#bmFamily💜💚 celebrate Volunteers Week

As this week is Volunteers Week it’s a perfect time to celebrate some of the wonderful things the #bmFamily💜💚 have been doing to help one another and their communities.

Owen to the rescue

Owen is a rookie with the Surrey search and rescue team. It’s on call 24/7, for both emergency calls and assisting Surrey Police visiting the vulnerable and needy in the area. They offer support, help with basic needs and a friendly face for conversation. For some people this is their only contact with the outside world, so it’s vitally important. Owen said the role is very rewarding and the team at SAR do it all in their own time, for little or no recognition. Well done to Owen and SAR who are all superstars and during Covid their efforts are even more appreciated.

Chatty George

George volunteers with a community group helping the HVA (Hastings Voluntary Action). Each week HVS send five anonymous people for George to call for a 10 minute chat so they can talk about what they like doing and their interests. George says, “It means so much to them, it’s the little things in life we all take for granted”.

Adam runs a marathon

Adam pulled together a group of former colleagues from a Master Inn-holders Aspiring Leaders Diploma course. Their aim is to complete a group mile pledge for the Hospitality Action 20,000 mile challenge.

The pledges have been amazing. Videos on LinkedIn and Twitter from Adam and the other participants explained what they’re doing with the #MIALDMiles. Their group target was 5% of the 20,000 mile total (1,000 miles) and to raise as much money as they can. So far they have reached £1,500, so 7.5% of the total! Which is amazing. Adam will run the equivalent of a marathon over a 5 day period between the 4th and the 8th June for the Hospitality Action 20,000 mile challenge.

Anna was all ears!

Anna works at one of our legal clients, she has been making ‘ear savers’ for the NHS Covid carers. Working long hours wearing PPE means the mask’s tight elastic hurts the nurse’s ears. Anna has been making ear savers from laminated card. She has made 1,500 masks and donated them to her local hospital Queens Hospital at Romford.

When she was running low on supplies she contacted her GM – Samantha Lawrence who arranged for an Amazon delivery to be sent to her home address.

Anna also involved her nine year old son to help her make them. She said he learned two valuable lessons; patience is a virtue and the importance of thinking about other people’s wellbeing.

The icing on the cake – the nurses loved them and sent Anna a photo!

Angus kept us connected

Angus saw the mental health challenge team members face during lockdown. To keep the #bmfamily team members positive AND connected he organised a #RunforFun. The #bmFamily💜💚 raised over £2,500 for NHS Together charities.
Spurred on by this success he organised a #bmFamilyPicnic. The whole company (all at the same time) held their own family picnic and shared their photos afterwards. Chef director, Pete Redman posted a selection of picnic recipes and judged a competition to see who could post the best photo of their dish. The sun shone and the social media team were flooded with photos. It was another example of how we can be apart but stay together.

Russ gave us a soaking

During Mental Health Awareness Week Russ set a fun challenge to lift spirits and raise awareness. He asked senior managers to volunteer to be filmed having a bucket of cold water thrown at them. With a bit of clever filming it looked as though the bucket passed between us. It reminded us of the importance of staying connected and was a cool way of removing barriers. Being soaked was real and definitely not pretend. Every scream from the willing ‘victim’ made us laugh out loud, especially Steve Foxs!

Lin gets it all sewn up!

During Covid-19, Lin and her Mum (Lanee) have made just under 100 scrub garments for the NHS in Devon. Lin loves sewing and her hobby is making wedding and prom dresses for friends and family. Seeing news of scrubs shortages, Lin wanted to do something to help. It was personal for Lin as she had her life saved by a kind and beady-eyed Doctor in A&E last year. Each garment was handmade with a signature heart sewn in with a personal note in the pocket. Lin said she wanted to show how much she appreciates NHS key-worker’s support and sacrifice.

Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. These are just a few examples of the way bartlett mitchell team members are helping others.