International Day of Charity 2022
As expected, the summer holidays are an extremely busy period for our awesome community of volunteers - with many taking time out for a summer holiday, or to spend quality moments with their families and friends.
Now, with autumn leaves turning yellow and kids getting ready to go back to school, we’re slowly getting back into the swing of things. Our next big break will be Christmas, which always seems to creep up much sooner than expected!
As today is the International Day of Charity, there’s no better time to remember that holidays are not our only opportunity in the year to connect with things we love and care about. Time out of work shouldn’t be the only thing we look forward to; there are so many other ways to seek enjoyment and fulfilment out of our lives, and - you guessed it - employee volunteering is one of them!
If you’re reading this and have personally related to the first section about taking time out with your family, take a moment to reflect on what an amazing thing that time is to have. Not all families have this opportunity, not all children are lucky enough to go to school and receive an education, and not all people are lucky enough to go on a summer holiday.
So, with summer drawing to a close, why not utilise this time before Christmas to support those who don’t have this same opportunity to spend quality time with their own family or friends, Matchable works with so many incredible organisations who support families, children, and individuals through making education more accessible and inclusive for all. How incredible would it be if you were able to utilise your expertise to support families in getting some of the things that you are able to access so much easier than others?
For some inspiration, why not take a look at some of the amazing Impact Organisations and Charities in our network with this vision in mind:
Happy Marlo
Happy Marlo is a wellness platform for 3-11 year olds and those who care for them. A for-profit driven by purpose, they are on a mission to deliver empowering content for children, giving them agency over their emotional wellbeing and ensuring they have fun while doing so. They also provide parents, teachers and carers with tools and resources to help them manage the rollercoaster of growing up.
It was founded by Rebekah, who was adopted by a white working-class family aged 3. They loved her, and she loved them, but they couldn't provide the support she needed as a transracial adoptee. As a result, her early years left her with much unresolved trauma. Since becoming a mother, she has committed to giving children the agency over their emotional health that she never had, creating Happy Marlo to give kids access to the support she wasn’t able to reach.
Refugee Youth Service
Refugee Youth Service supports displaced children and young people to re-start and rebuild their lives. Focal points of their work include Athens and Calais, where they support local organisations providing direct support to displaced children and young people. They have also launched a UK training course to improve the care and reception of unaccompanied children arriving in the UK.
The organisation was founded by two friends in the Calais 'Jungle' camp, in 2015; created to support the growing number of unaccompanied refugee children residing there. It has since grown to run projects in Greece, Italy and the UK.
The Magpie Project
The Magpie Project runs sessions for mums and under-5s who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. They provide practical support around housing, immigration, domestic violence, emotional support and a social network to help build resilience and a sense of belonging. Their goal is to make sure that children growing up in insecure accommodation still have access to a safe and fun environment.
The project was set up in 2017 by local residents, who were concerned about the most isolated families in their community. A large number of under 5's were growing up in temporary or insecure accommodation and were unable to access the opportunities they needed to build their social, emotional, physical and educational development. By providing services and removing barriers, they help support 400 families a year.
ReconnectEd
ReconnectEd provides a trauma-informed and intensive emotion coaching programme to support young people facing adversity in order to enhance social mobility. ReconnectEd aims to address the root causes of exclusion, strengthen the wellbeing and resilience of young people and facilitate change within the education system.
The CEO and Co-Founder, Alex Hanratty, has a personal connection with the issue of permanent school exclusion as her brother was expelled from school. She strongly believes this led to him developing issues with addiction, debt and poor/abusive relationship choices for many years. This caused distress not only for himself but also for his family and friends.
If you’re looking to find more fulfilment through work, and are looking to make a real difference to those in need, please contact hello@wearematchable.com for more details on how you can get involved with some of these inspiring organisations!
ABOUT MATCHABLE
At Matchable we work with companies and their employees to match them with high impact and innovative skilled volunteering projects at non-profits and impact startups.
If you’re interested in finding out more about offering paid employee volunteering time to your team, get in touch here.