KCOM’s Employee Volunteering Day at The Crown Community Centre

On 6 November 2024, KCOM employees participated in a fully brokered employee volunteering day at The Crown Community Centre in Bridlington. This initiative was part of their Smile365 Plus package, offered by the HEY Smile Foundation.

The Opportunity

As Smile365 Plus members, KCOM employees are given time off work to give back to their local community through employee volunteering opportunities which is organised by HEY Smile Foundation.

Crown Community Centre

The Crown Community Centre in Bridlington is part of HEY Smile Foundation, set up as a project to transform the life chances of the people of Bridlington. Community organisations based at the Crown offer health and wellbeing events and activities. In addition the centre also provides meeting space for other local organisations.

The Volunteering Day

With the aim of tidying up the Crown Community Centre, KCOM staff members dedicated their time and effort to ensure it remains a vital resource for the Bridlington community. The volunteers worked diligently to prepare the centre for its ongoing community support activities.

Impact and Experience

Louise Babych, Community Impact Partner at KCOM, shared her thoughts on the day:

“It was a fabulous day helping to tidy up the Crown Community Centre and making sure it can continue doing all the great work it does in the local Bridlington community.

“It’s massively rewarding to be part of a day that makes a tangible difference to a vital inclusive community resource like the Crown. I really enjoyed being part of the team on the day and we look forward to organising more volunteering opportunities for our KCOM staff through our partnership with Smile as Smile365 members.”

Long-term Benefits

Tessa Wray, Head of Partnerships at HEY Smile Foundation, emphasised the broader impact of such volunteering initiatives:

“The work the volunteers do on the day is extremely helpful, but the added value of the volunteering is the connections that are made, the inspiration that’s born for future support. When businesses see first-hand the challenges groups face and how they can support further, it creates lasting partnerships. Seeing is believing.”

To get involved with the Smile365 Corporate volunteering programme, please email volunteering@heysmilefoundation.org.