#StrongerTogether with Colette Teeters, Premier Lotteries Ireland Volunteer

Premier Lotteries Ireland is participating in the Business Impact Map and the #strongertogether campaign.The interactive map launching today showcases what companies are doing for their local communities across the country and also shows the collective impact of the network. As we unveil the impact achieved by the participating companies in 2017 we take the opportunity to hear from the volunteers that make this impact a reality.

Colette Teeters works as an office manager with the Camelot Global team based in the National Lottery headquarters. As part of the #StrongerTogether campaign, Colette shares her experience and thoughts on volunteering.

Tell us about your volunteering experience …

My interest in volunteering began some years ago when I lived in the US. I got involved with an agency in San Francisco, California called Project Open Hand, who provided people who are sick with meals, groceries and a nutrition/wellness programme to support their medical treatment. I volunteered two days a week in the in-house supermarket, helping the clients with their weekly shop. When I moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas I did a stint in the A&E department of St Edward’s Hospital, helping out with the processing of paperwork.

Working as a service provider for the National Lottery, Dublin I have signed up to volunteer with ALONE. To date, we have carried out gardening work, painting and tidying up at one of their residential housing complexes for the elderly in Dublin, and we sang Christmas carols under Clery’s clock on O’Connell Street to raise some much needed funds.

Why did you decide to take part and volunteer?

I am a real people person and love helping out. On top of that, studies have shown that it is good for your health and well-being, because helping someone else interrupts tension-producing patterns and replaces it with a sense of purpose, positive emotions and high confidence levels. It’s also an opportunity to learn new skills, meet people from all walks of life and gives you a different view of your community. While I may not have extra cash to give to a charity or a good cause, I know I can give my time, which hopefully will have a bigger impact.

What did you enjoy from the experience?

Rolling up my sleeves and getting stuck in. I also enjoyed the interaction with the other volunteers, and the sense that we were all there to get a job done. I got to interact with some of the residents, who seemed to enjoy the opportunity to ask questions about the Lottery and told us what they would do if they won big.

What would you say to a colleague who hasn’t volunteered before to encourage him/her to give it a go?

Go for it! Find an organisation that you are interested in, and give it a try. The rewards will be life-changing.

How important is it to you that the company you work for shares your values and facilitates you to undertake volunteering activities as part of your role?

While we all have busy schedules and have long “to do” lists, we can spare a few hours here and there. It is fabulous that we are encouraged to partake and volunteer and on the company’s time too. I have recently signed up to become a befriender volunteer with ALONE, and am looking forward to providing companionship to an isolated older person through a weekly volunteer visit.

Visit the Business Impact Map  to see the impact that Premier Lotteries Ireland employees have made in 2017.

Find out more about CSR at Premier Lotteries Ireland.

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