
Our Team Challenge programme mobilises business volunteers to
create, maintain and transform community spaces across Islington.
With our help, community organisations can bring ‘people power’ to
projects that would otherwise take lots of time and resources to complete.
In 2023-24 we organised 190 Team Challenges involving 2,548 volunteers.
Not just another painted fence
We only send teams to projects that have a genuine need. Listening to our community partners and helping them to scope out suitable projects guarantees a sense of accomplishment for all involved.
Team Challenges are usually a half day or whole day of hands-on activities, delivering an achievable, predefined project. We send volunteer teams to help with various projects, including:
Environmental work at city farms, community gardens, school grounds, and adventure playgrounds
Socialising with beneficiaries from local community groups, for instance older neighbours
Event support to help prepare and deliver community parties, activity sessions, festivals and open days
Employability days with schools, CV workshops, helping with interview techniques, or arranging career insight visits to company offices
Our process
1. Listen to the need
2. Make connections
3. Enable action
Our Community Project Managers are on the ground in Islington, talking and listening to our community partners about their priorities and needs. Once we identify projects where volunteers can make a difference, we make connections within our network and manage the link between the company and chosen community partner.
Our full project management support looks after every stage of the planning: from support with finding the best project fit, to arranging a site visit and writing a project brief and risk assessment for the volunteer team. Our preparation work enables teams to hit the ground running and make the most of their volunteer experience. We even drop by on the volunteer day to check everything’s running smoothly (and to take some all-important team photos!).
Our ultimate aim is to support both the volunteer teams and the community partners every step of the way. It’s our job to make the whole process as smooth and straightforward as possible for both sides.
Team Challenges: a win-win for everyone
Benefits for businesses
provide unique team and morale building opportunities within and between teams across the business
promote a sense of community engagement, achievement and satisfaction
enable staff to demonstrate skills such as teamwork, problem solving and leadership
Are you a team that wants to volunteer?
Benefits for community organisations
enable the completion of tasks not previously possible because of a lack of time, resources or funds
introduce a new audience of people to your organisation, often leading to ongoing support
allow opportunities to connect beneficiaries to volunteers
Can we help your community organisation?
What our partners are saying
“The BIG Alliance has provided us with much needed volunteer help to maintain and improve our green spaces in several schools. We would not be able to maintain and develop our projects without the help of volunteers.
We are so, so grateful for BIG Alliance’s ongoing support.”
Sophia Ioannou
Environmental Tutor
“We are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a wide range of dedicated organisations, who all share a passion for making Islington the best place to grow up in. The support of volunteers from BIG Alliance has supported us massively. From helping to paint buildings to supporting us with outdoor maintenance of the Adventure Playgrounds, every little helps.”
Becky Pryce
Director of Play, Awesome CIC
“Our volunteers all found the experience incredibly rewarding with the end result making a positive difference to the school’s play area. It was a real pleasure working with BIG Alliance and Robert Blair School and the before and after photos speak for themselves.”
Rhea Horlock
Head of Corporate Social Responsibility,
NHS Property Services