The Challenge:ELBA programme delivers practical team volunteer opportunities to support the community. A great alternative to traditional team building activities.
ach of ELBA’s business partners can get involved in a number of team challenges as part of their support of ELBA and the community each year. Team challenges are fun, transformative, practical and interactive half or full day activities that offer great opportunities for team building. Activities can include: supporting the environment such as clearing plastic in waterways, horticultural and maintenance tasks, food bank and community kitchen support as well as socialising with vulnerable community groups.
Every year, ELBA works with hundreds of teams and thousands of volunteers to support communities across East London. Team challenges take place in parks, city farms, adventure playgrounds, community gardens, centres and estates, schools and nurseries, food and clothing banks, social enterprises and many more. Since the pandemic, our current programmes continue to include both face-to-face and remote volunteering opportunities.
For many years, ELBA’s activities in the open spaces of East London have been helping in the response to various environmental issues. Volunteer support plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges; promoting climate resilience, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating the impact of plastic pollution on the biosphere.
The Challenge:ELBA programme also leads on delivery for the annual Toy Appeal – click here for more details.
How to get involved
If you are a community group in East London and would like to find out more about how ELBA team challenges can support your organisation, please contact challenge@elba-1.org.uk.
If your company is not a business partner of ELBA but would like more information about how you can spend the day volunteering in the community, please contact
challenge@elba-1.org.uk.
Parks and outdoor spaces are the most popular destination for team building events in east London. ELBA sends volunteers to adventure playgrounds, city farms and spaces that support local food growing, and parks that have been awarded Green Flag status for the best green spaces in the country. Tasks include: transforming overgrown, litter strewn and underused areas into clean, beautiful areas, creating woodland walks, establishing new footpaths, building outdoor furniture such as benches, planting flowers.
Community centres and public spaces are the second most popular venues for teams wanting a day's hands-on volunteering. Community centres play a significant role in the life of many east London neighbourhoods, hosting after-school clubs, parent & toddler groups, over-50s clubs and more. Tasks range from painting halls to arranging community events.
Supporting children’s centres and primary schools is a popular team challenge opportunity. ELBA supports primary schools and nurseries in east London. Tasks include: transforming playgrounds, painting murals or classrooms, facilitating school trips and supporting events such as sports days and World Book Days.
Not all volunteers have to pick up a spade or paintbrush to spend the day volunteering in the community. Teams have also been involved in social volunteering activities, such as working with the elderly to reduce isolation and loneliness, hosting money skills workshops for primary school children, and supporting community festivals. Volunteers have also acted as 'digital buddies' to help people adjust to a changing world of social contact and access to devices.
