A Cumbria charity cash giveaway which started during lockdown has raised more than £11,000 for local causes.
Workers at United Utilities’ Whitehaven call centre started the weekly fund-raiser during lockdown to help keep team spirits high and lend each other moral support while most of them were working from home.
Fifteen local good causes got a share of the cash, which came from an array of virtual challenges and good old-fashioned whip rounds topped up by £500 a week by the company itself.
Now, as more staff start coming back to a specially COVID-adapted workplace this week, the lockdown giveaway has come to an end.
Call centre manager Lyndsey Moffitt said fund-raising would continue but at a rate seen pre COVID.
“We have always liked to do fund-raising and this has been a good way to keep us all in touch while we have been working remotely. Now that more of us are going to be back in the office we’ll go back to the way we used to do it,” she said.
Heath, Safety and Wellbeing director Paula Steer, who has been overseeing United Utilities efforts to support employees working at home and in the office said: “Although a limited number of our staff carried on coming into our offices throughout lockdown, many switched entirely to working from home. It’s been a huge challenge for everyone so this week will be a welcome step back towards normality.
“Things will not be exactly as they were pre-lockdown. The need to maintain a social distance of at least 2m means we can’t have people seated at every desk, but teams will be back on a rota system so everyone gets at least some time back in the office. It will be good to get some normality and rhythm back into the working week,” she said.
As well as staggered seating arrangements, lower room occupancy and enhanced cleaning, the open plan office will be operating as a one-way circulation system. Special cleaning stations with hand-sanitiser and other cleaning equipment will be available for staff to use and there will be voluntary temperature checking at the building’s entrance.
Charities to benefit from the funds raised during lockdown were: Whitehaven Hospital, Mirehouse Residents’ Group, Age UK West Cumbria, ScrubHub, Jack’s Journey, Hospice at Home West Cumbria, North Lakes Foodbank, Whitehaven Community First Responders, West Cumbria Carers, Whitehaven Community Trust, Whitehaven RNLI, Cumbria Family Support LTD West Cumbria Woman to Woman, Pets Lifeline Cumbria and Copeland Amateur Swimming Club.
