The Coventry 4 Good team at VAC hosted a free event on Tuesday 2nd December that bought businesses and professionals that wanted to share their time, skills and resources together with voluntary and community organisations in need of support. The lunch time ‘speed networking' event attracted interest from a range of local good causes that need help to undertake renovation projects, develop databases, create new play areas, support creative therapeutic sessions as well as those seeking donations of office furniture and goods that can be distributed to families in crisis. Sue Ogle, Director of Operations and Development said ‘We are delighted that this event has proved so popular with businesses and local good causes. It is fantastic to see people taking time out during the run up to Christmas to demonstrate their commitment to helping others'
This event was a first step for VAC in bridging the gap between the sectors and a way of testing whether networking events are the right approach. Some attendees felt they needed more time between ‘appointments', others would have liked a larger room as it did get quite noisy. One participant said ‘Thank you for organising the event. It was a great start to what promises to become a valuable forum for those in need and those willing to help.'
#GivingTuesday is a global movement which aims to create an international day on 2nd December each year focused on the spirit of giving - presenting the perfect antidote to Black Friday. #GivingTuesday is a call to action to celebrate giving and encourage more, better and smarter giving during the festive season. It aims to encourage the creativity and energy of people all over the world to work together for good.
