Amy Kean, VP of Operational Risk at MUFG Securities explains why she loves corporate volunteering through ELBA and how seeing colleagues volunteering with school children brings a smile to her face.

Why do you volunteer?
Volunteering gives me the opportunity to do something completely different with my day, as well as giving me the change to test out my negotiation and listening skills in the ‘real world’!

What have you gained from your volunteering experience?
I enjoyed seeing my boss try to make a paper tower with the year 10s! But aside from the fun part of the day, I found myself with a new appreciation for the challenges faced by young people in the area. They had lots of questions about what I do; and, in explaining my job, I also realised that even when you think you are explaining something clearly, if it can’t be understood by your audience, you need to find a way to explain it again!

All the staff from ELBA were so helpful, organising information sessions ahead of the day, answering all the questions we had (multiple times!) and they were very good at ensuring all the volunteers felt included.

Would you recommend volunteering to a colleague and, if so, why?
Absolutely! You will learn something new and have a fun day as well.