Walcot Dome decorating challenge
Community Groups, including the Swindon Limbless Association and the MS Society, are in for surprise next time they go down to The Walcot Dome, a community centre in a deprived area of Swindon.
On Saturday 4 August 2007, six graduates from Zurich will take up the challenge of decorating the hall and replacing curtains with new blinds. For the last couple of months they have been fundraising in their own local offices and last Saturday got together to raise over £300 from packing customer’s bags at Waitrose in Marlborough. Waitrose even added an extra £500 taking the total raised to over £1,500 to buy the materials they need, and this weekend the transformation to the hall will take place.
Challenge team leader, Ashish Doshi from Zurich’s Underwriting Centre said “We are all very enthusiastic about this Challenge. We know it will make a real difference to the people that use the centre and that gives us a nice warm feeling inside.” She added “As we all work in different locations across the UK it’s also a great opportunity for us to work together on a common project.”
Walcot Dome’s Centre Manager, Andrea Magill, said "We are so grateful for the help from the Zurich graduates. They have taken a load off of my mind and the fact that they have fundraised to pay for the decorating in addition to volunteering all day on Saturday is a godsend.” Se added, “It's a lovely hall, used by so many people, and I can't wait to see it all fresh and new".
This redecoration project is part of Challenge 2007, the annual volunteer event organised by Zurich’s Community Trust, the charitable arm of leading financial services group Zurich in the UK.
Started in 1990, Challenge is one of the largest corporate volunteering programmes in the UK. Every year Zurich encourages organisations local to its main offices to challenge its 8,500 staff to help make a difference. This year the company have committed to complete 170 challenges and 45 of these will be for organisations based in and around Swindon.
These 45 challenges range from numerous decorating and gardening projects, to planning a barbecue for CALM (the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Movement) and organising a collection of non-perishable food items for the Broadgreen Breakfast Club, supporting rough sleepers and those in vulnerable circumstances.
Chris Gillies, Chairman of the Zurich Community Trust comments: “Challenge has become part of our corporate culture at Zurich. It is an eagerly anticipated annual event which always captures the imagination of staff, inspiring them to do great things to help local charities and community groups.”
Ends
Notes to Editors on page 2
For further information, please contact:
Kate Hodges, Zurich's Community Trust
Tel: 01793 503711 / 07708 269653
Notes to Editors:
About Challenge 2007
- Challenge 2007 was launched internally to Zurich staff in conjunction with Capita staff on 2 May. Staff from Birmingham, Cheltenham, Hampshire, Leeds, Sutton and Swindon took up over 140 challenges on that day.
- Challenge projects range from re-decoration, to entertaining a group of people (often a BBQ or party), to re-plant or clear a garden area to taking groups out on day trips. Sometimes, it can be providing volunteers for events, fundraising or collecting books.
- These challenges will typically be completed anytime from now until the end of September.
- Staff will meet up with the local charity to agree what needs to be done. Fundraising and asking for donated goods, to carry out the challenge, will then commence. Zurich’s Community Trust will match any monies raised by 50%. Health & Safety have vetted all Challenges and Zurich’s Health & Safety team is on hand if a further review if required.
About Zurich’s Community Trust
- Zurich Community Trust (UK) Limited is a registered charity funded by pre-tax profits from Zurich and donations from Zurich’s staff. It provides an umbrella for all Zurich’s community involvement in the UK.
- By giving time, money and skills donated from Zurich and its employees in the UK we help disadvantaged people to achieve independence.
- Zurich Community Trust manages and matches Zurich employees' and financial advisers' £1 million donations, 46,000 hours of volunteering including around 200 team challenges involving 1,600 staff.
- Zurich Community Trust Programmes create sustainable change through long-term funding and active employee involvement. The Trust works closely with innovative partners to make significant impact on the lives of disadvantaged people in the UK and overseas. These programmes tackle drug misuse in families, mental health and families and the most vulnerable older people’s issues. In addition, there is a programme in southern India sharing Zurich business skills to help build capacity of Indian NGO’s.
- Visit Zurich’s website on www.zurich.org.uk for more details.
About Walcot Dome Community Centre
Burghley Close, Walcot, Swindon SN3 3BS
Click here for a map showing the location
