Valuing Volunteers: Spotlighting Star Supporters
BCHC Charity’s mission is to improve patient experience, enhance the care they receive from BCHC services, and support Team BCHC colleagues by funding projects and resources that go above and beyond core NHS funding. We are only able to do this thanks to the fantastic support we get from our fundraisers, donors, and volunteers. So far in 2026, we have had 133 corporate volunteers across 24 volunteering days, taking the total number of hours given by corporate volunteers this year to over 285!
This Volunteers Week, we’re shining a spotlight onto one of our corporate star supporters; Allianz. Their volunteering journey began in November 2022, when 3 volunteers attended at Moseley Hall Hospital to pick up litter, clear fallen leaves, and plant 500 bulbs in the flowerbeds. Since then, groups from Allianz have attended green volunteering sessions on a regular basis, helping to keep garden spaces across the city neat and tidy through weeding, litter picking, planting, and trimming. Dominic Byrnes says, “Being mainly office and road based it was great to be in the outdoors and connect/reconnect with colleagues I have worked with for many years. My mom and 2 grandmothers were nurses, and in my own life experience hospitals are awash with great people making a real difference, which I wanted to support in a small way.”
Vanisha Mistry, BCHC Charity’s Corporate Volunteer Co-ordinator, explains how maintaining and enhancing the green spaces at Moseley Hall and West Heath hospitals has made an impact; “We have had many comments from patients and staff to say how beautiful the grounds look. Volunteers bring so much energy, kindness, and ideas which enable us to offer unique volunteering opportunities, such as stone painting and fairy doors which will be placed around the grounds.”
Allianz have also supported the charity’s various public education events, such as our family fun days at the Midlands Arts Centre, and the launch event for the Direct Access to Wellbeing Services (DAWs) Team at Aston Villa Football Club. T he volunteers helped these events run smoothly by setting up informational resource envelopes and gift bags for attendees, greeting and guiding attendees around, staffing the information desk, and helping exhibitors with setting up and accessing refreshments during the events. Anup Mistry, who volunteered at the DAWs Team launch, says, “Being a massive Villa fan, I got to combine two of my passions in one go; the love of volunteering and the love for Aston Villa! I helped out by registering all the guests that attended the event and also directing them around the venue.
It was so eye-opening to see all the different people that are supported by this amazing charity and to be a part of this great initiative... I felt volunteering at this event benefited the community by bringing people together and creating stronger relationships for everyone involved.”
Whilst volunteers are vital for BCHC Charity, it is also a great service for the teams that take part, boosting team morale by offering the opportunity to work together to give something back to the local community. Kay Pountney attended a gardening session at West Heath and explains how this supported the wellbeing of her and her Allianz colleagues; “One of the highlights for me was connecting with other colleagues from Allianz whom I hadn’t met before. We shared plenty of laughs, especially as we realized just how muddy and soaked we’d become by the end of the day! Despite the weather, the sense of teamwork and camaraderie was truly uplifting. I found the experience both deeply satisfying and meaningful, especially when we saw how much we were able to improve the hospital grounds… Ultimately, the day brought our team closer together and left us proud of the positive impact we made, while also feeling motivated to continue contributing in the future.”
Allianz have also helped BCHC Charity in celebrating the NHS’ 75th birthday in 2023, not only by making bunting for our celebratory events, but also by hosting their bake-off 
competition which raised £500 for our cause. The whole Charity Team would like to offer our sincere thanks to all those from Allianz for their time, effort, and dedication over the years, which has been invaluable to us in delivering on our charity’s mission.
Sarah Binks, Charity Manager, encourages others to get involved; “We want to thank every single one of the volunteers that have supported us over the years, and would love to hear from anyone wanting to learn more about the volunteer experiences we offer.” If you would like to know more, visit our Volunteering For Us page or contact bchc.volunteers@nhs.net .