Society colleagues pledge over 119 hours in their communities
The Society launched its brand new Colleague in the Community volunteering initiative last month, aimed at supporting colleagues to be able to give their time, skills and knowledge to causes and groups that need assistance.
Since delivering a pilot scheme this summer and launching the full programme on 20th September, 119 hours have been donated by colleagues across the Society.
Throughout October colleagues have continued to give their time, supporting the City of Newport Model Engineers at the Glebelands Miniature Railway and supporting runners at the ABP Newport Marathon and 10K. In addition to this, colleagues have continued to give their personal time through their ongoing commitments to organisations and groups with whom they have established a connection.
On track to support the Glebelands Model Railway
Over the course of 2 sessions, 9 colleagues supported an end of season clear up at the Glebelands Model Railway in Newport, clearing back overgrown brambles and borders. It was hard work and site manager Philip was delighted with the effort the team made.
Carys Thomas, Operations and Continuous Improvement Associate said, "A fantastic day volunteering with the Glebelands Miniature Railway. I don’t think I’ve ever had such fun gardening. I learned a lot from Phil about the different types of flowers and railway parts, it was very educational!"
The City of Newport Model Engineers are a team of volunteers that look after this hidden gem in the heart of Newport. The group look after five acres of land which requires constant maintenance and management to ensure the site is accessible, safe and welcoming for visitors.
The site opens to the public on the first Saturday of every month from May to November, with the last open day for 2021 being Saturday 6th November. It’s free to access and visitors can ride the portable train track and learn a bit more about locomotives and steam engines.
Supporting the ABP Newport Marathon
Over 8,000 runners entered the ABP Newport Marathon and 10K on Sunday 24th October, which has one of the fastest and most scenic routes in the country. As an official event sponsor, the Society hosted a stand in the runners village which was supported by a team of 10 colleagues who gave up their Sunday to volunteer.
The marathon was a great success and the Society was able to have a visible presence in the community, supporting an event that inspires people to take up running and be more physically active.
Every year more and more of us are inspired by watching everyday people complete marathons. Many go on to join their local Parkrun group with the goal of taking on a coach to 5k and some set out to increase their distance to a 10K, a half marathon and eventually some move on to run the full 26.2 miles of a marathon.
The Society is proud to play a small part in this journey, through supporting the marathon, and our volunteers were on hand to celebrate and cheer the runners and their families. It was also a good opportunity to meet members from as far as field as Birmingham and right here in Newport. Local runner, Nick Spiller was aiming to complete the marathon with a sub 4 hour effort and was delighted to see the Society supporting the event.
Chloe Roche, Customer Assistant at Cwmbran Branch said, “It was great to be able to help out on the Society stand, see the runners start and cross the finish line and work with team members who we wouldn’t normally get to meet. Yes it was cold and damp but you couldn’t help be warmed by the spirit of the runners and the energy of the crowd.”
