In addition to donating funds to charities, we also encourage employee volunteering, and in particular skills-related volunteering.

In New York, a number of our employees take part in the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor program (BBBS). The charity matches adult mentors who can provide guidance, friendship and support to at-risk youths. The programme reaches out to children who face significant challenges including trouble with the law, teenage mothers, children of new immigrants and traumatized children.

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.