Astutis Celebrate Volunteering Week with a Clean Sweep

01-07 June 2023 is Volunteering Week in the United Kingdom. The week symbolises the unification and community spirit that comes from volunteering in any capacity. Every year local communities around the country organise events that unite people and promote selflessness. The week advocates for strengthened relationships built on effective human communication, meaning we must put our phones away for some time! 

Volunteering and this week's message to children worldwide are very important; selfless acts are uniquely rewarding. Some people might be put off by the notion of giving up their free time for an act of volunteering; however, according to NCVO, almost one in five (17%) people reported volunteering at least once a month, about 9.2m people. Data suggests that despite a significant hit in the rate of volunteering because of the onset of the COVID pandemic, volunteering remains a priority for the British public. 

The week also offers people a platform to praise the sacrifices those who volunteer make to support their local communities, whether it be coaching a sports club or litter-picking. 

Astutis wanted to commemorate Volunteering Week by showcasing some of our volunteering in our local area of South Wales. 2,363 litter pickers logged their experience with Keep Britain Tidy in May 2023 alone. We wanted to join them, so we took several members of Astutis staff for a planned litter pick. 

The Astutis Litter-Pickers!: (left to right) Cole Vyas, Toby Howell and Hayley Mastin. 

 

Supporting your local area on planned litter picks is vital to ensuring your area is as clean as possible. Every piece of litter you pick up is one less item an animal can damage or trap itself in. With that mindset, every little thing we do to reduce litter and waste has an impact. 

As part of our recent environmental initiatives, we are driven to proactively combat climate change and reduce litter in the local area. We recognise the importance of eliminating single-use plastics from our premises. The plight of single-use plastics in Britain is proving to be hugely detrimental to the waste management situation throughout the United Kingdom. We are happy to report the use of single-use plastics has been curbed in the Astutis office. Furthermore, we have enforced a company-wide lights-out scheme that embraces natural light and minimises the use of office lighting unless necessary. 

However, we also want to thank the Astutis staff who have sacrificed their free time recently to join their peers in planned litter picks. The pictures shared here are only from the most recent litter pick. We are proud to announce we have many more planned on the horizon. 

Our local area of Nantgarw, situated in the Rhondda Cynon Taff, is intimately connected with nature. Very close to our headquarters lies Cadw, translated from Welsh it reads 'keeping/preserving', which is very poignant as Cadw is the environmental service of the Welsh Government. The location itself is surrounded by the tree-speckled Montanha, Craig yr Allt and the Mynydd Meio peaks, all rich in vibrant green and animal life. 

Luckily, because of our location, we are blessed by just looking out of our office window. In doing so, we are reminded of the utmost importance of preserving ecosystems and minimising the effect of our behaviour on animals and their habitats. 

This week, think about how you or your organisation can become #LitterHero and positively impact your local area! 

Astutis would like to thank all volunteers up and down the United Kingdom for their continued sacrifice and selflessness during a trying time for everyone. 

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