Its Volunteers Week!
Volunteers’ Week was first established in 1984, by what was then known as Volunteering England. Launched in 1984, this initiative has been running for over 40 years, providing organisations and communities a platform to thank current and past volunteers for their invaluable efforts.
At CAN, we are incredibly proud of our employees who actively volunteer with various charities and organisations in their spare time. Volunteering offers a chance to give back to the community and make an impact. It also equips individuals with key skills that aid in personal and professional development whilst creating positive change.
To celebrate Volunteers Week, we have spotlighted a few of our employees who have dedicated their time to volunteering. We asked them a few questions regarding their volunteer experiences and what it means to them Today, we’re hearing from Ben Wigmore, Keith Strong, Renu Amin and Ian Cullington.
Ben Wigmor
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Principal Mechanical Design Engineer
What is your name, and your volunteer role?
My name is Ben Wigmore, and I volunteer as an Assessor, supporting Professional Review Interviews.
What Charity/Organisation/Group do you volunteer with?
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
How long have you been volunteering with them?
Since April 2024.
What have you enjoyed most about your time volunteering ; do you have any stories?
Mechanical Engineering is a surprisingly broad discipline, and I enjoy being given an insight into these different areas by applicants. Particularly when assessing Chartered Engineer applicants, I find out a lot about novel and state of the art developments going on in different industries. I also enjoy being able to support many engineers in their ambitions to become Professionally Registered. Professional Registration is an aim many engineers aspire to and is an important milestone in their careers, and I am privileged to be involved in that journey for many applicants.
What would you say to anyone who is thinking about volunteering?
For many people in today’s modern society, spare time is often a luxury. However, many volunteering opportunities are flexible and can fit around most individuals’ lifestyles. Being an assessor is great as I get to pick when I want to support interviews and can attend them virtually from home. It’s also very gratifying to help others and great to broaden your own knowledge at the same time.
Keith Strong
Principal Mechanical Design Engineer
What is your name, and your volunteer role?
My name is Keith and my role was providing the venue to raise money for the organisation and dealing with the legalities, authorities, councils and complainants.
What Charity/Organisation/Group do you volunteer with?
Char’s Fund via Onionfest. Char’s Fund was set up to honour the life of a Girl (Charlotte) who died on the beach in the Boxing day Tsunami in Thailand as a living memorial.
‘The charity set up a memorial on the island where she died. It also paid for Clothing and Books and Food to allow children to attend school who were orphaned on that island by the Tsunami. The life choices of these children without school were likely to be Crime, Drugs and Prostitution.
In the end we raised about £150,000 and took 25 children through the whole schooling system and beyond through university. Making a big difference to them and other islanders’ lives.’
The Music festival run on my farm was called Onionfest, which was derived from Charlotte’s nick name: Charlotte -> Shallot->Little Onion-> Onion(fest)
How long have you been volunteering with them?
Approximately 10 years.
What have you enjoyed most about your time volunteering ; do you have any stories?
One year the start of the festival was delayed because of a power cut, during that time I got a visit from the council’s environmental noise abatement officer. He arrived in his van, and I steered him away from the individuals setting up the event. He said there has been 15 complaints about the noise from the festival. “We have a power cut and the music should start in about an hour!” It’s like that then he said and went away realising the validity of the complaints.
The most enjoyable part was not only the knowledge of really making a significant difference, but enjoy seeing the young team I was involved with grow in a really positive way as individuals and make good life choices and journeys. Also the feedback from Individuals who benefitted from the purpose of the charity was amazingly positive and life affirming.
What would you say to anyone who is thinking about volunteering?
Find something that means something to you, follow your heart and be prepared that many will not agree with your choices. Communication within family, groups, especially volunteers is essential to avoid destructive cliques and opinions as everyone approaches and gives their ‘valued’ time with and from different perspectives and goals.
Renu Amin
Mechanical Design Engineer
What is your name, and your volunteer role?
My name is Renu and I have completed a number of voluntary work over the years.
What Charity/Organisation/Group do you volunteer with?
I have volunteered with IMechE Southampton Area Committee, Meon Valley Repair Café, CRY and Naomi House charity shops and Macmillan.
How long have you been volunteering with them?
I have volunteered with IMechE since September 2023, at Meon Valley Repair Café, I volunteered from November 2022 to December 2023 and in July 2020, I volunteered at CRY twice a week for a year and at Naomi’s House, I volunteered once a month from September 2020 – November 2024.
What have you enjoyed most about your time volunteering ; do you have any stories?
The IMechE Southampton Area Committee is actively working amongst the industries and technical institutes within the South-West region of Hampshire to attract, inspire, and mentor new, as well existing, members of IMechE through a variety of events. I found meeting people from different industries, sharing ideas and encouraging students and young engineers for IMechE membership, was rewarding.
At Meon Valley Repair Café in Bishop Waltham, the group offered repair work of various broken household items for free. It was a pleasure to help people not only to save their money from an expensive repair but also save items from being thrown in the bin.
At the CRY and Naomi’s House Charity shops, I helped with various activities like shorting out donations, assisting costumers on shop floor and at till, etc. I enjoyed serving the community in a unique way. It was an opportunity to promote and support reuse of goods as a part of sustainability. Finally, I attended the Macmillan Cancer Support half marathon charity event in 2022 & 2023 and raised money.
What would you say to anyone who is thinking about volunteering?
I would say being a volunteer is an unusual experience one should have at least once to be selfless, give back to the community, expand your network, and develop new skills.
Ian Cullington
Draughtsperson
What is your name, and your volunteer role?
My name is Ian and my volunteer role is a driver.
What Charity/Organisation/Group do you volunteer with?
Sporting Bears Motor Club and Teddy Bear Run.
How long have you been volunteering with them?
Approximately 12 years.
What have you enjoyed most about your time volunteering ; do you have any stories?
What we do takes several forms. With both organisations we raise money for children who are suffering from life limiting conditions, or who have experienced a close family bereavement for example. We raise money for children’s families directly, or for mostly small local children’s charities.
We use our cars for weddings and proms in exchange for donations to pay for bespoke care packages and assist children directly by paying for new mobility equipment, special seating for example.
With the Sporting Bears, we take people on ‘Dream Rides’ for approx. 10 miles in exchange for a donation, 100% of which goes to the relevant charity we’ve chosen for that event. Our donation is our time, wear and tear on the car and fuel. We do this at various events such as the Classic Car Show at the NEC, CarFest and many smaller events all over the country, such as locally at QE Country Park on June 1st and Concorde Classics in Eastleigh in September.
We also run closed events to take out the children and their families from the charities we support, these are the most rewarding and special.
I have regularly had adults and children alike whooping and screaming with joy at a little bit of acceleration and handling perhaps they don’t normally experience, all within the law! Passengers and parent have literally been quoted as saying, we have given them the best day of their lives!
What would you say to anyone who is thinking about volunteering?
Do it! I am lucky, I am doing something I enjoy, but even when I don’t drive, and help with the marshalling, or educating the public at events, the sense of wellbeing is as satisfying as any paid work I have ever done, it helps me sleep well at night. The fact I am always surrounded by many very generous people working for our organisations, who I can call good friends, is also very fulfilling. The best thing though, is the smiles we put on people’s faces, by something as simple as taking them for a ride, or to experience a car they have never experienced before.
