Young people at Darwen Youth Zone transform old tees into trendy totes

SUEZ are a local waste management business which is dedicated to protecting the environment and building a sustainable future. A core part of their mission is to reduce resource consumption by encouraging reuse of existing materials.

As a Silver Patron of Blackburn and Darwen Youth Zone, SUEZ has volunteered to run several corporate volunteering workshops focused on biodiversity and sustainability during the school holidays this year. These workshops are for Patrons of the Youth Zone to upskill young people and give them career insights.

Through Corporate Volunteering, patrons of Blackburn and Darwen Youth Zone have conducted 21 workshops across both Blackburn and Darwen sites, involving 94 corporate volunteers from the Patron network and totalling 526.5 corporate volunteering hours.

Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone serves as a bridge connecting 5,000 members of the Youth Zone aged 5 - 25 to the Patron network, which consists of 74 businesses.

Lorraine Thompson, Administration Manager at SUEZ, organised the workshop. “We wanted the young people to take something away from the corporate volunteering workshop that they could be proud of while learning more about the concept of reuse.

“We were thrilled by the young people's enthusiasm and their keen interest in the broader message of sustainability. In the morning, we made bird feeders so the young people could create a space for nature in their gardens. We ran the t-shirt session in the afternoon – it was great seeing the young people being creative and using their imagination to come up with some brilliant designs.

“The Youth Zone provides a vital service for young people in the local area, and we are delighted to support them as a patron and to have the opportunity to attend and run corporate volunteering workshops”.

Tamara Hitchen from Blackburn and Darwen Youth Zone said, “Corporate volunteering is a fantastic way for SUEZ employees to connect with young people, upskill them, and give back to a local charity. We piloted it last year and, due to its success, it is now embedded into all of our holiday clubs. It’s always a pleasure to welcome SUEZ back. The young people learn a lot from their interactive, fun sessions, and we’re grateful for their ongoing support as patrons. We look forward to more exciting workshops in the future. We are always excited to welcome new patrons who are interested in joining our Corporate Volunteering workshops and making a positive impact in the community.”