Employees give time back to community
A multinational company based in Harrogate is celebrating the successful first year of its employee volunteering scheme.
Belzona’s 1% Club allows staff members to spend 1 per cent of their working time – around three days a year for full-time staff – doing voluntary work for local organisations, including either of Belzona’s chosen charities – Harrogate Homeless Project and HELP (Harrogate Easier Living Project).
The scheme has seen employees fulfilling a variety of voluntary roles, including working as first-aiders for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service at the Tour de Yorkshire.
Others have helped out at the Jennyruth Workshops in Ripon, which provides workshops for adults with learning disabilities.
Laura Smith, head of corporate development at Belzona and one of the scheme’s co-founders, said: “It’s been a 100 per cent success. We’ve had lots of different members of staff from many different departments across the business using this as an opportunity to volunteer for local causes.
“It not only offers an invaluable opportunity for both personal and team development, as well as staff morale, but again we’re helping the local community.”
Belzona designs and manufactures industrial protective coatings for the protection of structures, machinery and equipment. It exports globally and has offices around the world.
Since moving to Harrogate in the 1990s, the company has championed the town by supporting the local community through sponsored activities.