Shred Station volunteers at PACT Animal Sanctuary
To support good causes in our local communities, every member of staff at Shred Station is entitled to two fully paid volunteer days per year.
We introduced our Volunteer Days system back in 2019 to support good causes in our local communities. Volunteering also comes with the added benefit of our staff returning to work energised by the ‘helper’s high’ that engaging in altruistic behaviour can bring.
What can the volunteer days be used for?
As long as they volunteer for a registered charity, our employees can choose which organisations they contribute their time to. We have no restrictions on locations, or the type of charity supported. This means that our Volunteer Days can have benefits across the entire UK.
In the example below, we speak to Oliver Wilcox, a member of our Customer Service Team, and Louise Bloom, one of our Credit Controllers. The pair used one of their volunteer days together at PACT Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk.
PACT Animal Sanctuary is one of the largest animal sanctuaries in East Anglia. Founded by Chris and George Rockingham in 1995, the sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates, and, where possible, rehomes neglected, injured, and abandoned animals. It has over 1,600 permanent resident animals including exotic birds, chickens, peacocks, rodents, cats, dogs, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, donkeys, and alpacas. With incredible round-the-clock care and many enrichment activities for the animals to enjoy, the creatures can live out the rest of their lives with care, happiness, and a place to call home.
A short interview with two Shred Station team members
You spent a day over at PACT Animal Sanctuary last week. What did you get up to?
Oliver: I mucked out the goats and the pigs, saw some amazing people who keep PACT running, and had a lot of fun.
Louise: I supported my colleague in clearing out the goats to the best of my ability. The goats were fabulous! I had some time with the dogs in their outside pen giving them fusses, playing, and helping them become more socialised. I spent most of my time at the cattery, also helping with socialising, and giving them some extra play time and lots of attention. The real struggle was not taking them all home!
What was your favourite thing about the experience?
Oliver: Getting involved with all the animals and cleaning them out.
Louise: Getting to make a fuss of all the animals and show them affection, attention, and the love they deserve.
Why did you choose to volunteer for PACT Animal Sanctuary?
Oliver: I love animals and have heard many good things about PACT before.
Louise: I honestly adore all animals! I love to help people and animals; PACT has a wonderful reputation.
How can others help support PACT?
Oliver: There are so many ways you can help PACT. You can drop into one of their many charity shops across East Anglia for a bit of bargain hunting or donate to one of their species-specific Amazon wish lists. All donations, from cash to cauliflower leaves, are also appreciated by the sanctuary. You can also donate your time! Once you have had your induction, you can turn up whenever you want and volunteer for a few hours or a full day.
Louise: You can fundraise for the charity with your own events or activities. Of course, there are other more permanent ways you can help. If you have a suitable home and the time to dedicate towards giving an animal a place to call forever, you can foster or rehome animals from the charity. Even just spreading the word about their recent news can help find the most suitable home possible.
What are your overall thoughts on the Volunteer Day system?
Oliver: It’s a fantastic idea. It gives you the opportunity to really make a difference.
Louise: I think it is a wonderful idea, a way of supporting great causes, people animals, and the general wellbeing of all involved.
For information about our careers and vacancies, click here.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive alerts about new blog articles, data protection advice, and Shred Station news.