Team Employee Volunteering in Belfast

The nursery wanted to refurbish their playroom and introduce some bright murals in other areas. the company wanted to improve team working and leadership skills, get to know people from other parts of the firm, and give something back to the local community.

Company Type: Professional Services
Venue Type: Children’s Nursery
Task Type: Mural painting and DIY
Team Size: 15
Location: Outskirts of Belfast
Optional Employer Donation: £150

Outcomes: The volunteers worked hard improving the nursery facilities, developed existing skills and discovered some they didn’t know they had! They gained team building and networking opportunities at the same time as having some fun.
Venue Profile: The nursery, run by the NI branch of a UK charity is located in the same building as a family centre, and provides support, care and advice for children suffering from deafblindness, sensory impairment, learning and physical disabilities. Many of them have complex needs.
What Happened: On arrival the Nursery Manager told the team about the work of their unit and appraised everybody on basic housekeeping. A Health & Safety talk was undertaken by the Manager and the volunteer Team Leader. Four work groups were then formed focussing on:
1) Mural painting in the bathroom – underwater theme
2) Creation of a 3D tactile, tracker style mural in the corridor – train theme, plus other motifs on opposite wall
3) Redecoration of the playroom, 4) Construction of flat pack furniture.
After a diffident start – many people were unsure of their artistic abilities - the volunteers gained in confidence, produced some surprising results and managed to finish by 4.30pm – including clearing up!
Team Feedback:
• Team members reported a sense of satisfaction with a job well done and felt they had done something very worthwhile as well as thoroughly enjoying the day.
Venue Feedback:
• “This was a wonderful group of young people who transformed our building. They worked very well together as a team and are welcome back any time”