SOCOTEC Volunteers: Making a Difference in Our Communities

The SOCOTEC Volunteers Programme encourages our team members to give back to their communities. Employees can apply for up to two paid volunteering days to support local charities and projects that align with environmental and sustainability goals. This initiative not only strengthens our community ties but also contributes to our employees' health and well-being.

Take a look at some of our employees great Volunteering work from this year so far:

Joshua Nelson

Who did you volunteer for, and why?

I volunteer on a weekly basis for South Derbyshire Scouts, specifically as a Cub, Scout, and Explorer leader in Repton. During the February half-term 2024, we put together a trip to the Kandersteg International Scout Centre in the Swiss Alps that was aimed at 10-18 year olds from across the South Derbyshire district. We did this to offer young people the chance to take part in various adventurous activities and to meet international Scout groups.

This trip was led by 13 leaders, and we took 44 Scouts and Explorers from across the district, participating in activities including skiing, igloo building, sledging down the Gemmi Pass, ice skating, and the traditional campfire, which we shared with Scouts from Norway, Iceland, Austria and Australia. The centre at Kandersteg is almost completely run by volunteers, led by Scout leaders from across the globe.

What did you learn from the experiences?

This experience really helped me to develop my leadership skills and to learn how other Scout groups across the world approach Scouting and volunteering in their local communities. I hope to be able to use these conversations and experiences to elevate the variety of our programmes and activities in the groups that I volunteer for. Personally, this experience will help me better plan both local and international residential experiences and the necessary contingency plans, as well as evaluate how our groups can help the local community with such things as fundraising for other charities or taking part in environmental initiatives.

How did your experiences make you feel?

Being able to plan and take part in this trip was a fantastic experience. It made me feel incredibly proud to see the hard work and dedication of our Scouts as they overcame the challenges posed by the terrain, activities, language barriers, and being so far away from home (some of them for the very first time). The feedback we received as a leadership team from the young people and their parents was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone enjoyed their time away and learned something new. On a personal level, it felt incredible to visit the Alps and view some of the stunning scenery. Hiking and sledging in the Gemmi Pass were my favourite activities.

Katie Sykes and Nichola Hayes

Who did you volunteer for, and why?

We volunteered for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, doing tree planting in November 2023. We wanted to volunteer there due to the positive impact the Wildlife Trusts has on the environment, and we wanted to contribute our time towards that.

What did you learn from the experiences?

Sadly, we learned that there are many people who do not seem to care about the environment, and don’t treat new plots with care, which is why we had to replant some of the trees. The lack of respect that the plot had been shown was disheartening. However, we also learned how much of a positive impact one person can have for years to come. There were only three of us volunteering on the day, and we managed to replant a whole patch, and our day’s work ensured that the trees planted previously were maintained.

How did your experiences make you feel?

We think other people should volunteer because it gives you such a positive feeling. We felt like we had actually had a positive and lasting impact on something beneficial to our environment. It was also really beneficial to be able to have a day outdoors in nature as opposed to a day in the labs. It felt really rewarding knowing that our work would be there for future generations to embrace and enjoy.

Paul Williams

Paul Williams is an Administrator in our Water Hygiene team and he has been volunteering for Burton Stroke Club since a very early introduction to the club by his parents. Since then, Paul and his family have committed a great deal of their lives to supporting the club and the people that it supports.

Paul’s dedication to The Burton Stroke Club is truly commendable. As a volunteer trustee, he plays a vital role in supporting stroke survivors and their families in the local area.

The club hosts regular meetings where stroke survivors can enjoy entertainment, tea, and cake. Through social interaction organised and facilitated by the charity, members’ confidence and communication skills both improve.

The Burton Stroke Club holds the distinction of being the longest-running stroke group in the country, and next year, they’ll celebrate their impressive 50th anniversary.

What drives you to dedicate your time to it?

When I see the help that we have given to numerous stroke survivors over the years, it really inspires me to continue with my volunteering. Through the years, we have seen members start with us with very limited speech and communication, but through the social interaction at the club their confidence has increased and their communication has improved, with family members often commenting on the improvement.

We once had a member inform us that they had done more since they had suffered their stroke than they ever thought possible due to attending our club.”

Now, as a trustee and secretary, he’s deeply involved. He also manages the club’s website and YouTube channel, showcasing their activities.

Paul gives talks, organises events, and even runs bingo nights and quizzes. The club takes members on day trips, including recent visits to Chester Zoo and West End shows. For their 25th anniversary, they flew members to Jersey for a week-long holiday.

Are your family still involved?

The club is now very much a family affair with my wife being the treasurer, my step-mum the vice chair and my dad the chair, but it is still the pleasure of helping the stroke survivors and their families see that a stroke does not mean you cannot live your life and enjoy your life - that gives me all the inspiration and pleasure I need to continue, as we are not just a group, but we really are like one big happy family.

In 2014, The Burton Stroke Club was named the best stroke group in the country at the Life After Stroke Awards. Their chairman received a prestigious platinum award in 2023 for his outstanding contributions, and Su Pollard, a well-known TV personality, serves as the club’s patron.

Paul and his wife treat their involvement like a second job. hey organise fundraising activities, including an annual prize draw, coffee mornings, and bucket collections at Burton Albion Football Club.

They collectively raised £400 by completing the Thames Trek Challenge together —a 25km walk across 19 of the bridges that span the River Thames through central London, ending at the iconic Tower Bridge.

Why do you think people should use their volunteer leave?

I feel that the SOCOTEC volunteering days are a great incentive, and I will hopefully be making the most of these when we come to arrange the celebrations for our upcoming 50th anniversary.

Despite its challenges, Paul considers it a privilege to contribute to stroke survivors’ rehabilitation.

Although volunteering can be hard work and like having a second job at times, the pleasure you receive from helping people definitely outweighs the effort and tiredness from the volunteering. I just hope that more people decide to try and find the true pleasure you get from helping others.

As he Burton Stroke Club approaches its 50th anniversary, we celebrate and commend Paul’s unwavering commitment and the positive impact he has on the club and on his community.

Beatriz Aviñó De Pablo, Guillaume Pellissier, and Andrea Galeano

Who did you volunteer for, and why?

In mid-November, we conducted our volunteering day with OXFAM in one of their charity shops. We wanted to give our time to help others, and this opportunity was possible thanks to our Volunteering Policy.

OXFAM is a very well-known organisation that needs many volunteers, to allow the charity to grow and help fight poverty. During our volunteering day, we worked at one of their shops, working at the back sorting out the clothing donations that had been brought in.

This work helped us to understand the organisation of the charity shop. During that day, we realised how much help they need, and how helping out with small, simple tasks really can have a positive and big impact on the overall organisation.

What did you learn from the experiences?

We are all very grateful for this opportunity, and we learned a lot during that day. It was a unique occasion for us to spend time helping others, but also it was great to be able to share time with colleagues in a work environment that was so different from our usual place of work.

How did your experiences make you feel?

We found our volunteering day to be very rewarding and we very much enjoyed our time there. We all would really encourage others to join this initiative in dedicating time to help those in need, as every act of kindness contributes to building a fair and better world.