This article was originally published at rutlandreminders.org.uk
At the heart of Rutland Reminders is its volunteers, who run singing therapy sessions for people in Rutland with dementia. In June, in support of the national ‘Volunteers’ Week’, Intercity will be encouraging people to volunteer not only with Rutland Reminders but with other Rutland charities and community groups.
Lisa Batty is one of Rutland Reminders’ volunteers, but working full time meant dedicating time to an organisation that relies on volunteers on weekdays proved difficult. Lisa commented;
“When I first heard about Rutland Reminders, it was a charity I really wanted to support with my time, but I almost had to turn down the request to volunteer with them because most of their activities fall within what is a working day for me.”
But Lisa was pleased to find that her employer Intercity Technology has a volunteer scheme that allows employees to take time out of work to support their chosen charities and community projects.
“Here at Intercity we offer all of our colleagues one day’s paid leave each year to spend volunteering. This could be for our corporate charities that we support, or local charities that are close to our team members’ hearts. It is one of the many ways that we give back to the community, allow our employees to enjoy themselves and help with building team spirit,”
said Intercity’s People Director, Sonia Hall. “This year we are leading by example and our Senior Leadership Team will be spending a day volunteering, which we hope will encourage others to use their entitlement to a volunteering day like Lisa has.”
Lisa added, “Intercity’s volunteer scheme means we can support the charities that are meaningful to us personally and I’d strongly urge any business to offer a scheme like this. Being able to volunteer for a charity like Rutland Reminders means a lot to me and my family and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my employer.”
Lisa has now been a committee member of Rutland Reminders since 2015 and we welcome guests with dementia, as well as carers and volunteers, every month in Oakham and Uppingham. Contact us to find out more.
Volunteers’ Week runs from 1-7 June 2018 – more about the campaign can be found at www.volunteersweek.org.uk
