BEST of the Council and Service Birmingham Volunteer to Help Springhill Library Re-launch
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EmailService Birmingham has long recognised the value of volunteering as an activity that helps others, creates stronger communities and contributes positively to all of our lives.
In 2007, we set up a volunteering scheme to positively encourage our employees to become volunteers by offering 20 hours a year to each person willing to help out in the community. The volunteering scheme is designed to improve employee motivation and team-working and allow staff to learn new skills in a nonwork setting. Activities so far have included painting, decorating, gardening, mentoring and coaching.
Last month, a team of staff decided to help get Springhill Library up to scratch for its re-opening following its closure between July 2010 and February 2011 for building work.
The library, on Icknield Street near Hockley, has had roof repairs and been given a brand new entrance to fit in with the new Tesco development. Customers can now enter the library using a modern under cover doorway that links directly with Tesco.
However, because there was no money available to spruce up the library’s interior before its re-launch day on Monday 21st February, Service Birmingham joined forces with the council and volunteered to clean up and paint inside the library, all to try and make sure the council had a library it could be proud of on its re-launch day.
The team of volunteers were Fred Shaw, Kully Duggal, Zohrawar Shah, Sue Tilley and Jasbir Bhakar from Service Birmingham, with colleagues from the Corporate Engagement and Recognition Team: Byron Batten, Sonia Hussain and Chantelle Dingwall joining hands with BEST Manager Deep Hunjan. As a result of everyone’s hard work, the newly decorated library re –opened on 21st February and a Community Open Day, which the council and Service Birmingham helped to promote, was held on Thursday 24th February.
The Open Day was a great success with over 150 people, including local residents, children and families all enjoying activities such as face painting and badge designing. Some residents came along just to find out more about adult education and other opportunities on offer in the local area.
As part of their BEST Workshop that took place in May 2010, Deep and her team will be looking to build on this success by applying to the BEST Dragons’ Den in April to obtain some funding to organise an even bigger and ‘grand’ re-launch of the library.
Byron Batten told us: “I think it’s fantastic that we were able to join with our colleagues at Service Birmingham and do something really useful for the local residents — and have fun at the same time!”
Fred Shaw added “Service Birmingham’s partnership isn’t just about ICT; we have a strong commitment to helping our local communities too. I’d really like to do more projects like this.”
(Article taken from March edition of ICT Insider)
