At Housing 21, all employees are given two paid-for volunteer days every year to support a worthwhile cause or charity of their choice. But some employees go one step further and give up their time all year round to help local charities, just like Rosie.
When she's not at work in her role as a People and Culture Project Officer, Rosie is a committed advocate for Pumpkin and Friends Charity which helps animals with disabilities. Here, she tells us why volunteering is so important to her and how it helps to Make A Difference Everyday.
Rosie's story:
Volunteering is important to me because it gives me the opportunity to make a positive difference in the community whilst contributing to a cause that matters to me, animal welfare.
I am a volunteer at Pumpkin and Friends Charity which helps animals with disabilities. Whether they have arthritis, IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease), Degenerative Myelopathy, blind, deaf, have a neurological condition, had an accident causing injury, had amputations or in some cases, are a victim of cruelty, we believe that disability isn’t a death sentence and there are many other ethical options.
We provide wheelchairs and strollers, fund veterinary care, operations, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy and provide lifetime support for the animal and their family. In the last four years we have helped almost 5,000 animals. For context one in four Dachshunds suffer with IVDD and one in seven German Shepherds get Degenerative Myelopathy.
We also do a lot of work in education and go to schools and colleges to inform children about animal welfare and also collaborate with businesses.
I personally am a qualified wheelchair fitter and support over 60 animals all across the country and one in America! I also run the charity Facebook page, deliver events, host the dog show at our annual “PumpFest”, volunteer at our shop and wheelchair fitting centre and also recently attended Parliament where we were invited to represent our charity in the discussion of changing the laws regarding animal rescue.
I find volunteering rewarding, being able to use my time to support animals and their families who need that help and to be part of something bigger than myself. It has also enabled me to meet new people, build incredible relationships and opened unbelievable opportunities.
I encourage anyone who can to volunteer at some point, even giving back one hour can make a big impact and difference to a community.
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