Mandy’s story | Volunteering at Progress Housing Group

At Progress, we're proud to offer an employer-led volunteering programme with community activities for our colleagues and their teams throughout the year. In addition, we also provide one day’s paid leave per annum for a volunteering activity to support our colleagues' personal and professional development. 

Our colleagues have volunteered to plant bulbs, clear fly-tipped areas, work at local food banks, fit a new kitchen in a community centre, upgrade gardens at independent living schemes and much more!

Colleagues have also used their one-day paid volunteering leave to take part in volunteering opportunities that they are involved in outside of the Group, such as our Technical Officer, Mick, and Assistant Accountant, Michelle, who last year led their Explorer Scouts group to complete the Yorkshire three-peaks challenge!

For #VolunteersWeek, we spoke to our Director of Digital Services, Mandy, about her volunteering and board roles at St Catherine's Hospice in Lancashire.

"I became a volunteer at St Catherine's Hospice in December 2020, and I am a trustee on the board. 

“I had been looking for an opportunity to join a company as a board member to broaden my skills and knowledge in my current role as Digital Services Director. I wasn’t looking for a paid role, but I was looking for something where I could make a difference.

St Catherine's is an independent charity that cares for patients and families across Chorley, Preston and South Ribble who are affected by life-shortening conditions like cancer, Motor neurone disease (MND) and heart failure. They support people to achieve what’s important to them in the time that they have; to have a quality of life until the end of life. 

“It’s the work that St Catherine's does that appealed to me - and their values are similar to ours at Progress Housing Group.

“My role at St Catherine's has provided personal and professional development; I sit on the IT, Health and Safety, and Finance and Audit Committees. As well as having an active role as a board member ensuring the smooth running of the organisation, I also provide IT, data and cyber security knowledge and guidance. 

“Most of my commitments take place early in the morning or early evening. Occasionally, I need to attend meetings for a full day, and I have used the Group's volunteering policy, which provides flexibility (agreed with my line manager) so I can attend some of these meetings.

“I really enjoy my role, and I am incredibly proud of the difference St Catherine's makes to people and families at a very difficult time.”

• Mandy

Here at Progress, supporting our colleagues to volunteer is a big part of our commitment to creating and maintaining resilient and strong communities. We're making a difference in the communities that we serve, and we're investing in our people and their personal and professional development.

If you want to find out more, you can see our People Promise https://corporate.progressgroup.org.uk/about-us/our-promises/our-people-promise/ and our pay and benefits offer https://corporate.progressgroup.org.uk/work-for-us/our-pay-and-benefits/