Enhancing community: The impact of volunteering locally

Our Nationwide colleagues are committed to making a meaningful impact to our customers and the communities we serve. In the year leading up to April 2023, our colleagues donated £145,000 to charities, straight from their salaries, and over 13,500 hours were volunteered in and out of their work hours.

We caught up with Faye and Amanda from our People function, who with other colleagues recently volunteered at the Prospect Hospice in Swindon.

What does it mean to you to support your local community?

Faye: It's great to support a local charity in Swindon, the Prospect Hospice provides end of life care to local residents. To support a local community gives you great satisfaction that you are making a difference to people that live in the area. I know a few people who have been supported by the Prospect and it's a way of saying thank you to all the support they give to people now and in the future.

Amanda: Whilst I’m not local to Swindon, it's still important to me to support the local community in which I work, and so many of my colleagues live.  Prospect Hospice, which is the only dedicated end of life care service for people living in North Wiltshire, including Swindon, is a charity close to many Nationwide hearts - as family members and friends have benefitted from their services. They do an excellent job of providing care and comfort 365 days of the year to people in their own home, care homes and within the hospice itself.  The hospice gardens, which offer a tranquil place for patients and visitors to enjoy, are cared for and managed by a small team of volunteers. Offering our time to support them in their work seemed like the perfect way of giving back and saying thank you for all that they do.

How was your recent experience of volunteering?

Faye: As a team we took on gardening, it's different to our typical working day of sitting in front of a computer! We were hoping for a lovely, sunny, July day, but typical British weather meant it was cloudy and raining, but that didn't stop our energy to get stuck in and make a difference while we were there. Being out of our usual environment also meant we had fun and relaxed conversations, rather than the typical work-related conversation, it helped us bond better and have fun along the way. Although I must admit most of us were sore the next few days from the physical activity!

Amanda: I'm not going to lie, when I told my husband that I was volunteering, and that the volunteering involved gardening, he laughed! You see nobody would describe me as green fingered, but it felt great knowing that the work we were doing would be enjoyed by so many, at the most difficult time in their life. That really helped shape my perspective and I actually found myself enjoying it!

How has volunteering at Nationwide Building Society benefitted you?

Faye: We had a laugh and made memories! It's so great that Nationwide give 14 hours volunteering, it brought us together as a team and gives you a great feeling when you are also making a difference in your local community. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day hustle and bustle of work but by taking time out to support local charities it gives you that bigger picture and a refreshed sense of team and what we can achieve together, it reenergises you. It’s so good for your soul! 

Amanda: The volunteering really helped us connect as a team, and provided lots of laughter. It was a great opportunity to get physically active and enjoy some fresh air, whilst allowing us to give back to the community - which really made me feel good about myself. And, I now know the difference between good and bad compost!

Great to hear about your latest experience Faye and Amanda.

You can find out more here about the other benefits you’ll receive as a Nationwide colleague.