Fish commits staff to charity work

A Preston company which specialises in insurance for disabled people is to pay its staff to be volunteers after its managing director enjoyed an “amazing experience” helping out national charity Vitalise.

John Garrard, boss of Preston-based Fish Insurance, spent a day volunteering for the charity which provides respite care for people with physical disabilities.

“I was keen for myself and my management colleagues to get to the coalface, to see what the life of a volunteer is like and to meet and support the people who benefit from our products,” said John. “It was an amazing, highly enjoyable and enlightening experience. We were volunteers for a day but many people give up one or two weeks of their valuable time to provide care and companionship. They are society’s unsung heroes.”

John found the experience so rewarding that he’s now offering to support Vitalise by enabling his staff to become volunteers on company time.

He plans to encourage staff to attend four or five volunteer days annually to help Vitalise deliver its specialist respite care holidays and short breaks. The charity’s corporate partnerships manager, Victoria Parker, said: “Our guests absolutely loved spending time with John and his team. For many the social interaction element of their Vitalise experience is crucial to their wellbeing. A huge thank you for the team for taking the time out to help.”