Inspired Through Volunteering
September 2023
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