In this month’s CSR profile, we speak to Sarah Chamberlain, Global Corporate Executive at Lloyds. Sarah tells us why she thinks volunteering opportunities and support for volunteers makes her colleagues feel proud to be a member of the Lloyd’s workforce.

The Lloyd’s Community programme supports local communities and equips young people with employability skills. ELBA are proud to partner with Lloyd’s’ in their long-term commitment to promoting local community development.

Please provide a short outline of your current role and a brief description of any other relevant career experience.
I’ve been volunteering in the world of CSR for ten years but it has only been my official job for the last two years. I first got the volunteering bug in 2009, when I went on a fundraising trek to the Arctic for my company’s charity of the year. From that point on, I got involved in as much as I could, from volunteering and fundraising to sitting on a grants committee – always seeking out the CSR team at each new company I went to, looking for ways to help out. Since joining Lloyd’s, my first paid responsible business role, I can see how important volunteer support is to companies wanting to run an effective programme of activities for staff. At Lloyd’s I manage parts of our volunteering programme including our partnership with ELBA, as well as the day to day running of our independent charities (amongst a myriad of other ad hoc tasks!)

Why is CSR important to your organisation?
Lloyd’s responsible business approach underpins our core mission, which is to support global economic growth, enable human progress, and help nations, businesses and communities recover post disaster. We want to be known as a responsible business leader, operating in a way that makes those who work for us feel proud of their contribution to what we do and how we do it. 2019 saw Lloyd’s celebrate 30 years of our Lloyd’s market wide volunteering initiative, the Lloyd’s Community Programme, highlighting the long-term commitment by the Lloyd’s market in London to our local communities.

Which topics, themes or initiatives are your organisation currently focused on?
Our programmes focus on four key themes which are integral to Lloyd’s and the wider insurance sector. These are innovation, managing risk, building resilient communities, and empowering individuals to reach their potential. We see volunteering as an invaluable way for our people to use their personal and professional experience to equip young people in our local communities with key employability skills.

What is the best part of your job?
I love the variety and autonomy that my job offers me; no day is ever the same. A ‘typical’ day could include writing communications to highlight a new initiative we have, a trustee board meeting with senior stakeholders from across the market and heading off to Imperial College to meet with academics interested in applying for funding. I get to be involved in initiatives that I am proud to play a part in, knowing that they will have a positive impact for many.