Our People

Supporting the HIV community and marking World AIDS day

September 2025

Colleagues from across our UK business have been demonstrating their support for the HIV community over the last few months, with a range of activities and initiatives.

20 of our colleagues came together for a volunteering day, organised by our UK Rainbow Alliance Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG), with Positive East – an East London-based charity dedicated to supporting people living with and affected by HIV. 

MSD is a proud sponsor of Positive East’s annual RED RUN, which raises awareness and funds for HIV services across the UK. In preparation for the 2025 event, our volunteers made a vital contribution by assembling over 1,800 runner packages to be sent to participants ahead of the big day. They also packed finish line bags filled with medals, and educational resources providing crucial information on HIV and STI testing and access to support services. This marked the third year running that the Rainbow Alliance has partnered with Positive East to offer our colleagues an opportunity to use their volunteering hours and give back to the local community.

A reflection from one of our volunteers: 
“Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this volunteering event. It was a wonderful and rewarding day. I’m grateful to have been part of the team and to have supported such a meaningful cause”. 

The RED RUN, held annually in Victoria Park in East London, is the UK’s largest HIV community event, supporting 31 HIV charities across the country. 35 colleagues from across our business walked, ran, and even sashayed the 5km or 10km route, alongside another 1,800 people taking part. The inclusive event welcomes all ages and abilities, fostering a spirit of community over competition.

Our colleagues also marked World Aids Day earlier in November with an internal panel focused event that led to engaging conversation on HIV, including shared insights from colleagues and their lived experience. Attendees left with an improved understanding of how to be allies to the HIV and LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

We were lucky enough to be able to display one of the 42 panels of the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt in our London Moorgate office, which offered an opportunity for colleagues to reflect, remember and celebrate all lives lost to HIV. The quilt offered a reminder of how far we have come in the fight against HIV, and the work still left to do.

GB-NON-12445 | December 2025

Our People

Employee volunteering – many ways to make a difference

August 2024

Share this article

All year round our employees take part in a full range of volunteering experiences, from refereeing at swimming events, to painting walls, or mentoring young people.

All MSD employees are given 40 hours of volunteering time to support a cause they feel passionate about. Every effort counts and individuals have found many ways to make a unique positive impact.

Refereeing at the swimming British Championships

MSD Sales Manager, Adrian, has been volunteering every year for the past twelve years at swimming events across the country. After his daughters started competing in the sport, Adrian become involved in the swimming events. He is now proud to be one of the few referees from a diverse background and that the volunteering policy allows him to pursue this passion. Through his commitment, he has now progressed to become a referee and receives invitations to events across the country, including the Olympic trials in London.

One of his most cherished moments from his volunteering experience is when he was asked to present the medals at the end of the British Championships. To Adrian’s surprise, he had the incredible opportunity to present a medal to his own daughter!

Brightening up community spaces

The ALIANZA UK team recently put their volunteering hours to fantastic use by supporting the Latin American House charity! Our MSD volunteers embarked on a two-day project to paint the office areas of the Latin American House Community Hub, specifically the Brazil and Colombia rooms.

Despite the scorching hot weather, the team did a great job and found it incredibly rewarding to the see the transformation. The ALIANZA UK team contributed to creating a more welcoming and vibrant environment for staff, clients and visitors.

Keeping history alive

One of our employees has found immense joy in utilising her volunteering hours at The American Museum in Bath, a museum of American art and culture surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Working in the herb shop, MSD Sales Manager, Janet, collects herbs from the garden to create Tussie Mussies, a colonial American item to sell to visitors. She volunteers regularly and has started taking her daughter along to volunteer with her!

Being one of the four Americans working at the museum, Janet also appreciates the chance to have conversations with a variety of people about her home country, its history and culture. Volunteering has not only provided her with a connection to her home country but has had a positive impact on her mental wellbeing and Janet encourages others to explore volunteering opportunities available to them!

