From ISO Specialists to Hospice Helpers

24 Sep, 2019

The ISO Specialists based in St Johns, opted instead to donate four corporate volunteering days to St Richard’s Hospice, a charity that cares for adults with a serious progressive illness as well as offering support to their loved ones.  Managing Director, Jennifer Semini commented: “we really wanted to try something different this year and corporate volunteering provides so many benefits to both the charities and companies involved.  A Charity is dependent upon volunteers just as much as they are donations, without either, they wouldn’t be able to survive.  Volunteering allows you the opportunity to give something that money can’t buy, your time but the experience can also be a great team building exercise and an opportunity for your employees to develop new skills”.

Initial discussions with the Hospice indicated that they needed help within the Hospice grounds with some general gardening and a revamp of both their wooden garden furniture and the children’s area.  The thought of manual labour didn’t put the team off. It was a welcome change to the office environment that they’re accustom to and they couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

The gardens really offer patients, their loved ones and even the staff a space to enjoy and whilst you’re sat in the grounds, you would be forgiven for feeling like you were somewhere else.  It really does provide a space of tranquillity.

The company used their volunteering days between July and September and thankfully, the weather was on their side.  Any rain we had was short lived, allowing the team to get the most out of their days.  Group one worked their magic on the revamp of the children’s area, which is used specifically for counselling bereaved children.  Groups two and four sanded and painted the wooden garden furniture and group three took on the jungle of weeds in a newly planted area of the Hospice.

Nick Harris, Estate & Facilities Support Manager at St Richard’s Hospice commented: “the teams have done a fantastic job for us and we are very grateful.  The additional help has allowed our maintenance team to concentrate on more patient-centered issues”.

Jennifer adds: “the whole team at ISO Quality Services really enjoyed the experience; we’re already looking to complete a similar initiative next year”.