June’s Volunteer of the Month is Mahmoud Khliefat, a Director at Societe Generale, nominated for his continued commitment to helping local communities and supporting ELBA’s work.

Mahmoud has taken part in two ELBA workshops, both out of the office, and we are currently working with him to find a charity trustee position. Mahmoud has given his time to provide advice to various community organisations around their business plans. Mahmoud always offers groups support far beyond what is required of him. Above all, Mahmoud has always been a proactive volunteer that goes the extra mile, stays in touch and is always looking out for interesting volunteering opportunities.

Why do you think volunteering is important?
Volunteering has this very unique attribute of connecting one to the local community beyond the very rigid structures of government and formal institutions.  It is an amazing way to give back to the society, help others advance in life and feel part of a larger more formidable and a little more perfect society. I always felt it is the duty of each and every one of us to help this sector in its vital mission to advance our society and make life easier for many of us.

We live in a society where each has a unique set of skills and a very different perspective of life.  These are valuable assets to the local community.  Channelling them to help charities and those supporting the local community has proven to be a magnificent boost to the energy many entrepreneurs and activists have.  One can never stop wondering at the benefits of an hour of volunteering or an open session of brainstorming to charities but equally to the volunteers themselves.  I always feel fuller, more accomplished and content to see people working hard to advance good causes driven by admirable personal passion and unlimited energy.  One cannot but help and offer time and knowledge to help crystallise these ideas and visions.

I always believed in integration and inclusion and nothing achieves this better than sitting with a local charity and working out how to help their effort.  Whether it is helping with the business plan of the lady working hard to protect young vulnerable children from local crime or generating income ideas for the couple conducting healthy cooking training workshops or reviewing the fundraising application of a local orchestra planning a summer school for children in one of the UK’s poorest boroughs.

Why did you volunteer?
Life at the City can be quite mechanical at times and have the tendency to get rigidly trapped in a thesaurus of formulas and numbers.  That said, the organisational skills and the perspective we gain from carrying out our daily tasks is helpful for many volunteers and charities.

Local activists have inspiring ideas and admirable motives but have also the tendency to overlook the goals and needs of donors and local government.  Pointing this out and adding a bit of organisation and structure to their budgets and fundraising effort always helps good causes advance and play the role they are meant to.  Charities have all it takes to play their role but an outsider’s support is always helpful to enable the message to be heard and the service to be provided.

Would you recommend volunteering to a colleague and if so, why?
Without any doubt… it is fun, you meet interesting people and you get a chance to give back to the society that carries you forward in life.