I think we just need to try and get everybody back to having that ethos of volunteering and thinking of others,’ says Serena Wood.
She is reflecting on the fact that, whilst many people went above and beyond to help others during the pandemic, its aftermath has been to engender a bit of a ’bunker’ mentality. Even in the island many people have still not fully returned to work and are not going to events in the same way as they did before.
Not only that but, as we got used to the ’safer’ method of tapping a card for our purchases, we have all got out of the habit of carrying cash.
For someone who shakes as many collecting buckets and organises as many workplace raffles and cake bakes as Serena does this has been a worrying situation and it has meant her having think outside the box when it comes to raising money.
’It’s been hard to come up with fundraising ideas where you can still include people that are at home - we’ve done online bingos and quizzes, things like that.
’One fundraiser we did not too long ago was a pledge auction on our workplace Facebook. It was just nice to see the different things that people were pledging - one of the members of staff offered a ride in his vintage car - and obviously [even in lockdown] you could save it for when you could see that person and do it in the future,’ she says.
This means that she is the main point of contact within Zurich on the island for anything related to the company’s fundraising arm, the ZZurich Foundation, which is a separate legal entity to the main group.
Serena says: ’I help organise anything that’s linked in with the ZZurich Foundation. We’ve had a massive Covid response including a large donation to the Isle of Man Foodbank when the pandemic first hit and we were in lockdown, and a donation to Women’s Refuge.
’This year, Zurich International’s employees here on the island raised funds for VaccinAid, a campaign led by the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) and Crowdfunder raising money to help UNICEF deliver Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments to millions of vulnerable people around the world. It’s all part of an ongoing global campaign which has already resulted in the ZZurich Foundation supporting UNICEF to deliver more than 2.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to frontline workers and the most vulnerable as of June 30, 2021.’
Being seen to support local communities and charities is far more important than the positive impact on a company’s brand image. Taking part in fundraisers and volunteering is such a cohesive element in any workplace as it means colleagues getting together to help others, and having fun along the way.
’You need to get buy-in from staff to join in and then they realise they really enjoy it and they want to do more for charities themselves,’ says Serena.
She goes on: ’ZZF have been absolutely brilliant they match any fundraising that we do internally they also match any volunteer hours. So the company allows everybody in the office to have three full paid days volunteering and those hours that we spend volunteering we get as a donation as well from ZZF that goes to the staff charity fund so it’s a win-win.’
Serena doesn’t just raise money at work. Out of hours her fundraising credentials are more than impressive. A keen cyclist, she and her sister, Melanie Dowling, have been organising the Paint the Plantation Pink mountain bike events for several years, raising a grand total of £18,500 in the process
This was one of the achievements that led a colleague at Zurich to nominate Serena for the ZZurich Foundation Community Champion Award in 2018. She won the award for the whole region of which the Isle of Man was then a part: the whole of Europe, Middle East and Africa. The prize was US$60,000 (around £46,000) which went to local charities, as she explains: ’I split the prizemoney three ways. Half the money went to the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group. My mother and grandmother both had breast cancer so I’ve always been an avid supporter: I think they do a brilliant job by providing such an excellent Breast Unit on the island.’
’A quarter of the money was going to Bridge the Gap for them to use for a nurse to help staff their Pod at the hospital and a quarter to Alzheimer’s towards staffing their first response phone line.
’ZZF also have two local grants in the Isle of Man. They support Isle Listen with their big four year project and a smaller grant with Junior Achievement as well.’
It may be an age-old cliché but it still holds true: you only get out of life what you put in and Serena (pictured left) has a life about as packed full as you can get.
She lives with her partner, Chris, has five children, aged from thirties down to 13, alongside her full-You time role as a manager within the investment team at Zurich, and still fits in lots of physical activities.
’The best thing I did last year was buy paddleboards so me and Olivia, my 13 year old, go out on them together - it’s fantastic, so peaceful and serene.’
She and Melanie originally began the Paint the Plantation Pink event to raise funds to go on charity cycle challenges around the world. So far they have been to Cuba, Cambodia to Vietnam and Costa Rica and they are hoping to get to Sri Lanka next September.
And of course the family all get roped in. Serena says: ’I do love to get them involved, especially the younger ones: they always come along and help at the Plantation event, it’s very much a family affair and Chris is the official photographer.
’My 16-year-old daughter, Cecile, who is in the police cadets, does an awful lot of charity and community stuff - she’s a chip off the old block.’
And, like many people who spend a lot of their lives supporting charities and the local community, Serena reckons she gets out more than she puts in:
’I just find it a passion: I think it gives you a feel-good factor,’ she says.
l Serena’s Just Giving page is at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/serena-wood4.