Summer in Full Swing

Written by Rhea Bawa, Community Development Manager, Challenge ELBA

The summer of 2023 has been an impactful and effective one for Team Challenge, with over 4000 volunteers taking part in various activities with community partners. In the wake of Covid and given the current climate, the significance of volunteering is increasingly recognised amongst our business partners, with an ever-increasing willingness to get involved and support community partners, many of whom are short staffed and lack materials.

ELBA’s business partners have also held their own annual campaigns over the summer, resulting in them being involved in numerous team challenges over a longer period of time, supporting a range of different community partners – from parks and playgrounds, to foodbanks and schools. Not only has this increased engagement and numbers, but also the knowledge of corporate social responsibility and the impact one can have by playing a small part in the same.

Team Challenge has helped encourage business partners to get involved, and has connected them to the appropriate community partner, based on their interests and requirements. One of the highlights this summer has been the Just Turn Up Day Personal Best Sports Day in Hackney, involving a number of primary schools. Personal Best is a project continued from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Legacy, which aims to improve young people’s health and wellbeing, show them that sport is something that everyone can enjoy, and encourage them to achieve and be ‘the best that they can be’. This event is organised by Young Hackney’s Sports Unit in collaboration with primary schools across the borough.

A Communities Week was held by British Land with 67 volunteers. Many business partners have been supporting ELBA’s cost of living response. Linklaters has kindly donated around 394 items across 3 community organisations. With over 4000 volunteers overall for Team Challenge, the support from all is highly appreciated and there has been a very positive impact overall.

The team looks forward to having more volunteering, in addition to planning for the upcoming festivities.  If you would like to find out more about taking part in a team challenge, please contact challenge@elba-1.org.uk.

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