Case Studies

Jenny - Reading Partner

Jenny is an Executive Assistant based in West Yorkshire, and has always had an interest in reading, and she is passing this love of books across to youngsters at Copley Primary School. Jenny spends 2 hours each week at the school where she is a reading partner for three of the children. Jenny spends about half an hour with each child per week, and may stay with the same child for the school year, or just a term depending on how their reading progresses.

Its really informal and we always have a chat before we start reading and play a few educational games.I try to keep things light hearted and always have a laugh with them.

I absolutely love spending one to one time with the kids. I'm learning how to identify what each individuals requirements are in terms of improving their reading skills. The children I had last year came on leaps and bounds and that gives me a great feeling. Getting that individual attention on a weekly basis makes these children feel really special, confident and eager to improve.

I'd certainly recommend this type of volunteering to other colleagues, its really rewarding, easy to do and requires very little training. As long as you like spending time with children, have patience and enjoy reading you should get along fine.

Jillian - Bfriends, Edinburgh

Becoming a volunteer with young people's charity Bfriends has been a rewarding experience for Jillian a Customer Service Consultant based in Edinburgh. Bfriends aims to help young people who are experiencing difficulties in their lives by 'matching' them with volunteers willing to spend time and energy building up a relationship with them.

"I usually meet up weekly with the 10 year old boy that I'm matched with," explains Jillian. "We hang out together at a Bfriends centre in Westerhailes, playing games, chatting and just getting to know one another. Despite some of the hardships he's experienced, he's an absolute gem!"

General Insurance Finance - Rodley Nature Reserve

HBOS General Insurance Finance Team rallied 70 of their colleagues to join the conservation charity BCTV in a team building activity with a difference. Each colleague volunteered their time to help in the ongoing development of Rodley Nature Reserve; a wetland nature reserve created on the site of a former sewage treatment works on the outskirts of Leeds. Activities included:

Digging, lining and filling dragonfly ponds
Building an observation hide
Clearing lagoons and reed beds
Clearing pathways

Whilst working on the tasks, colleagues were definitely placed outside their comfort zones, but they pulled together to achieve the tasks in hand, in preparation for Leeds Heritage weekend.

Shirley Carson from Rodley Reserve commented that "...HBOS volunteers worked tirelessly on difficult and back breaking tasks and completing them to a very high standard."

Despite the hard work and challenging weather conditions, all the volunteers had a great deal of fun and came away with a great sense of achievement, and having had the opportunity to get to know their colleagues far better than in a normal work setting. At the end of the fortnight of activity a BBQ was arranged and colleagues celebrated their achievements in celebratory style.

HBOS GI Finance winning an HBOS Award for their efforts

Corporate Team - Scotland Yard Adventure Centre

A group of 25 programme managers put their project planning skills to the test when they completed a makeover of Scotland Yard Adventure Centre in Canonmills, near Edinburgh. The colleagues who came together from Chester and Edinburgh wanted to do their bit for the HBOS Foundation as well as fine tune their team-building skills. Through HBOS Volunteering, they were put in touch with Scottish CARES, which is part of Business in the Community and took it from there.

"We wanted to get together and do something that would make a difference in the lives of local children with special needs," explains team leader Jill Haddrick. "Helping renovate the playground was ideal. We split into five teams based on our skills and experience to tackle various projects such as gardening, laying blocks, painting and paddling pool renovation."

"Planning ahead was the key to success and the challenge provided an opportunity to see a different side to colleagues we already knew well. When it was all over we had a huge sense of achievement."

"Through volunteering we've increased our belief that by working together we can achieve almost anything and we look forward to making it an annual event."

Retail Regulatory Risk - Daniel Yorath House

Volunteers from Retail Risk answered a DIY distress call from Leeds CARES last year, to turn their skills to painting and decorating corridors at the Daniel Yorath House - a specialist brain injury rehabilitation unit for adults between 16-65 to make them bright and welcoming for residential patients and their visitors. Vicki, who organised the volunteer team said, "The reaction from everyone at DYH was wonderful. Patients helped choose the colour scheme, they wanted to get involved and were really interested in the improvements."

Team Challenge at Daniel Yorath Centre