Team Challenges are one-off volunteering opportunities to support the East London community
Team Challenges are a great way to volunteer in the community. They offer a one day practical team building activity while making an impact for a local charity of community organisations. You can support East London in the following areas:
great team building opportunity, team challenges are a day (or something half a day) of hands-on activities out in the community for a group of employees looking to use their practical skills. Tasks can vary, for example: environmental work on city farms and nature reserves, building fences and pathways, renovating community centres, offices and schools, and many more. If you have a specific idea of how you would like to offer support, tell us by clicking the booking button above (hyperlink)
In 2017, ELBA team challenges supported over 80 community organisations in East London with over 7000 volunteers including schools, city farms, hospices, nurseries, community gardens, estate halls, parks, public spaces, adventure playgrounds, registered social landlords, community centres and social enterprises.
For a taster of what a Team Challenge involves, check out this video made by ELBA community partner, CORE
Regular contributors to East London
Sustainability and the Environment
eam Challenges can be especially beneficial for environmental work as large teams of volunteers allow organisations to complete projects that they wouldn’t necessarily have the resources for. Through a variety of activities, the impact of volunteers can create habitat for wildlife, remove invasive species of plants and clear litter from green spaces and waterways. Organisations also promote sustainability to the local community with spaces to grow their own produce and educate children on health and wellbeing.
Working with teams from 5 – 100 people, ELBA has a variety of volunteering opportunities, including:
- Epping Forest
- Lee Valley Marshes
- Hubbub, plastic fishing
- Dagenham Farm
- THCP
- RSPB
Links and articles for further reading on this topic:
Diverse Communities
ast London is a diverse community with community organisations focusing on many themes common across. These community organisations open up their doors to a diverse group of people to bring people together and celebrate their differences or socialise with their community. For the volunteers it’s a great opportunity to give back and learn about individuals, communities and areas that you may not have worked closely with otherwise, working to support the diversity agenda. It is an opportunity to allow your team to educate yourselves on other needs across in East London allowing for ‘diversity in thought’. In the end you benefit from fresh ideas and a new perspective on experiences faced by others!
Working with teams from 5 – 20 people, ELBA has a variety of volunteering opportunities that work towards this, including:
- Waltham Forest Disability Resource Centre
- Rainbow Grow
- Renewal Programme
Links and articles for further reading on this topic:
Isolation, Mental Health and Wellbeing
ocial isolation has many impacts on older people, including loneliness, decline in good mental health, impacting their mindset and increased likelihood of depression as they are disconnected from other individuals with many live away from family or relatives. According to a survey by Age UK, 360,000 people aged 65 and over have not had a conversation with friends or family for a week, and 200,000 have gone without for a month (Guardian, Feeling Lonely, 2018). Volunteering with such charities will provide an invaluable experience into the elder generation and their stories, a reason to help them come out of their home environments, provide a friendly face to the community and help them re-connect with people & have a positive daily experience.
Working with teams from 5 – 30 people, ELBA has a variety of volunteering opportunities that work towards this, including:
- Forget Me Not
- Core Landscapes
- Creative Support
Links and articles for further reading on this topic:
Children and Young People
nteracting with adults from the community and businesses helps to educate young people about the bigger picture of why we are educated, and gives an insight into the real world. 90% of primary school teachers thought that engaging children with employers/employees and the world of work has an impact on their academic achievement [Education and Employers, 2017]. The organisations and schools ELBA works with are increasingly asking for support from volunteers to engage with young people, contributing to their soft skill development and helping children understand the value of all aspects of their education, not just the passing of exams. By doing so as a team you and your colleagues get to have a team bonding experience while also role modelling teamwork skills, a valuable experience for young people.
Working with teams from 5 – 30 people, ELBA has a variety of volunteering opportunities that work towards this, including:
- Primary Schools
- Adventure Playgrounds
- Children with Voices
Links and articles for further reading on this topic:
Community Places and Spaces
n the current climate faced by charities of reduced funding and support from the government and reduced resources, including time and money, the support offered by corporate volunteer teams has increased in value and impact achieved. In reality, without a team of volunteers to complete and pay for the work, such as a fresh coat of paint or redecorating, charities would struggle to complete such jobs and in doing so you can extend the life of their current physical space and place, making their users feel invested in and acknowledged. East London’s community space and infrastructure greatly benefit from the ongoing maintenance and improvement that volunteer teams support with. Not least to preserve and protect green spaces available to families but also to help combat the ‘Broken Windows Theory’ in communities. Organisations you can support include: community centres and spaces, youth centres, estates and community halls, and adventure playgrounds.
Working with teams from 5 – 100 people, ELBA has a variety of volunteering opportunities that work towards this, including:
- Royal Docks Learning and Activity Centre
- Teesdale and Hollybush TRA
- Victoria Park
Links and articles for further reading on this topic:
Hungry and Homeless
aving food to eat and a place to sleep can be a luxury most people take for granted, but increasingly more people are finding themselves in difficult situations, Trussel Trust foodbank usage has increased 13% in the last year. Many of the foodbanks ELBA work with are experiencing increased need with the number of people who are ‘paid poor’; in employment but not earning enough to feed their families, and those who have had benefit changes. The foodbanks are always in need of food and you can help!
Opportunities to volunteer with Homelessness organisations often focus on food too but there is also need for volunteers to get involved in IT classes, social events and gardening. These activities can help to support beneficiaries with upskilling, social skill development and their wellbeing.
Working with teams from 5 – 20 people, ELBA has a variety of volunteering opportunities that work towards this, including:
- Eat or Heat
- HFC Clothes Bank
- Providence Row
- HCEO
Links and articles for further reading on this topic:
- https://www.trusselltrust.org/2018/04/24/benefit-levels-must-keep-pace-rising-cost-essentials-record-increase-foodbank-figures-revealed/
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/24/most-children-in-uks-poorest-areas-now-growing-up-in-poverty
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/08/one-in-every-200-people-in-uk-are-homeless-according-to-shelter
- https://www.caritasanchorhouse.org.uk/about-homelessness/homelessness-newham
Social Cohesion and Community Building
ncreasingly in the news we read about ‘divided’ communities leading to issues of hate crimes, segregation and increased tensions. As we become more connected digitally online we become less connected with our neighbours and local community. Connecting with your community you live and work within has been linked to increased mental health resilience, happiness and better community cohesion. Building communities in a struggling third sector becomes increasingly hard with limited resources but there are ways you can help. Improving community spaces and places, supporting community events and bringing people together all help build communities.
Working with teams from 5 – 50 people, ELBA has a variety of volunteering opportunities that work towards this, including:
- Themed parties eg. Urban Wilderness Eid party or St Patricks, Wapping summer barbeque
- Community Centres eg. RDLAC
- TRAs, Wiltons or Teesdale and Hollybush
Links and articles for further reading on this topic:
Graduates/Interns and Entry Level Volunteering
olunteers taking part in Team Challenges can build leadership skills, communication and networking skills and of course, team work! It is also an opportunity for companies to demonstrate their CSR programme and have employees engage with it at an early stage. Millenials are more and more likely to engage with a company based on their CSR policy and Team Challenges can do this at the start of their career!
Working with teams from 5 – 100 people, ELBA has a variety of volunteering opportunities, including:
- MEP
- HFC
- Fortyhall Vineyard
Links and articles for further reading on this topic:
