In addition to donating funds to charities, we also encourage employee volunteering, and in particular skills-related volunteering.
In the Americas, Barclays Capital professionals leverage their time, talents and resources to make contributions to the community in meaningful ways. In 2009, over 2,000 employees participated in volunteer activities. Opportunities to make a difference include teaching disadvantaged children about financial literacy, participating in mentoring programs to prepare at-risk high school students for college, conducting mock interviews for economically disadvantaged adults, revitalizing local parks and schools, and serving food in local pantries and shelters.
In the UK, our employees have been extending their skills beyond the workplace to help local community projects. Over 70 employees spend one lunch hour a week helping local primary school children with their literacy and numeric skills. Various summer internships are arranged for local students. A number of employees are involved in an innovative cyber-mentoring programme with the charity Beatbullying. French and Spanish-speaking staff act as learning partners for local schoolchildren prior to their ‘A’ level exams. The number of volunteering opportunities available is growing, with employees valuing the opportunity this gives for self-development.
In Asia Pacific, charity and volunteer working groups have been set up in our Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo offices. Teams of employees regularly take part in volunteering projects. Recent activities include planting trees, along with under-privileged children, to support the ecosystem, and promoting the use of bicycles by holding a fun racing event at which IT colleagues also shared their expertise with local school children. Colleagues in Thailand are very supportive of the Human Development Foundation (HDF) and have taken part in charitable activities organized by HDF towards the reconstruction of Morawan preschool. The new facility offers a safe, clean and conducive learning environment for children from poor families.
