BDO backs employee wellbeing through corporate volunteering at Woodlands Animal Sanctuary

A team from leading accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has become the latest group to take part in a corporate volunteering day at Woodlands Animal Sanctuary.

Employees from BDO’s offices across the North West spent the day at the Ormskirk-based sanctuary – supporting the registered charity’s work to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals.
Activities ranged from grooming and feeding, to helping to improve the facilities for permanent residents and cats awaiting rehoming.

James Mason, 21, is undertaking a year-long industrial placement in the Accounts Department at BDO’s Shared Service Centre in Liverpool, while studying Business Management at Sheffield University.

James spends much of his time at a desk, so he said the chance to spend a day in the West Lancashire countryside – volunteering for a worthwhile cause – appealed to him.

“Last year, BDO UK employees dedicated over 9,600 hours to volunteering, so when the opportunity to support Woodlands came up through the firm’s 5+5 Citizenship initiative, I was keen to get involved,” he said.

“It was great to share a social experience with colleagues who I have not necessarily worked closely with before. It felt like a complete reset. I came back feeling refreshed and energised, and there was real sense of satisfaction in knowing I had given something back to the local community.”

BDO’s 5+5 Citizenship programme encourages its people to share their skills and take action within their local communities. The BDO volunteer day coincided with a visit from the BIBA judging panel, who took a tour of the sanctuary and met with staff and trustees.

James and his colleagues helped with the preparations – carrying out the charity’s usual cleaning, feeding and grooming routine with supervision from staff.

“We had guidance and followed procedures,” said James. “It was great to have a go at everything from getting rid of cobwebs in the barn, to building a swing for the chickens. It is rare that, in everyday life, you get to see and hold a newborn kitten and groom a goat! I feel like everyone should do something like this. Once you do, I think volunteering becomes something you will do throughout your whole life.”

Social Wellbeing is one of the five pillars of BDO’s Wellbeing strategy and closely aligns with the bigger mission of the sanctuary: Connecting human and animal welfare. This mission resonated strongly with James, who learned about the links between rescue work and mental wellbeing during his visit.

“It hadn’t registered in my mind how big the need for something like the sanctuary is, both for the animals and for the people who work and volunteer there,” he explained. “It was great to see how much they enjoy what they do. I learned there are plenty of ups and downs in animal rescue, but despite the challenges, it’s something the staff and volunteers genuinely choose to be part of because they care so much about the animals, plus it helps their own wellbeing.”

BDO’s visit is part of a wider programme of corporate volunteer days that the charity is offering as part of its strategy to diversify its income streams and forge positive links with the Lancashire business community.

Experiences range from team building days and animal carer experiences, to fundraising partnerships and event sponsorships.

Lead Trustee Vickie Blackburn said: “It was a pleasure to welcome BDO once again, who we continue to enjoy a positive partnership with. I would like to thank the whole team, who showed up with great energy and enthusiasm, as well as a willingness to learn more about the day-to-day reality of rescue work.”

Vickie added that corporate volunteering days benefit both employees and the charity – helping businesses invest in staff wellbeing while providing valuable support for the sanctuary’s work:

“Experiences like these are a great way of giving back to employees, promoting teamwork and rewarding staff with time out of their everyday for their own wellbeing. They also play a vital role in helping us meet our running costs – enabling us to continue rescuing animals. We look forward to expanding the programme with more businesses that share our values around animal and human welfare.”

To find out more about corporate partnerships at Woodlands, visit https://www.woodlandsanimalsanctuary.org.uk/donate/corporate-partnerships/