For Welsh Charities Week Stephanie Steele, Partnerships Manager at Utility Aid explains how supporting employees to volunteer has improved wellbeing and strengthened the organisation’s offer to charities.
At Utility Aid, our purpose is to help voluntary organisations reduce their energy costs so they can concentrate on delivering the services that matter most. But our relationship with the voluntary sector isn’t just transactional – it’s personal. As one of WCVA’s Trusted Suppliers, we believe deeply in the value of volunteering, both for the organisations we support and for our staff who give their time.
Welsh Charities Week offers the perfect moment to celebrate that commitment and reflect on how volunteering strengthens the work we do. We’re really pleased to be sponsoring the week this year.
WHY VOLUNTEERING IS BUILT INTO OUR CULTURE
Utility Aid works exclusively with charities and voluntary organisations, providing energy procurement, account management, invoice validation and carbon reporting support. We reinvest profits back into the sector, sponsor charity‑focused campaigns and offer free consultancy sessions to organisations that need specialist advice before reaching crisis point.
We want our staff to feel connected to the sector in a meaningful way, so every team member receives two paid volunteering days each year, with full freedom to choose the causes closest to their hearts. We also match fundraising efforts, helping colleagues maximise their impact.
Volunteering helps us understand the pressures and realities our customers face and that insight is invaluable.
‘IT GIVES ME A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE’
For me personally, volunteering at Over the Wall Children’s Charity and at a local cat shelter has become an important way of staying grounded. Over the Wall is a charity I used to work for, and it remains incredibly special. It creates transformative camp experiences for children with serious health conditions – a place where they can simply be children, surrounded by others who understand their world.
Time spent volunteering there is rejuvenating. It gives me space away from KPI‑driven days and helps me refocus on what really matters. More importantly, it reminds me just how vital the voluntary sector is. Families rely on the lifelines charities provide, often during their hardest moments.
When I return to my role at Utility Aid, that perspective drives me to deliver the best possible service. The more connected we are to the realities our customers face, the better positioned we are to support them.
‘IT’S ABOUT MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE’
Marketing Manager Sasha Harvey has volunteered across a wide range of organisations, from a donkey sanctuary to food banks, care homes and community groups. Her contributions include writing Christmas cards for older residents, delivering meals during the pandemic, wrapping hampers, supporting a community picnic for Rainbow Stars, coaching Couch to 5k participants, volunteering for her local football club and even helping blind and visually impaired people through the ‘Be My Eyes’ app.
Sasha chooses opportunities where support is genuinely needed:
‘It’s not about the photo op’. Volunteering has also had a lasting impact on her wellbeing and her work:
‘I love it and wish I could do it more. It makes me feel good. And it helps me connect to customers in a better, stronger way.’
UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES CHARITIES FACE
Energy Consultant Jordan Phillips has volunteered twice with the National Autistic Society’s Christmas choir service – a charity that holds personal significance due to his family experience.
For Jordan, volunteering has deepened his understanding of how charities operate day‑to‑day:
‘It helped me understand what goes on behind the scenes and the struggles they face – whether that’s funding or finding volunteers.’
That knowledge helps us tailor our services more effectively, ensuring we support charities in ways that genuinely meet their needs.
A SHARED COMMITMENT TO DOING GOOD
Volunteering brings our team closer to the heart of the voluntary sector. It builds empathy, strengthens understanding and ultimately helps us deliver a more thoughtful, responsive service.
During Welsh Charities Week, we’re proud to celebrate the organisations that make such a profound difference across Wales – and we’re equally proud to stand alongside them, not only as a service provider, but as volunteers, allies and advocates.
Find out how you can get involved in the week at: welshcharitiesweek.cymru
You can find out more about our work at: www.utility-aid.co.uk