Volunteers' Week - An Insight into the Good Work of Anu Anand of GivingForce
We are constantly reminding our customers about the benefits of volunteering: increased employee engagement, development of skills, employee retention the list is endless. At GivingForce we are proud to be a business which not only supports corporate volunteering but more importantly we are a dedicated team of individuals who truly believe in and champion volunteering in and out of the office. As part of Volunteer’s Week, we decided to give you a snapshot into the GivingForce Team and our volunteering efforts. We have interviewed Anupama Anand, who has been working with GivingForce since 2013 and has always been passionate about helping her local community.
Which organisation do you volunteer with?
I volunteer with Seymour Synchro Swim School.
What support do you provide for this organisation?
I work as a treasurer as well as a team manager.
What kinds of activities do you promote and encourage when volunteering at the swim school?
As treasurer, I manage all money-related aspects of the club – this involves banking, payments to the coaches and staff, rental fees for the swimming pools, and many others. I also check incoming payments made by club members and I reconcile these monies. Liaising with the users of the facilities about money-related issues is one of my responsibilities as well. As a team manager, I provide extra support before and during the competitions/events. This includes getting the swimmers organised for the events, helping the judges by noting down their scores and calculating these scores.
How long have you been volunteering with the club?
As a team manager, I have been volunteering for over 5 years, and for the last one year, have taken up the responsibility as a treasurer.
What motivates you to volunteer for this organisation?
As the club is a not for profit organisation, a few of the parents – including myself – took the initiative to help manage the club in whatever way possible. I just wanted to do something to give back to the club that my daughter is part of. By nature, I’m quite a social person and the volunteering that I do gives me an opportunity to meet new people and to learn new things on a regular basis. In my two separate roles at the club, I achieve a greater sense of responsibility and being a team manager, I enjoy being the medium between the swimmers, parents, coaches etc. It gives me great satisfaction to talk to the swimmers and boost their confidence before and during their stressful competitions.
What are the biggest challenges you face with volunteering?
I find that time is a big challenge – especially in the face of deadlines when payments are due. And usually, the competitions and committee meetings are held only on weekends. This is very crucial for us volunteers, as we need to be available during these times.
What advice would you give to someone looking to take on a volunteer opportunity?
I would advise that anyone looking to take on a volunteering opportunity should be passionate and have the willingness to help others without expecting any rewards. One needs to be willing to dedicate some of their spare time towards whatever cause they feel strongly about. This, in turn, will not only help the charity but will also give the volunteer a sense of purpose.
Interview by Fay Rahman
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