The Bank Holiday bonanza – a few words from ELBA CEO
With the Easter bank holiday weekend coming up, many people who have been staying indoors working from home will be wondering what exactly they will be doing with the extra day’s leave. It can be a bit stressful if you are at home with children – or in contrast, at home on your own. Here are some ideas for how you can maintain wellbeing during this time of enforced isolation.
Street party with a twist – recently a colleague and her neighbours had a street party across the garden fence, whilst adhering to social distancing. One neighbour, who is a DJ, played music for neighbours, responding to requests and shout outs via the Local Residents’ Facebook group. Everyone enjoying a bit of music together in the safety of their own back garden, socially distancing!
You’re never too old for an egg hunt in the garden or indoors! Or even an alphabet hunt! Some colleagues are testing their brain power in a household challenge, seeing if they can list an animal, a country/place and a food beginning with every letter of the alphabet.
Some colleagues are creating a collaborative art piece. Each household member can paint something one at a time (to keep a proper distance, if needed). You can choose a theme or just paint whatever you feel like. Nice calming activity.
If you’re missing out on the connection with your littler relatives (nieces, nephews, grandchildren), as many of us at ELBA are, why not record a voice note of you reading a short story for them? It could be a traditional bedtime story, or if you’re feeling creative, you could write your own adventure story that involves members of the family.
For many key workers, NHS staff and care workers, charity workers and those in education, they of course will be flat out during the Easter holidays. I expect we will all participate again at 8pm on Thursday to show our support by applauding from our windows/doors/balconies the NHS.
What is ELBA and its partners doing?
ELBA has been working hard to create new ways in which employees of our partner companies working from home can continue to add their practical support by helping reduce loneliness among the elderly and vulnerable; support the drive to get food to everyone who needs it; help the charitable organisations and hard pressed small businesses who have been hit hard by the crisis, and to help keep the careers curriculum and employability training going for schools, pupils and students. We also are working with colleagues in local councils and the Job centres to help people who have lost their job.
So there is much that businesses can do through their employee volunteering. More directly, some of our business partners who’s normal business is on hold have done a quick turn to more directly support the relief efforts.
Companies like CH&Co and Fooditude are now using their expertise and capacity to provide meals and food supplies to support the vulnerable and local charities, and to support local food supply chains. Fooditude have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to be able to supply local charities and organisations – gofundme.com/f/
And long stay accommodation provider, The Collective, have been using their rooms for NHS staff and other key workers – an offer they would be happy to extend to key workers of other ELBA partners if that is of interest (contact Olga Mnahoncakova 07512 194 398 omnahoncakova@thecollective.
ELBA business partner ISS facilities services, has been working hard on the new Nightingale Hospital. ISS has been delivering the cleaning, portering and waste management at the 4,000-bed hospital based at the ExCeL conference centre in East London.
Stay safe, stay well, and enjoy the Easter break.
