At PayStream we are committed to making a difference in our local community, which is why we have launched a volunteering programme which gives our team members the opportunity to get involved with local charities. This not only provides the charities with much needed help and support but it also helps to broaden our employees’ horizons and perspectives.
We’re very excited to have partnered with Benefacto, an organisation that works with small charities across Manchester which benefit from having one off, professional volunteers come along to help out with sessions during working hours.
One of our Lead Accountants, Chloe Nuttall, recently had the opportunity to volunteer at FareShare who are based at Smithfield Market. FareShare are responsible for the distribution of short dated food items which have kindly been donated by other businesses such as Tesco, Asda and the Co-op. It supports communities to combat food poverty and also reduces food waste around Manchester. Last year alone, FareShare redistributed over 3 million meals and 1,468 tonnes of food to those in need.
When Chloe arrived for her day of volunteering, she was handed a pair of steel-toe boots and was asked to help load a van with food ready for the first round off drop offs in the local area. She set off on her travels around 10am, visiting St. Joseph’s school in Longsight, various women’s shelters, homeless shelters and remand houses. The volunteers she worked alongside spend their days running canteens, hosting coffee mornings and handing out food to those who need it.
One lady that Chloe spoke to helps to run ‘Emmeline’s Pantry’, a female lead charity for women who have escaped domestic abuse and sex trafficking. The lady told her that the people she helps have absolutely nothing at all, just the clothes on their backs.
“It was so sad to hear but also the amount of respect that I had for not only this lady, but the others that I met who volunteer for the charities were amazing”, Chloe said.
Later on in the day, Chloe visited a school in Longsight where one of the teachers told her that many of the children she taught didn’t get fed before they arrived at school. FairShare help children who need it the most, and a full tummy allows them to focus and learn.
Chloe also worked at the FareShare depot collecting orders as they came in ready for deliveries in the afternoon. Some of the volunteers she was working alongside told her that they themselves had previously ‘hit rock bottom in life’ and found that giving something back to society has helped them become better and more determined people.
Chloe shared with us a few words to summarise her day…
“A lot of us probably don’t realise the degree of poverty that is happening in Manchester. You can literally get paid for a day’s work and go and help these people. Charities like FareShare rely upon volunteers helping them every day to get the food distributed as quickly as possible. If you've never tried volunteering, you really should! I love helping people but sometimes it’s easy to lose a grip of the real world when you spend your days helping people work more tax efficiently! What a difference taking one day out to volunteer has made for me, I met some great people and I feel like I have gained a real insight into some aspects of the community that you rarely see. And being out of the office and seeing new faces was great!”
Over the coming months, even more PayStream employees will have the opportunity to volunteer through Benefacto and we’re excited to share their experiences with you on our blog. Watch this space!
