Working together to make a difference
- Written by Tessa Ogle
Did you know that in our sector there are thousands of people who are struggling, and over 130,000 of them are eligible for our support? Practical support from the industry can go a very long way in making a huge difference to those who are faced with difficult circumstances on a daily basis.
Therefore, to support people in our industry and help apprentices, pensioners, employees and their families in their time of need the Electrical Industries Charity launched the Employee Assistance Programme of which the Practical Participation Programme is part of.
The Practical Participation Programme harnesses industry’s specialist skills in terms of time, equipment and materials to provide practical help when it is needed most. However, to continue providing practical and financial support to thousands of vulnerable people in our sector, the Charity is calling on the industry to get together and show their support. By joining the programme and volunteering your time, products and skills, you will help the Charity to significantly change many of our colleagues’ quality of life.
Once you join the Programme, you will have a chance to work alongside the Charity and its leading partners in reshaping thousands of people’s lives. The Charity will approach you on an as-needed basis to ask for your practical assistance on specific projects that require building rectification or modification to assist with disability access. As a partner of the Programme, you will also have a chance to provide services and materials on a voluntary basis and as a result, will dramatically help the Charity to reduce the cost of these projects. The Charity would also value your involvement in their regional committees and fundraising activities in your workplaces.
Additionally, every year the Charity selects a major ‘Challenge for a Cause’ initiative to fundraise for, where the financial grant is just too big for the Charity to fund from its general grants. As part of the Challenge for a Cause, the Charity works together with partners of the Practical Participation Programme to help with all the necessary house adaptations needed to support a specific cause.
Through its Practical Participation Programme and the Challenge for a Cause campaign, the Charity has worked with hundreds of industry professionals and helped to reshape many of our colleagues and their families lives. This year the Charity is set to build a better future for the Dickinson family and help Caz Dickinson with her development and care. The Charity aims to raise £250,000 to purchase a house, and through its Practical Participation Programme, work with industry partners to carry out any renovation work which is required to safeguard the future of Caz and her family.
A strong support network from the industry can go a long way in helping those who are in vital need of a helping hand. So, join the Practical Participation Programme today and help people in your industry to look forward to the future.