National Grid's employees provide the energy to Special Olympics and win Partner of the Month
A team of budding volunteers from National Grid have had their efforts recognised when their coordinator, Martina Smith, received Partner of the Month from Northamptonshire Sport. The award was in recognition of their work in developing a Special Olympics Club and their commitment to volunteering in sport.
Martina became a Special Olympics Volunteer Coordinator when she was inspired by an induction day hosted at National Grid who are the official partner of the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics provides sporting opportunities for people with a learning difficulty and many athletes go on to represent their country & compete in the World summer games held every four years. Martina was impressed by the athletes who participate on equal terms regardless of ability or degree of disability, and the volunteers that support them.
Martina works in the Customer Services department at Lakeside House providing admin assistance to the Customer Services team. Around 4.4million telephone calls are received annually by National Grid’s customer service centres
Since taking on the role of Volunteer Coordinator, Martina has recruited 30 volunteers from National Grid employees and their friends and families. The group formed in June and has run a karaoke night and a football tournament, raising around £500. That money is being matched by National Grid to go towards the cost of setting up a Special Olympics club to enter a cricket team in the Summer Games taking place in Leicester in July 2009.
Martina feels that volunteering has been a positive experience for everyone who’s been involved, “At first everyone was from one department but now people in different departments who wouldn’t normally talk to each other are working in a team.” Volunteers have also had the chance to work with a range of other organisations including the Cobblers, Saints and Northamptonshire Cricket Club.
The support the volunteers have received has been crucial to their success. National Grid has released volunteers to have meetings in work time and been accommodating in allowing shifts to be changed. Also as the employer of the majority of the volunteers, National Grid has matched the money raised. The group has also received a lot of support from Northamptonshire Sport; “They have been absolutely brilliant, making contacts and giving us support, training & guidance along the way” Martina commented.
Many of the group have picked up the volunteering bug and found other volunteering opportunities through Northamptonshire Sport’s Sporting Volunteers programme. Volunteering at Northamptonshire Youth Games gave 6 National Grid employees invaluable experience for when they run their own events as well as having a lot of fun and meeting new people.
If you are interested in the work of the Special Olympics you can find out more at www.sogb.org.uk. For all enquiries regarding volunteering in sport go to the Sporting Volunteers section or call 01604 236215.