In 2022 we enhanced WPG Giving, our rewards and recognition programme, to support our whole team and our wider community.
On an individual level, this has meant enhanced maternity and paternity pay, the opportunity to buy and sell holiday, gaining birthday holidays, the introduction of well-being workshops, and a Health Cash plan. We recognise too, that many of our team are passionate about supporting charities and community groups, so provide sponsorship support and time off for volunteering.
This is something that as a team, we also encourage, and every year our whole team sets an out of office to enjoy a community enrichment day.
In August 2023, we did our first community enrichment day post-pandemic, tying it in with our annual business review meeting. We spent a day online, focusing internally on our business, followed by a day very much outside, working together and focusing on supporting our local community.
We chose a rare sunny day this summer to visit Attenborough Nature Reserve, which is part of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
Our morning was spent learning about the Wildlife Trust’s fantastic work at the reserve, guided by two of their Engagement Leaders. Not only did we learn about the history of the reserve and the species that thrive there, but we also got a thorough understanding of all the fantastic work they do supporting their community as a hub for wellbeing and educational activities.
After lunch, it was time for us all to get to work. The first team spent their afternoon cutting and pruning hedges. By cutting away overgrown or old things, the team supported the plants in regrowth later in the season.
The second team, worked in the forest school, an area used by many local schools, to produce a fence along the waterline using materials that had been chopped from trees and hedges and also creating a dry floor using woodchips.
Amy Pallot, Work Psychology Group’s Associate Director of Finance, was part of the second group working in the forest school. “Our day was focused on spending time “wild at work” and was attended by the entire team. In the afternoon the volunteer leader explained a lot about the work they do regarding wellbeing and gave us all the opportunity to try some forest bathing. For a lot of us, it was a completely new concept, sitting quietly and just being in nature.”
After a day of hard work, the whole team came together for a well-earned meal. We were even joined by members of the team who are currently on maternity leave and their new plus ones!
The whole day was enjoyed by all, not only as an opportunity to give back to our local community but also as a way to spend the day together, work collaboratively away from the Teams meetings and learn more about our colleagues. Some feedback from the team included how their favourite thing from the day was the “constant sound of laughter” while others enjoyed “being outside for the day and not sat in front of my laptop! It was also great to speak to everyone about things outside of work for the day.”
WPG is committed to making community enrichment days an annual occurrence. Not only was the day an opportunity to give back, but it was also a fantastic way for us to connect as a team and enjoy some time completely offline.
