Innovation team discovers the simple joys of volunteering

When Nick asked if his busy tech team members at Bank of Queensland (BOQ) would volunteer for our Christmas Toy and Book Appeal, every hand shot up. “A chance to step out of the office together and do something for a great cause felt really important to everyone,” says Nick. 

Soon after, Nick’s innovation team swapped app design and complex coding for a day sorting and packing Christmas presents and books, donated by the community. “It was a whole day on our feet being an extra set of hands,” says Nick. “There were probably 100 other people there and thousands of toys stacked around. At the end of the day, everyone in our team was saying: ‘Can we do more tomorrow? How else can we help?’.”

A proud community partner of The Smith Family, BOQ encourages all its staff to volunteer. A dad to a young daughter himself, Nick knows that thousands of Australian children go without a gift in the holiday season because their families can’t afford it and why it’s so important to help where you can.  

Volunteering for the Christmas Toy and Book Appeal is now a firm tradition for Nick and the team. This will be their third year running supporting the appeal. It’s a rare chance for them to step away from demanding jobs to stop and reflect. “Christmas can be a very indulgent time for a lot of people,” Nick says. “The ability to pack someone’s Christmas present – maybe the only present they will get that year – just adds a bit of perspective to our day-to-day lives.”