I would thoroughly recommend volunteering using the Staff Volunteer Policy

Here at Somerset County Council we’ll give you up to five days a year paid time off to do your bit through our staff volunteering policy.

One of the less obvious ways to increase your skills is through volunteering. As well as being great for local communities, it’s brilliant for boosting self-confidence or developing teamworking skills. That’s why we encourage everyone here to give it a go.

Staff from across the council share their recent experience volunteering at Cothelstone Hill in Somerset. The days were hosted by Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme – huge thanks to them for giving our teams the opportunity to get out in the fresh air and to help conserve the natural beauty of Somerset.

So many of us felt it was a perfect tonic from working from home and highly recommend – a great way to socialise, work as a team with colleagues from other departments, share volunteering experience and ideas, spend time in a beautiful natural environment and support habitat and its residents – it was dormouse week!

Hannah, Support Services for Education

The Travel Plan team had not all met up before and really welcomed the opportunity to get out into the fresh air to not only get to know each other but work together on a project. We spent the day clearing the excess branches off the trees to allow the sunlight to come through the canopy and encourage new growth – a fitting analogy of how the team building exercise affected us as team members. It is certainly something we will look to do annually.

Lesley, Travel Plan team

I joined my team in April of this year and so it was really great to be able to spend some time with the members of my team, that I had not spoken to much previously, and to get to see everyone in person. Being able to help the local environment and build team relationships at the same time was awesome.

Tyler, Insurance team

Who would have thought that cutting down trees in these times of focus on climate change was the “right thing” to do? What did I know about looking after our precious Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty? Nothing! After our volunteering day with the Quantock Landscape Partnership I realise that volunteer work is extremely fun, rewarding and an opportunity for expanding my learning.  Couldn’t recommend it enough!  Easily my best ‘working’ day in September 2021.

Sian, Property team