Mentoring for positive change

Vicky dedicates one hour a week to Motivation, Commitment and Resilience (MCR) Pathways, a national mentoring programme that aims to make a meaningful difference to the lives of young people. Volunteering for one-hour a week during the school term, she consistently provides positive support to teenagers facing various challenges.

Vicky underwent training before being matched with her mentee, ensuring she had the necessary skills for the role, with the programme striving to pair mentors with mentees who share similar interests to create meaningful connections.

She claims ‘At first, I was nervous and wasn’t sure what I had to offer but I believe we all have the necessary skills to simply be there for a young person. All they need is someone to be interested in them.’

Our employees have a number of team initiatives also under way including a donation drive and volunteering at the Whitechapel Mission Charity this coming autumn.

The diverse volunteering experiences of our MSD employees exemplify the variety of ways to make a positive impact. These stories illustrate that regardless of the form it takes, volunteering allows individuals to connect to their passions, make a difference and creative positive change in their communities and beyond.

GB-NON-09983 | August 2024

Our People

Inspired Through Volunteering

September 2023

Share this article

From gardening at the Macmillan Horizon Centre in Brighton to volunteering at the British Transplant Games in Coventry, individuals and teams across MSD reach out to support charities and not-for profit organisations. We asked what inspired them…

Team Gardening

The Corporate Affairs Team took the opportunity to give back when they undertook a half day of gardening at the Macmillan Horizon Centre in Brighton – a place where the Centre’s patients and families spend time enjoying the allotment’s sea views, vegetable garden and flowers.

“We saw a huge change in the allotment in just one morning and knowing that the Horizon Centre’s patients and families can now enjoy the refreshed allotment for the whole summer is inspiring. We were incredibly lucky with the weather on the day. In total we volunteered for 66 hours in just one morning, that’s over two weeks of full-time work for one gardener!”

When it Comes to Animals

Members of Animal Health’s Equine Team found the perfect place to provide a helping hand. The team utilised their hours volunteering at the World Horse Welfare , the largest centre of its kind in the UK. Starting off with a tour of the facility learning about the rehabilitation and re-homing process for the horses, their day was then spent weeding, cleaning and re- filling water troughs – there are 120 horses onsite!

“Volunteering at World Horse Welfare was a great opportunity for our team to continue to build our strong team culture whilst supporting the equine industry. The day helped us get closer to them as a charity, whose equine health and welfare work share many of the values we do at MSD.”

Going for Gold

Having undergone a kidney transplant two years ago, one of our employees joined the Transplant Sport Northern Ireland (TSNI) charity during his recovery. This year, he helped to raise awareness and promote the life-saving impact of organ transplants by leading the NI team at the British Transplant Games in Coventry.  He helped organize logistics and training to take a group of transplanted patients of all ages to Coventry to compete in the Games, as well as taking the chance to compete in the swimming.

“The Games’ main aim is to encourage patients to regain fitness after their transplant and help persuade more people to join the UK donor register. To celebrate the gift of transplant through sport was fantastic. It is also a great way to showcase how organ donation can be truly lifesaving. The Transplant Sport Northern Ireland Team came away with 13 Gold, 9 Silver and 8 Bronze medals this year alongside a lot of great memories.”

Clearing the Environment

The Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance teams wanted to find a volunteering opportunity to both support the community’s well being and do something good for the environment. What better way than doing some litter picking at Burgess Park with Southwark Council!

“Parks have a positive impact on people’s mental health (as we saw especially during the pandemic) so creating this clearer environment allowed us to give back to a local community which does not have the resources to focus on litter pollution. Preventing dangerous items polluting natural habitats also protects and enhances biodiversity in the park.”

MSD encourages all employees to volunteer in the community granting 40 hours paid leave each year. Hundreds of hours are racked up giving back in varied roles, and so many stories are shared of how truly inspiring they find the experience.

GB-NON-08076 | September 2023 | Approved for continued use Aug 2025