Give a Little, Help a Lot: How a simple idea sparked a BIG impact

A spark of inspiration can go a long way, and for our Community Connectors, one training session was all it took to plant the seed for a powerful team effort.

During the session, the team learned that foodbank donations drop significantly after Christmas, leaving many organisations struggling to meet the growing need for emergency food parcels. Hearing this struck a chord. And that’s when Andrea had an idea around ‘Give a Little, Help a Lot.’

She shared her vision with her manager, who immediately saw its potential. After a chat with our CEO, who wholeheartedly agreed, the plan was set in motion.

To keep things fair and inclusive, Andrea invited the entire CAN team to nominate their favourite foodbank. All the suggestions were collected, and at November’s All Team Away Day, a name was drawn from the bag. The successful recipient chosen was Poole Waste Not Want Not.

Andrea reached out to Ericka, PWNWN CEO, who was delighted to hear the news. From there, the collection began. Team members brought in items from the donation list, steadily filling the crate. Some colleagues also chose to donate money, which funded a shopping trip to top up the collection even further. By the end, the team had gathered two large crates and two big shopping bags to the brim.

When Andrea shared photos of the generous haul with Ericka, her response said it all: “Wow, thank you so much. Thank you for your kindness… We managed to support over 150 families with festive hampers – gave out 130 joints of meat, hundreds of bags of veggies, and wrapped over 1000 presents!”

A simple idea with a collaborative spirit made a real difference. Give a little, help a lot and watch how far it goes.

To learn more about the incredible work being done at Poole Waste Not Want Not, visit www.poolewnwn.co.uk.