In the three months since the lockdown started, staff at Phoebus Software Ltd (PSL), has raised over £2,415 for charity while also looking after the health and welfare of its staff. The majority of the money raised will go to PSL’s nominated charity Acorn Children’s Hospice based in Selly Oak, Worcester and Walsall.
The PSL staff charity committee’s fundraising initiatives have involved an online ‘Disco Bingo’, a virtual Grand National sweepstake that raised £300 which was then matched by PSL; a charity raffle which raised £475, while a member of staff also did a fire walk where he walked across hot coals for Acorns Hospice too raising an additional £109.
In addition, PSL has looked after the mental and physical welfare of its staff by organising interactive online games, a Fifa Fridays football quiz and daily video workouts with a personal trainer hired by PSL.
The business says the combination of all these initiatives has not only raised money for charity but has helped to keep PSL staff fit and well both mentally and physically and kept a sense of community.
Following the disco bingo, one member of staff said, “It was really good. Thanks for organising it – I’ve been feeling a bit isolated lately and it really cheered me up. It’s great that we raised a few quid and that the winners and organiser have donated to our chosen charity. I’m back to work on Monday and looking forward to it.”
Kate Langton, HR manager at PSL, said” “Charity and staff welfare are at the heart of what we are about at PSL. The lockdown has hit many charities hard as they haven’t been able to carry out the usual fundraising activities on which they depend to survive, so the PSL staff charity committee had a concerted push to raise even more money than they would usually have done, particularly focusing on Acorns Hospice which all the staff had voted for at the start of the year.
“Lockdown has been a challenging time for many staff as they cannot mix with their friends or colleagues as they would do normally, so many of the charity events have been designed around bringing people together and recreating that sense of community and belonging, doing good not only for the charities we support but also for our staff.”
