Across the country, our teams are working to transform the lives of those we help every day. Though their roles, they are dedicated to making a real impact on the communities we serve. This is why, each year, we give our colleagues protected time to give back to the local causes that matter the most to them.
Since Maximus launched its volunteering initiative in 2021, hundreds of colleagues have spent thousands of hours supporting a range of local charities and community organisations.
In Bradford, our colleagues recently gave their time to homelessness charity, Emmaus Bradford, helping with their restoration project. Founded in 2011, Emmaus Bradford is the 30th Emmaus community in the UK, providing work, daily support and training to people who have experienced homelessness.
Last year, the charity took ownership of a former residential care home, Pollard House, where it will provide long-term accommodation for people who have experienced homelessness. The staffed community will help people to regain the skills and confidence they need to move forward with their lives independently.
With the project due for completion in December this year, renovations are already underway, but the charity needed help to tackle the sheer volume of tasks. Over the course of the week, 17 Maximus colleagues, including Employment Advisors and Business Managers, attended to assist with the renovations.
Stacey Parry, Social Value Manager at Maximus, explained the importance of these volunteering opportunities: “Volunteering is an integral part of our Social Value commitment as it really helps us to foster and nurture relationships locally.
“Getting involved in projects such as Pollard House is extremely important to us. We’re really proud to support charities like Emmaus and look forward to continuing this partnership, and seeing it go from strength to strength in the future.”
Darrell Tinsley, Chief Executive Officer at Emmaus Bradford, said: “The volunteering by Maximus has been really appreciated. The volunteers’ involvement has accelerated the progress of the project, and their contribution will have a huge impact on our companions at Pollard House.”
Emmaus Bradford companion Steve, who will be living in Pollard House once the work is complete, has been carrying out much of the restoration himself and was there to assist our colleagues on the day.
Emmaus Bradford companion Steve said: “I was homeless, living on the streets when I got referred to Emmaus. Since then, I’ve been working to get Pollard House ready for other companions to move into. We’ve got eight rooms completed, and there’s still another 20 to do, but the volunteers from Maximus have helped loads. I’m really appreciative of their help and I can’t thank them enough for it.”
Maximus colleagues were tasked with a range of jobs to the exterior and interior of the property, including gardening, removing old carpets, sanding down and painting bedrooms.
Bradley Knowles, Maximus Business Manager, was one of the volunteers who took part in the project: “Many of our team were keen to be involved with Emmaus as we know of the fantastic work that they do and how they help our participants locally.
“We are massively proud to be involved in this project. We’re in this line of work because we love to be helpful to the local community and to improve the lives of the people around us, so to be volunteering at Emmaus is a real privilege.”
Darrell Tinsley, Chief Executive Officer at Emmaus Bradford, added: “The future of the Maximus and Emmaus Bradford partnership looks really promising. We both have a common goal of supporting individuals who are in need. Moving forward we aim to strengthen our collaboration, explore further opportunities for volunteering and support and continue working together to address the challenges faced by the community.
“Together we can create lasting change and help more individuals to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.”
