Employees from Sainsbury’s Wetherby Road store carried out an alternative form of bag packing recently as they filled 18 bags of garden waste assisting local charity, the Harrogate Easier Living Project (HELP). The eight Sainsbury’s volunteers spent a morning clearing and tidying a local garden with the charity’s Help at Home service, which carries out gardening, decorating and odd jobs for clients no longer able to manage these tasks themselves.
This support is part of a series of fundraising and volunteering initiatives Sainsbury’s are planning with HELP over the coming year, having recently selected HELP to be their Local Charity Partner.
Richard Slack, Sainsbury’s PR Ambassador said: Our local charity partner is chosen by our employees and we all wanted to work with a charity which helps local people. We feel our employees can make a big difference to HELP through our fundraising and volunteering efforts.
We also aim to help raise awareness in-store about the fantastic work HELP does in assisting people to remain living independently.
The Wetherby Road store already has several fundraising initiatives underway. Collecting tins and a charity book sale in-store have kicked off activity and a group of Sainsbury’s Harrogate employees will shortly complete the 110 mile Big Bike Ride in aid of the charity with a Big Bike Ride tombola taking place in-store on Saturday 13th September. The fundraising will also be boosted by Sainsbury’s ‘Local Heroes Scheme’ under which Sainsbury’s will donate money for every hour an employee volunteers for charity.
Anna Woollven, from the Harrogate Easier Living Project, said: Sainsbury’s support is already proving invaluable to us. Their fundraising and volunteering efforts will provide a huge boost to our much-needed services. By promoting our charity in-store, we are also better able to reach those people living locally who may need our support with everyday living.
HELP works with volunteers to support older people or those with a disability to remain independent in their own homes. The three services – Help at Home, Carers’ Time Off and Opening Doors – offer practical help around the home, carer relief and accompanied outings for people who cannot get out and about themselves.
You can support Sainsbury’s fundraising activities for HELP by donating to the in-store collecting tins or texting HGTE00 followed by the amount they wish to donate e.g. £5 to 70070.
Anyone interested in finding out more about HELP’s services, or becoming a volunteer, should contact Anna Woollven on 01423 813090 or anna@harcvs.org.uk
