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Lines open 8am - 5pm, Monday - Friday09 Jan 2026
In December 2025, three colleagues from AKW and DLP were named ‘Volunteer of the Year’ in light of their efforts to give back to their local communities through the Helping Hands Volunteering Scheme.
Launched in 2022, Helping Hands encourages colleagues across AKW and DLP to get involved with local charities and good causes by volunteering during their working day.
300 paid volunteering days are available across each calendar year – approximately 1-2 per colleague – which enable employees to get out into their local area and support people who need it most.
In 2025, 93 days were spent volunteering across the business, at a cost of £13,771.32, with more than 35 charities and causes supported through our teams’ participation.
Some of the projects we were lucky enough to get involved with included conducting emergency repairs at Curragh’s Wildlife Park on the Isle of Man, sorting charity shop donations at St Richard’s Hospice and Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, and caring for rescue ponies at Spirit of the Herd pony sanctuary.
The winners of the 2025 Volunteer of the Year awards were announced in December, with James Randle, Demi Whyte and Allison Du Toit each receiving an online shopping voucher for their efforts.
In May, Product Data Planner, James, joined several other AKW colleagues and volunteers from Sanctuary Housing and OCM to help Worcester Snoezelen redecorate their portacabins. The team spent their day sanding, prepping, priming and painting at the Worcester-based leisure therapy centre who offer a range of person-centred multisensory activities that empower, bring joy and help members make choices and communicate through alternative means.
July saw Customer Support Services Administration Assistant, Demi, visit The Animal Pantry in Redditch, who work hard to enhance quality of life for people of all abilities through engaging in therapeutic activities with animals. Demi joined three other AKW colleagues and assisted the staff with completing a few DIY tasks, as well as helping to feed the animals, muck out and clean the pens.
Throughout the summer, Procurement Team Lead, Allison, lead a 6-week dance and exercise class at Waverley Court retirement complex in Douglas on the Isle of Man. The sessions aimed to get residents up and moving to promote a ‘move it or lose it’ attitude; they were a huge success with more residents signing up after each class!
Congratulations to all our winners; and thank you to our colleagues who volunteered in 2025, as well as everyone in our communities who facilitated the fantastic projects we were able to get involved with.
For more information on the Helping Hands Volunteering Scheme, or our efforts to become a more sustainable business, please visit the ESG area of our website.
