13 businesses and 200 volunteers in Wales take part in Give & Gain Day on 5 June 2009

As the UK faces the impacts of recession, more than 4,300 employees throughout the UK volunteered a day of their time and skills for Business in the Community’s Give & Gain Day 2009, sponsored by Eversheds. 

Give & Gain Day was about getting as many people out there to make a difference during work time. When times are hard, employee volunteering is the most cost-effective and valuable way for companies to continue to invest in their people’s time and skills – and to develop future talent and enterprise in the community.

Owen EvansRegional Director, Wales Business in the Community

In Wales, 13 businesses participated in Give & Gain Day, with almost 200 employee volunteers working with local schools to tackle barriers faced by young people to literacy and make a positive impact in some of our most deprived communities.

South Wales

In South Wales almost 100 employee volunteers from six companies – Eversheds, Zurich Financial Services, Principality Building Society, HLN Architects, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and UES – supported five projects.
 
Creating a reading garden and pathway at Mount Stuart Primary School, Butetown, was on the agenda for Eversheds and the Principality Building Society to improve the outdoor learning environment for the pupils.
 
Zurich Financial Services developed an outdoor area at Moorland Primary School in Splott for the children to plant vegetables and learn about healthy eating, while HLN Architects were at Tredegarville Church in Wales Primary School in Adamsdown to extend the sensory garden to increase its usage as a reading garden.
 
In Newport, employees of utility and environment management company UES, created a nature garden at the Gaer Junior School.  The purpose of the garden is to encourage outdoor activity as part of the Forest School programme.
 
While Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water gave a careers presentation to 30 Year 10 pupils outlining the skills required for various roles in the world of work.

North Wales

In North Wales almost 100 employee volunteers from seven companies – Sharp Manufacturing, HBOS, International Power, Scottish Power, Carillion, St David’s Park Hotel and Cadbury – supported two projects in Wrexham and Flintshire.

Creating a Forest School with bird boxes and a fairy ring was on the agenda at Saltney Ferry Primary School, Flintshire, as well as building a shed, sand pit and a water feature powered by a solar panel.

The team of businesses also created raised flower and vegetable beds to encourage the children to learn about healthy eating and marked out the playground for hop scotch and snakes and ladders to make outdoor learning more fun.

In Wrexham, a team of volunteers from Cadbury and Scottish Power Learning were at Hafod Y Wern Primary School to develop its Forest School with a pathway and mini benches.

Employee volunteering 'valuable and cost effective'

Owen Evans, Regional Director, Business in the Community Wales said:

“It was great to see so many businesses committed to investing in their communities through volunteering at a time when it has never been more important.

“Give & Gain Day was about getting as many people out there to make a difference during work time. When times are hard, employee volunteering is the most cost-effective and valuable way for companies to continue to invest in their people’s time and skills – and to develop future talent and enterprise in the community”