In summer 2023, the Business Support Team (BST) decided to volunteer some of our time to support a worthy cause. Importantly, we wanted to do this together. Several new starters had recently joined our team and spending some time together, off-site, felt like a great way to collectively support others, and get to know each other a bit better.
A team member spotted a volunteering opportunity in a KBS newsletter with Community TechAid, a grass-roots charity trying to close the digital divide by providing technology and skills to communities, whilst recycling, reusing and repairing e-waste. The societal and environmental benefits of Community TechAid’s work appealed to members of the BST; we knew that our time spent testing, resetting and preparing laptops, which would otherwise end up in landfill, would increase digital access for those most in need.
"A fantastic use of time, and the added environmental benefits are a huge bonus! Great to spend the afternoon with the team, learning together." - Suzanne Huggett-Jones, Strategic Projects Officer.
The south-London based organisation advertised a couple of volunteering opportunities in September which unfortunately didn’t work for the BST. I got in touch with them directly and everyone I spoke to was responsive, flexible and friendly. We found a new date to volunteer, and Community TechAid even allowed some BST members to arrive early and take meetings in their offices, which was hugely helpful.
The team at Community TechAid did a great job of making us feel welcome, outlining their work and describing how our time would directly benefit other community organisations and individuals. Stephanie, our trainer, patiently ran through the various technical processes, step-by-step. We volunteered for an afternoon only, but I would suggest a slightly longer session if possible as our team felt we could’ve stayed an hour longer and got another laptop or two under our belts!
In December we received our volunteering “Impact Report” from Community TechAid which showed that our work resulted in 22kg of e-waste being diverted from landfill and of 542kg of avoided CO2 emissions by preventing the building of new electrical equipment.
We also learned of the community organisations and people our work directly supported including The Baytree Centre, an educational charity dedicated to uplifting women and girls in south London, Kairos Community Trust which supports homeless individuals battling drug and alcohol dependencies, and Renaisi Ltd an organisation which aims to tackle causes of social and economic exclusion.
"Volunteering with TechAid was an enriching experience that went beyond just giving back. It was a day filled with learning, teamwork, and the joy of making a tangible impact to society." - Shalen Fu, Centre Manager, Centre for Sustainable Business
As a staff member at King's College London, you are also encouraged to volunteer and give back to the community. King's offer all staff Service Time under which you can use up to 21 hours (3 days) to volunteer for a worthwhile cause. You can volunteer for a cause of your choice and you can use the King's Volunteering platform to browse volunteering opportunities and log your hours.
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