EA First Supports ExtraCare in Volunteering Efforts

A partnership is thriving between ExtraCare and recruitment agency EA First Ltd.

Volunteers from EA First have been hard at work visiting locations to assist with various outdoor projects, as part of their aim of working volunteering hours across ExtraCare locations.

The team have raised over £1400 of their hoped for £2000 target for the charity through employee-driven fundraising initiatives, client donations, and events, highlighting their ongoing commitment.

We sat down with EA First’s Associate Director Matthew Dowson to find out more about their involvement and how corporate social responsibility can truly make a difference.

How did your team find the respective days?

I attended the Bournville day. It was wonderful. The owner of our company David rolled up his sleeves and helped rectify a flower bed that was on a slant, David and the resident who were project managing, straightened it out and put fresh flowers in. Now as you walk down the centre of the gardens it’s straight, David was so invested and committed in this task.

Our Operations Manager, Ivy-Elisa, worked alongside a resident with a rose garden and said she’d love to support older people in other ways going forward. Another colleague Raj became a soil expert overnight!

We spend a lot of our time nowadays on mobile and Teams meetings, it was really nice to do something active, make a difference to others and most importantly the residents seemed to be really pleased about what we’d done.

Why do you think it’s a good idea take part in CSR activities like this?

I oversee our Not-for-Profit Recruitment Division, so I championed this. It was great to do this just to say thank you. As a key supplier, I wanted to recognise ExtraCare and give something back both with donations and with time.

As a business you can give to a fantastic charity, but you can get a lot back yourselves. We learned so much about one another on these days. My colleague Eugen for example was using the trowel like a bricklayer would, and I found out on the day that he used to be one, I never knew that. We learned a lot about one another; we didn’t talk about recruitment for a minute of the day. It’s a brilliant chance for your staff to get to know one another outside of your usual working environment. Why pay thousands of pounds on an away day when you can enjoy team bonding while working for charities who could really do with your help?

For more information on partnering with ExtraCare please contact fundraising@extracare.org.uk, or to donate to EA First’s JustGiving page please visit:just giving.