Leading Bristol recruiters Gi Group UK and Marks Sattin, have shown support for their parent company’s CSR initiatives by volunteering at their local charity, Help Bristol’s Homeless – with the team donning painting overalls to create welcoming temporary living spaces in shipping containers.
Gi Group Holding includes subsidiary companies Gi Group UK – which employs 600 people nationally and operates 26 branches and 61 sites across the country - and Marks Sattin. Gi Group has a branch in Bradley Stoke and Marks Sattin has a branch in Bristol City Centre.
The team wanted to support a cause as close to their branch as possible and so chose Help Bristol’s Homeless, which turns ordinary, disused shipping containers into safe, warm and unique micro-flats. The team spent their corporate volunteering day giving these units a new lease of life with some TLC and a lick of vibrant paint. From qualified counselling, mentoring services and food supplies to training facilities, job support and massage therapy, the charity provides a one-stop-shop for homeless people locally.
Sally Charlton, People Partner at Gi Group Holding, comments:
“It is really important across our businesses that our teams give back to their local communities and make a positive impact. The world can be a really scary place for so many people and with so much change, a safe and secure place to live has become a luxury for many. We’re incredibly proud that the Bristol team dedicated their time to support this local charity, taking our company wide efforts to an important cause right on our doorstep. This sort of proactive charity work is just brilliant to see, especially when it is helping communities close to our branches and offering tangible support to those facing challenging times.”
Help Bristol’s Homeless is a unique charity that believes housing comes first when supporting the homeless. The charity recognises the challenges of homelessness and believes the priority for tackling these issues is to get people into safe, stable and comfortable accommodation.
Research from Government’s rough sleeping snapshot in England has shown that in 2023 an estimated 67 people were sleeping rough in Bristol compared to 58 in 2022, an increase of 16%.
Jasper Thompson, founder of Help Bristol’s Homeless, commented:
"Thank you for coming to the project,we appreciate all the hard work that was done by your team. It might not seem a lot but to us it was quite substantial. Everyone worked hard and looked as though they enjoyed it."
The Government’s rough sleeping snapshot in England has also reported that 3898 people were sleeping rough across England in Autumn 2023 which is a 27% increase on the previous year. This is the second year in a row that the government has reported an increase and is the sharpest rise over 12 months since 2015.
Ali Arslan, Recruitment Consultant at Marks Sattin Bristol Branch, commented:
“It was a great honour to help and support Jasper’s vision, whilst giving back to the local community. We met with some of the residents whilst working and listened to their incredible stories and it was a fantastic opportunity to help out. We are planning on going back for their food nights and continuing our relationship with Jasper and the organisation.”
Not only is volunteering a positive use of time within the local community, it has also been found that itprovides individuals with a feeling of belonging and reduces the feeling of isolation. Helping others is thought to be one of the ways that people create, maintain, and strengthen their social connections – something Gi Group encourages within its companies. Not only is this work ethic strengthened within the workplace, but it is also supported outside of the business. The organisation aims to ensure its employees support on-going company CSR initiatives, utilising their workforce of hundreds to create a positive change.
For more information about Gi Group in the UK, please visit: uk.gigroup.com
For more information about Marks Sattin, please visit: https://www.markssattin.co.uk/