Team Teed Volunteers in the Community
During this year’s BCI Community Resilience Volunteer Week, the Teed team will be supporting a community shop, volunteering with a local advice service and shopping for vulnerable members of the community. This is all part of a normal week for us and runs alongside our day jobs of delivering valuable business continuity and disaster recovery planning services to clients.
In the past 18 months, huge acts of kindness have been going on quietly carried out by many, many individuals supporting those in need. It is a real privilege to serve in the community and perhaps this is illustrated best by David Teed’s involvement with Gartmore Community Shop. In 1997, this small village in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park in Scotland was faced with the closure of its last remaining shop and post office. A rural location some distance from larger conurbations, the residents rallied round and became shareholders and owners of their own village shop and post office.
David brought his skills to the table from the outset, chairing the steering group through the purchase and set up of the shop, subsequently becoming Chair of the management committee and latterly Secretary. There have been ups and downs in the fortunes of the shop over the past 24 years and its continued presence in the community is down to the dedicated staff and hard working volunteers, and of course loyal customers.
Never has this been more evident as when the pandemic arrived in March 2020. David sprang into action, carried out a risk assessment to ensure the Shop could operate in a Covid secure manner working with staff to implement a practical, safe service for customers. Early installation of a traffic light system at the front door and limiting numbers in the premises at any one time instilled confidence into staff and customers alike. The delivery service already in operation for vulnerable members of the community was stepped up ensuring all in the community could access food and essentials.
This was community business continuity in action, and as with the best business continuity plans, was able to scale up, adapt and improve strategies to respond to the different iterations of the pandemic and corresponding restrictions. Whilst not out of the pandemic woods yet, the shop has proved it can be resilient in the face of adversity.
Two years after helping establish the community shop, David opened his own business, Teed Business Continuity, recruiting one of the original steering group to work with him; a working relationship that continues 22 years later. Just one example of how volunteering can lead to unexpected opportunities.
Helping in a voluntary capacity is not just about being able to share skills and experience in a community setting, but provides a rewarding contribution to achieving a more productive work life balance which benefits us too.
Teed is pleased to support the BCI’s Community Resilience Volunteer Week initiative, 14th – 18th June 2021.
Read more about Gartmore Community Shop's journey here
- Date: 14th June 2021