National Volunteer Week is a brilliant prompt to get involved, the real magic happens when you keep showing up after the hashtags have faded. Our MD Diana, is a huge advocate for volunteering and has made it part of her working life:

“I have been volunteering for over 25 years, pretty much all the time I have owned a business.

It started with Action for Children, supporting looked-after children who had no contact with their families. That’s where I met Nathen – when he was 8, I took him for days out, and since then I have always been someone he can call if he needs a little help when he left the care system. He’s now 30 and a fantastic young man. I’m incredibly proud of all he has achieved and our friendship is very precious to me.

Since then, I’ve mentored young people through The King’s Trust and indeed met the King, and today you’ll find me at St Vincent’s in Byker, who are a team of fantastic individuals that are fighting poverty in our community by providing food, clothing and a warm welcome to all sectors of society.

People tell me “You’re so good to help” but in all honesty I get far more out of volunteering than I have probably put in over the years. Whatever problems and stresses I may be facing running a large, people centric business, are always forgotten the moment I see what other people in our community are bravely facing – I always come away energised and my life in perspective.

I would encourage anyone from the business community to consider volunteering. I guarantee you’ll be met with warmth and gratitude from the people you help and if offers great learnings about society that makes us better, more compassionate leaders.”