On 29 April 2021, Shaw Contract paused for the day so its staff could volunteer their services as part of its Global Day for People + Planet initiative.

Starting on the east coast of Australia and following the sun around to Asia, the Middle East and finally the west coast of Canada, the initiative was part of Global Volunteer Month, and provided Shaw Contract staff all over the globe with the opportunity to give back to their local communities.

In Melbourne, the team spent the day planting trees with Fifteen Trees, a local organisation that helps individuals and businesses reduce their carbon footprint and combat the effects of climate change.

Shaw staff planted 500 native trees at Narmbool Estate, which is operated by the Sovereign Hill Museum and encompasses a number of significant ecosystems, including pastures and grazing land, native bush and a variety of waterways.

Along with sustainable farming, the estate also engages in environmental education, research and the enhancement of biodiversity through re-vegetation and habitat improvement.

In Sydney, the Shaw Contract team from NSW and ACT donated their time in a different way, creating care packs for Every Little Bit Helps.

A local charity, Every Little Bit Helps provides basic toiletries to people in need, motivated by the belief that every Australian should have access to a toothbrush and a bar of soap.

The Sydney team also volunteered time with the Sydney Street Kitchen and Blanket Patrol, lending a hand to organise the donations space and put together gift bags.

Blanket Patrol provides crowdsourced blankets, sleeping bags, clothing and toiletries to the local homeless community.

Further north, the Shaw Contract Brisbane team donated to Guide Dogs Queensland and gave blood plasma through the Australian Red Cross.

Plasma donations can be used in 18 different life-giving ways from treating serious burns and cancer to protecting people with brain disorders or immune conditions.

The team also donated time to the Pumicestone Passage Reef Rejuvenation project, cleaning up rubbish on their local beach in Moreton Bay.

Finally in Perth, the Shaw Contract team painted the kennels at the Animal Protection Society of WA optimistic bright colours.

A not for profit, pro-life refuge for homeless cats and dogs, the Animal Protection Society of WA cares for the abandoned animals while finding them a loving home with a responsible owner. 

The bright paint job helped stop the dogs’ tails from getting injured on the rough brick walls with the added benefit of bringing some colour to their day.

Elsewhere around the globe, Shaw Contract staff cleaned beaches in Singapore and Dubai, renovated homeless shelters in Cartersville USA, cleaned local parks in Scotland and taught English in Nantong, China.

To learn more about Shaw Contract’s Global Day for People + Planet, visit https://www.shawcontract.com/en-au/resources/Global-Day-for-People-Planet.