K2 Australia take part in volunteering day as part of K2’s drive to increase global charitable initiatives
Back in May, K2’s Australian office took part in a volunteering day at the Sydney City Salvos, in Waterloo.
The Sydney City Salvos offer a safe space for the inner-city community and provide a variety of programmes and services to some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups in Sydney.
A place where everyone is welcome to come and connect, members of the community can enjoy the on-site café and weekly BBQ, as well as being able to access essential services such as case management, OrangeSky Laundry, emergency clothing assistance, and a chaplaincy service.
Rochelle Apaapa, K2 Australia’s Charity Champion, leads on the organisation of charitable initiatives in the region:
“When looking for local charities to partner with, we found we were coming up against some barriers. As a small team, some of the organisations that we initially approached rebuffed us on the basis that we couldn’t commit to the man-hours they needed.
We’re delighted that after a bit more digging, our search led us to the Sydney City Salvos, as they are such a brilliant organisation. They really have the needs of the local community at the heart of everything they do, and gladly invited us to spend some time volunteering with them.”
Throughout the course of the day, the K2 Australia team were on hand to assist with the preparation and service of meals in the cafe and help with the organisation of the community BBQ. They also undertook a number of other tasks, such as sorting out donations in the ‘op-shop’, co-ordinating table tennis and other leisure activities, and helping with the general maintenance of the centre.
Rochelle continues:
“The volunteering day provided us with a chance to get stuck in and offered a really great opportunity for the team to bond with each other in a different environment, whilst working together to help our community.
This was our first session with the Sydney City Salvos but we hope to organise more visits in the near future, as part of our plans to support them on an ongoing basis.”
K2 strive to be responsible corporate citizens and are committed to positively contributing to the local communities in the areas where we operate. It is this commitment that has been the driving force behind the development of our global programme of charitable activity.
In 2022 K2 introduced two days paid charitable leave for all employees, to enable, and encourage, team members around the world to get out and support an array of incredible causes during working hours. Last year the company launched a Charity Champions programme, which saw passionate individuals in each region put themselves forward to help develop and maintain charity partnerships, identify new opportunities to get involved with community projects, and co-ordinate local volunteering initiatives. Through the implementation of both of these schemes, there has been a significant increase in both employee engagement and volunteer participation in K2’s charitable activities.
– Rochelle Apaapa, K2 Australia’s Charity Champion
K2’s Global Head of Compliance & ESG, Linda Rafferty, comments:
“Having one or two individuals in each office who can be responsible for liaising with charity partners in their location, championing chosen charities internally and taking the lead on planning local volunteering events, has really helped us to build our programme of charitable activity and keep momentum going. The idea is that by offering a more expansive programme of volunteering opportunities in each region, there’s more chance of everyone finding something that resonates with them and that they are keen to get involved in.
Whether it’s helping with Iftar meal distribution in Dubai or taking elderly members of the community out for trishaw rides in Sweden, so far this year we’ve seen a huge variety of activities take place throughout the K2 office network, with many more planned for the remainder of 2024. With everything that’s taken place or is scheduled, we always keep in mind how we are working towards supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, whilst meeting our own ESG goals and aligning with those of our partners and clients.”
In addition to offering enhanced opportunities to build social connections, and giving participants a sense of purpose and accomplishment, research has shown that there are tangible physical and mental health benefits to volunteering, with some studies even suggesting that volunteering can increase your levels of oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. Increased employee wellbeing translates into greater productivity and focus, and in turn improves service delivery.
Linda continues:
“Employee wellbeing is paramount, and something that we are always looking to improve, as set out within the People & Culture pillar of our Kinetic strategy. Giving members of the K2 Family the chance to give back, whilst also reaping health benefits themselves, is a definite win-win.
We know that the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices of suppliers are important to our clients, just as the CSR practices of our clients are important to us. We are proud to work with organisations whose values align with our own.”
–Linda Rafferty, Global Head of Compliance & ESG
The K2 Foundation
In 2023 K2 set up the K2 Foundation, the aim of which was to provide a vehicle for K2, as a global organisation, to more easily extend support to causes and projects around the world. A major focus since the Foundation’s launch has been funding a project to rebuild a school in a São Paulo favela, the completion of which will provide a facility for up to 150 children per day to be cared for, schooled and fed.
The Foundation’s inaugural fundraising event saw 24 members of the global K2 Team head to Nepal to take on the ambitious Everest Base Camp trek and deliver support on multiple local volunteering projects.
As one of the team members who took part in the Everest trek, Linda reflects:
“Whilst it was most definitely one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, it was also one of the most rewarding. Knowing that through our actions, we were raising funds that would go towards supporting local children in a São Paulo favela, who so desperately need a safe space to receive an education, was enough of an incentive to conquer Everest Base Camp.
As the final push to finish the school building project approaches, we are all incredibly excited to see the end results, and I personally feel very proud to know that I played some small part in the delivery of something so special.”
