Prudential, company volunteers

Employee volunteering can contribute greatly to team building, staff motivation and personal development. We have innovative employee volunteering programmes for corporate supporters.

Prudential provides funding to support Action for Children as part of its flagship international staff volunteering programme, 'The Chairman's Award'.

The project

'In May 2007, 23 of us - who all work in one area of Prudential - took part in a challenge at Tayavalla Family Support in Camelon.

'Before the day we had some planning to do, as we had to get all the right materials for the tasks, and also had to organise our workforce! This in itself was a challenge, however we managed to get things set up in time.'

On the job

'The day itself went really well. We had three main tasks to carry out, and split into teams to tackle each one. Firstly, we had the existing garden area: the fence, Wendy house, and sheds needed freshening up with paint. Luckily, the weather was kind to us, and with the effort everyone put in we decided that we had time to do a second coat of paint.

'The second outdoor task was to create a sensory garden to the front of the house. This really was a transformation. The garden started the day as a plain area of grass, and finished with three raised gardens, trees, and some beautiful plants. Again, we actually did more to this area than originally planned: once we had started we really wanted to do as much as we possibly could.

'Finally, we had one indoor room to redecorate. This room had previously been an office but was now going to be used as a general room. One of the walls was painted as a blackboard, and we were all desperate for the paint to dry completely so that we could try scribbling on the wall!

'Over lunch, we heard more about what happens at Tayavalla, which was really interesting. What struck me most about the house were the bright rooms and the creative décor. It made it feel like a place where children would really enjoy themselves. We also got a demonstration of the sensory room, an amazing room that uses different lights, sounds and textures.'

The results

'It was really rewarding to see the difference that a group of people could make in just a day - it just shows you what teamwork can achieve.

'As well as being rewarding to help out your local community, it was also a great day from a team building perspective. It was a great opportunity for people to get to know some of their colleagues, and it was also great to see the different talents that people have that we don't always see or use in the office. Who would have believed that a group of insurance company employees could be quite so creative!'

Find out more

Search for volunteer roles or phone 0300 123 2112.