Employee volunteering – Heather's story
Robertson Employee Volunteering gives everyone in Team Robertson the opportunity to take paid time away from work to support initiatives that make a positive impact on people, communities and the environment.
Employees can use one day to support a cause that matters to them, and the other to take part in a local community activity with our Social Impact Team.
Heather, our Head of People & Culture for Robertson Group, started volunteering with national charity Eczema Outreach Support in early 2025. Here she speaks about drawing on both lived and professional experience to support the charity which reaches over 4,000 children across the UK.
How did you get involved with Eczema Outreach Support?
The charity offers support for children and young people living with eczema, as well as the parents and carers looking after them. I had eczema as a child and now my young daughter suffers from it too, but hers is more severe.
Eczema isn’t just an itch. It affects a child’s ability to take part in activities and what foods they eat. I wanted to find a place where my daughter could meet other young people with eczema and know she’s not alone in dealing with it. I started researching support groups and came across Eczema Outreach Support (EOS) – who happen to be based in my hometown – and signed us up as members.
When I saw they were advertising for a Board Trustee it was a no-brainer for me, I knew that through my lived experience and commercial HR background I had something to offer.
What does your role involve?
It’s a tiny charity with only eleven employees. As a trustee I’m part of the overall decision-making body, advising and supporting the CEO and other staff in ways to grow Eczema Outreach Support. I also chair the HR sub-committee, helping ensure the decisions we make align with the charity’s goals.
How much time is involved?
I attend four Board meetings throughout the year plus the AGM. Usually these are in the evenings and last around two hours, and it’s much the same for the HR committee. There’s also prep time, papers to read in advance.
How will you use your personal-led volunteering day?
I hope to use some of the time to attend a EOS Board away day later in the year, and also attend employee festive activities.
What do you get out of volunteering?
It’s a chance to give back something that wasn’t available to me as a child. Eczema Outreach Support is building a community that’s giving children and young people with eczema a voice – through kids clubs and support for teenagers, our volunteer youth panel, and awareness initiatives across education.
We’ll soon have our first outreach worker based in a hospital which is a real milestone, someone who’ll provide support for the mental as well as physical side of eczema – right at the point of diagnosis and care.
I feel part of something that’s really making a difference to people’s lives. Through the charity’s work, my daughter is also learning there are things she can do to help – herself and others. For instance she took part in last year’s Kilt Walk and raised over £800 for EOS – which also made her realise that fundraising is hard work!
What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering?
It’s rewarding to do. You can volunteer for something that’s close to your heart and it doesn’t have to be a grand gesture – giving your insight may seem tiny but it’s still helping. I’d encourage everyone to volunteer in some capacity if they’re able to.