John Lewis Partners support St Luke’s
John Lewis partners Mark Helps and Orasa Lawvachirawat volunteered over 400 hours in 2011 at St Luke’s Kenton and Stanmore shop through the Golden Jubilee trust in 2011. The charity enables every member of the 70,000 strong John Lewis workforce to take a six-month secondment at a registered charity.
Mark says, ‘I lost my father to cancer and currently my mother is diagnosed too and is undergoing treatment. I’ve lived in Kingsbury most of my life and know about St Luke’s which is why I thought I should apply and help out.’ Orasa enjoyed her volunteering experience and says, ‘It was really good to meet the customers and to get to know other volunteers. I also learnt a lot about how a charity works and raise money to continue their crucial work.’
Mark and Orasa’s secondment ended in August 2011 and St Luke’s have benefited greatly from their strong retail background and knowledge from one of the busiest branches in London, Brent Cross and Oxford Street. We have gained from their enthusiasm, professionalism and real belief in the services we provide to support the families and patients we serve. The scheme has presented us with an alternative way of recruiting and promoting volunteering opportunities as well as raising awareness of our work.
