Colleagues from across the Calico Group rolled up their sleeves and gave their time for ‘Volunteer a Day’ – an opportunity for everyone to get out into the community and enjoy giving something back.
From litter picking to planting flowers, helping out at community centres to supporting customers, the Going Green team organised a day of activities for colleagues to choose and take part in.
By giving a few hours of their time, the volunteers actively contributed to the 17 Global Goals – especially those focused on sustainable communities, responsible consumption, and climate action.
Julie Wilks, Group Head of Health & Safety, volunteered at Burnley Wood Community Centre, where she enjoyed helping plant colourful new flowers in their communal garden space.
Talking about her day, she said: “I know it’s a cliché, but it felt really nice to contribute to something that brought some colour back to a shared space that everyone can enjoy”.
She continued: “Working alongside the other volunteers brings that sense of teamwork and it was an activity where we saw the impact of what we had done immediately – freshly planted flowers and greenery.
“Everyone agreed that it was incredibly rewarding. It reminded us of how small actions can make a big difference, not just to the environment, but to the people who enjoy the space every day!”
Meanwhile, GDPR Administrator, Catherine Hartley, spent her volunteer time on Calico’s reception desk at Centenary Court. She shared: “It was so interesting to work on reception and have direct contact with our customers. It was a busy morning and flew by! Thanks to Dom for taking the time to show me the ropes”.
Heading outdoors, two teams grabbed their litter pickers to help make steps towards a cleaner, greener world. One team united with Calico’s Clean and Green Team up in Barclay Hills, whilst another joined forces with Burnley Borough Council to remove rubbish from Queens Park.
Together, the two teams made big steps to help clean up Burnley. They removed over 20 bin bags of rubbish and several bulky items.
Eve Kilbride from Media & Comms joined Burnley Council at Queens Park. She said: “I was genuinely surprised by how much rubbish I found in such a nice park. It felt amazing to do something positive and walking away knowing I helped made it all worth it”.
Rachel Jackson, Group Volunteer Co-ordinator, said: “Volunteering is so beneficial for individuals to allow them to experience something different and to support and get closer to our local community. It encourages collaboration and having to opportunity to see things from a different lens”.
Talking about her own experience of volunteering with Calico’s Clean & Green Team, Rachel added: “I really enjoyed the litter pick, mainly because I could see how we were helping to make a difference’ It was also great to work with others from across the group I wouldn’t usually work with”.
Mark Ashworth from the Going Green Team, organised the event. He shared: “Small acts like these support big global goals – like protecting nature, creating cleaner spaces, and building stronger, more connected communities. All work to our values that we all pride ourselves on.
“It was good to see so many people from across the Group get involved with positive comments received from their experiences. It’s days like this that show the power of teamwork, compassion, and local action.
Thank you for showing up and living our values, not just in words, but in action”.
