Sri Lankan trip leads to temp charity action

Isle News, 29 May 2009 – THE Temp Desk is celebrating National Temporary Workers Week by donating money to Guernsey charity Bridge 2 Sri Lanka on behalf of their temps.

National Temporary Workers Week runs from 1-5 June this year and aims to acknowledge the important role the 1.4million UK temps play in the country’s economy.

As a reward for their hard work The Temp Desk is donating a lump sum of £1,000 to Bridge 2 Sri Lanka and donating additional money on behalf of each temp who signs up to the scheme.

The charity was decided upon after Poppy Byrom, who works at The Temp desk, went on a project with Bridge 2 Sri Lanka this April. Miss Byrom travelled to Sri Lanka with friend Hannah Riley and charity founder Sarah Griffith and assisted with a number of ongoing community projects managed by the charity.

One of the projects that Miss Byrom was particularly affected by was the building of a house for a family whose lives had been torn apart by two road accidents. The daughter had been hit by a motorbike and suffered brain damage and the father, a stonemason, was struck by a tuk tuk and lost the use of one arm leaving him incapable of continuing his trade or completing the building of his house.

Miss Byrom was inspired to help complete the project by suggesting to her employer, upon her return, that they use the annual Temp Week event to raise money to cover the final costs of building and furnishing the house.

Vicki Eppelein, The Temp Desk consultant, said Miss Byrom’s passion for the charity’s work had shone through and it was an easy decision to make.

“We donated money to charity on behalf of our temps last year and it was a great success and Poppy knew we were looking to do something similar again. The £1,000 pledged by The Temp Desk will cover the rest of the construction, but for each temp who signs up we will donate a bit more to help meet the family’s other needs, from installing electricity to buying vegetable plants to help them to provide for themselves.

“We already run a rewards scheme for temps, allowing them to claim prizes once they have accumulated a certain number of hours work, so National Temporary Workers Week offers a different opportunity to engage with our temps and give them a non-material reward.”

Ms Griffith from Bridge 2 Sri Lanka said: “I am impressed that Poppy is keen to see the project through and am very grateful to The Temp Desk for their support. We find that the passion we have for our work in Sri Lanka is infectious and volunteers, like Poppy and Hannah, who come out and work with us pass on that interest to those around them. It is a part of the reason for our success and if any temps are inspired to come and volunteer in Sri Lanka then they are welcome to get in touch with me.”
The Temp desk was launched by OSA in 2004 to specialise in the recruitment of temporary workers, who are often used by businesses looking to cover holidays, sickness, maternity leave or busy periods.

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