An enthusiastic team of NI Water volunteers recently supported Foyle Down Syndrome Trust, a fantastic local organisation that helps children and young people with Down syndrome reach their full potential through education, personal development, social inclusion and support for their families. The team spent the morning painting rooms indoors before joining service users for afternoon activities, including baking.
The volunteering day is part of NI Water’s ‘Cares Challenge’ project, which has been operating successfully for over ten years and is one of the largest corporate volunteering schemes in the province.
To date, over 1,850 colleagues have helped in over 130 challenges. This equates to over 13,000 volunteering hours supporting communities across Northern Ireland. In the latest project, volunteers from across the organisation made a valuable contribution to Foyle Down Syndrome Trust.
Kieran Harkin, Cares Challenge volunteer from NI Water, said: “This was a great challenge for me to be involved in, as my family are members of the Foyle Down Syndrome Trust. My sister attends three days a week and takes part in a wide range of activities. They are a brilliant organisation that makes a difference to people’s lives, and any support they receive from companies like NI Water is superb.”
As part of the programme, activities are planned for various groups throughout Northern Ireland each year and are set up in partnership with Business in the Community’s NI Cares Programme. The programme identifies organisations and charities within the local community who need a helping hand with physical tasks such as gardening and painting.
Rose Kelly, Director of People and Learning, explained: “Our handy helpers have undertaken everything from gardening, painting and maintenance to environmental and fundraising days. It is often the extra support that these groups require to enhance their facilities, improve the lives of their members and operate their centres successfully.
“Volunteering has also proved to be a key part of our health and wellbeing toolkit. Our teams gain so much from the experience, not only by helping the community, but also by having the chance to spend time with colleagues from around the business whom they might not otherwise have a chance to meet.”
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