June 2022: Volunteers' Week (1-7 June) Did you know at Barratt, employees receive up to two days paid leave per year to volunteer for a cause or charity that matters to them?
What does it include? We recognise that supporting charities and causes that matter to you is important for our employees. The activities that colleagues could get involved with include: Community or charitable project work such as collecting food, community service and coaching. Environmental work and conservation projects such as community clean-ups, flower or tree planting and recycling. Fundraising for community projects or charities such as organising a raffle, hosting a community bake sale or even running a marathon. You can volunteer as an individual or you could get together with your colleagues and volunteer as a team – and with two days to use each year, why not consider doing both this year.
Almost 500 employees have taken volunteers leave in the last 12 months!
More information on volunteers leave and how to apply can be found in the special leave section of Docushare.
The benefits of volunteering Not only does volunteering help others, but it also has benefits for you and your wellbeing. Studies have found a strong correlation between volunteering and better mental health as helping others, being social and feeling a sense of purpose can all have positive effects. Some of the benefits of volunteering are It can help you to feel good about yourself. It can improve feelings of self-esteem. It provides opportunities to make friends and take part in social activities. It brings fun into your life.
How you can get involved There are a variety of ways and places you can choose to help within your local community, however if you need assistance to find places to volunteer, you can do this by visiting Doit Volunteer or Volunteering Matters.
Other ways to give to charity Payroll Giving This benefit gives you the opportunity to give money to charity directly from your pay before tax. It then gets topped up by HMRC, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to give money to charity! For more information on Payroll Giving, please visit your My Barratt Benefits platform.
What's coming in July? In recognition of skin cancer awareness month, we look at how to stay safe in the sun.
For information, tools and links on many areas of health and wellbeing please click here to visit our My Barratt Benefits website. For any queries or suggestions, please contact handw@barrattplc.co.uk.