Our colleague Claudia shines a spotlight on volunteering for International Day of Charity 2020

Our colleague Claudia shines a spotlight on volunteering for International Day of Charity 2020

International Day of Charity 2020 is aimed at raising awareness and providing a platform for charities at local, national and international levels. As part of this, Ecorys Digital Communications Consultant, Claudia, shares her experience volunteering for Birmingham based charity Compass Support (part of the Pioneer Group). 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Claudia joined the ‘Community Response Team’ for Compass Support, an organisation that provides support for vulnerable and elderly individuals who are living alone. 

In such unprecedented times, Claudia has played the role of a ‘telebuddy’, offering free help and support to people in need such as the elderly in isolation. This includes regular contact and checking in to offer a listening ear via a simple phone call. This allows her to assess their overall wellbeing and identify opportunities to improve their situation. 

An example of Claudia’s proactive efforts includes a case where she helped an elderly lady suffering from clinical depression with her overgrown garden. This was a source of upset when she opened her curtains every morning.

Claudia reached out to Leonie Hammond , Community Organiser Coordinator at Compass Support, to arrange for a gardener to mow the lawn and feed the flowers. The volunteer gardener now visits fortnightly. Leonie said, ‘Claudia has been doing brilliantly, going above and beyond during this difficult time.’ 

Volunteering in small ways can make a big difference to the lives of many people. Here at Ecorys, it’s great to see many Ecorys staff members signing up to volunteer and lead by example. We are proud of the efforts of Claudia and all our other unsung community heroes.

For more information on Compass Support during COVID, please see here