Ever since joining Burges Salmon in the summer of 2016 I have been impressed by the range and breadth of the firm’s corporate responsibility (CR) initiatives and the consistent enthusiasm shown towards them by staff and management. As a BEngaged representative I now get to play my small role in making Burges Salmon a positive force in the local community.
BEngaged reps link the central CR team to each of the individual departments. We are responsible for championing community-engagement and circulating volunteering opportunities amongst our colleagues.
My favourite aspect of the role is easily the organisation and leadership of team volunteering days. Whether painting the offices of a youth charity, or landscaping the gardens of a cancer treatment centre, these days give us all the chance to do some tangible good in the world. They are also great fun and excellent bonding experiences. It’s hard not to feel closer to someone if you spend five hours piling garden waste onto a compost heap with them!
Of course, there is a huge amount still to be done. Not everyone is fortunate enough to lead the kind of life that many at Burges Salmon enjoy and some of our engagement work is a sobering reminder of that. The BEngaged team works with local charities and projects to try and make our community a better place to live and work for all. It’s a tough goal, but every small good deed that we contribute gets us that much closer.
Ed Hayes
Associate