edited and republished 03-12-2024
Charity Team Building has seen a meteoric rise, as “giving back” to society overtakes simply having a jolly-up…
The post-pandemic world that we now live in, has seen a surge in demand for team activities that reach beyond the aim of just having fun with colleagues. Seemingly the experience of a couple of years working in isolation has opened society’s eyes to the importance of giving to charity, to those that are most vulnerable, and need it most.
In turn, global employers have seen it as their obligation, to be more socially responsible and wiser about how they’re seen to spend their money and invest in their workforce. Gone are the days of having ‘a jolly’, and in, are meaningful charity team building events that actually make a difference, to those who take part, but also for those who are the beneficiaries.
Charity Team Building – activities that make a difference to society
Following a sequence of large scale charity team building events, for some of the world’s biggest companies in the pharmaceutical and construction industries, in September 2023, Zing Events and The Trussell Trust publicly announced an official Partnership between their organisations in which Zing would strengthen its pledge, to deliver an increasing amount of meaningful and charitable team building activities, to the corporate world.
Since the pandemic alone, Zing was responsible for sending several thousand pounds worth of food items, via their partners, to the front line of the Ukraine War via Hertfood For Ukraine and to the heart of the most poverty stricken cities of the United Kingdom to name but a few.
Charles Berry, Director of Zing Events, commented “How we see it, we’re simply doing our part in connecting the people who have our shared appetite to want to help, and those people who most need to receive help. We’re in a privileged position to do so, as experts in team building sessions, and have managed to create activities which are not only beneficial to the teams who take part, from a team building standpoint, but also have these tangible benefits and beneficiaries too.”
With more food parcels handed out in the first 6 months of 2023 than ever before, more than one million emergency parcels are expected to be distributed by food banks this winter due to “unprecedented need” for help, The Trussell Trust has warned.
The Trussell Trust network, which supports more than 1300 food bank centres across the country, forecasts more than 600,000 people will depend on the support of a food bank from December until February 2024, which equates to one in seven in the UK facing hunger. In the same period last year, a total of 904,000 parcels were distributed. Last winter saw 220,000 people using a food bank for the first time, and the charity believes these numbers will continue to rise as many people hit crisis point.
Emma Revie, Chief Executive at The Trussell Trust, commented “We don’t want to spend every winter saying things are getting worse, but they are. Food is desperately needed to make up the emergency parcels, together with money to pay for the shortfall in donations. Every year we are seeing more and more people needing food banks, and that’s just not right; we won’t stand by and let this continue.”
“Together, we have roots into hundreds of communities and while someone facing hunger can’t change the structural issues driving the need for food banks on their own, thousands of us coming together can; we must end hunger across the UK so that no one needs a food bank to survive.”
A survey of 282 Trussell Trust food banks over the last three months showed 93% had to purchase additional food items to satisfy the demand from the public, whilst almost one-third admitted they were worried about maintaining their current service levels as the cold months of winter fast approaches.
Natasha Copus, Project Manager at The Trussell Trust (Southend Food Bank) said with the unprecedented need for food banks, it is with trepidation that we face the next six months of being there for people.”
At a time when new CAF research indicates that 4% of people have donated to food banks in the last month, with an average of £10 given. Supporting CAF’s latest research, many food banks are reporting a drop in donations as the cost-of-living-crisis worsens in the UK. Statistics show a 32% fall in Q1 of this year.
No stranger to giving to charity, Zing Events are known for their Tree Planting scheme; for every £500 that any of their clients spend with Zing, they also plant a tree as a thank you. This initiative is in partnership with www.moretrees.eco
Has a more meaningful reason to do Charity Team Building struck a cord with the Corporate world?
Zing Events, who are already trusted by many of the FTSE100 with their team building events, have seen that many organisations are using the opportunity of a Christmas party to book their latest charity team building creation, aptly called, Putt a Hole in Hunger. It combines fun with meaningful team building.
Using the abundance of food items (largely tinned goods), teams must collaborate to create a crazy golf course, like never before. All of these food items are then carefully reboxed before making their way to the nearest Trussell Trust food bank in readiness for distribution. Statistics from NerdWallet via Worklife, support this trend which Zing has noticed first-hand, with 36% of Companies saying that they plan to have a “Stripped back Christmas team event” this festive season.
Zing have worked closely with the Trussell Trust to ascertain exactly what items are needed most, to increase the impact and usefulness of the items that get donated; generally the food items are of the tinned variety for ease of handling and longevity, but also include things like kitchen roll, cereals, detergents, washing powders and fizzy drinks to name but a few.
Andy Wells, Director at Zing Events, commented, “we made a significant food donation to a food bank last year, and the guy working at the food bank said, ‘this truly is a miracle at Christmas’. With heartfelt feedback like this, we know our efforts are being appreciated and there is a real opportunity for our client base to choose more meaningful charity team building options.”
Given the success and demand that Zing Events has seen from the CSR oriented charity team building activity, Putt a Hole in Hunger, it will continue to develop other programmes which allow the clients the opportunity to give to charity, and actually make a difference. Watch this space!
