Volunteering with Gympanzees

I was initially introduced to Gympanzees by a colleague Maddie Platt. Maddie had been a marketing executive at Gympanzees, and despite having left over a year ago, she has remained a fierce advocate for the work that Gympanzees do.  

 

At our company strategy event in 2021, we heard from 5 team members about potential charities that our business could support over the next two years. After presentations, questions and a secret ballot, Gympanzees came out as the overwhelming favourite. Along with many of my colleagues, I was really impressed by the clear need that Gympanzees was filling in the Bristol area and a compelling vision. 

On the 20th of April, I had my first opportunity to volunteer at Gympanzees Pop Up. I was a little unsure of what to expect from the day and didn’t have any experience working in a similar environment. Along with three of my colleagues, we were met by the Gympanzees staff, who gave us a comprehensive briefing and set clear expectations for the roles that were expected of us on the day. Then it was time to do a tour of the facility, and we were blown away by the thought and care that had gone into creating so many rooms which catered for a huge range of kids, carers and parents.