At RingCentral, we’re fortunate to have a management team that believes in giving back and the rewards that brings. A feeling of togetherness, a sense of service and value, stronger ties with the surrounding community, and a greater appreciation for what we have in our own lives.
Christmas is a time of sharing charity and compassion, a time of gratitude and extending goodwill to our neighbours and those less fortunate than us. These are the kinds of values we want to reflect inside our company as well as out. That’s why we have an exciting programme of activities lined up for the festive season, and we’re really looking forward to it.
As of Monday 25 November, we’ve had our RingCentral Christmas tree standing in reception to greet everyone as they come into work every day. The tree has a special function – it’s a Giving Tree, following an initiative from charity KidsOut that encourages a charitable alternative to Secret Santa.
In the lead up to Christmas, decorative tags with a child’s name, age and suggested gift are hung on the tree. Those who wish to participate can take a tag from the tree, write their name on it, and buy the suggested present. HR collects the tags back in and compiles them into a Christmas tree shaped montage in a frame to remind us of all the good work we’ve done as one team. The montage from 2018 is hanging on the wall of the HR office; the one from this year is soon to join it.
KidsOut arranges the collection of gifts to distribute to children in local refuges. Many of the recipients are children who have escaped domestic violence, being forced to flee their homes quickly and leave all possessions behind. Without Giving Tree, these children may not otherwise receive a gift at Christmas.
We’ll be marking this Thursday with Christmas jumper day. Again, this is a charitable activity, this time in aid of Save the Children. The premise is simple: everyone pays a little bit of money for the privilege of wearing a silly Christmas jumper for a day.
Anyone who wishes to participate can text TEAMRC13122019 TO 70050, which donates £2 to Save the Children. The money will help Save the Children change children’s lives in different countries around the world through things like food and essential supplies, healthcare and psychosocial support, education programmes and early learning centres.
Thursday 12th is also Christmas Quiz day here at RingCentral, where Christmas jumper-clad colleagues will team up to pit their collective trivia knowledge against one another. Colleagues can donate money in support, which will then go towards our Ealing Soup Kitchen fund, as we intend to sponsor and volunteer at the soup kitchen at least once a quarter in 2020. Last year’s Christmas Quiz was great fun for everyone involved and we hope for more of the same this time around. Last year we managed to coax Santa along and he brought a small gift for every participant. We’ve been negotiating a reappearance for this year and have been stocking up on mince pies to make sure we’re prepared for his arrival. Finally, we’ve arranged a prize for the winning team that we’re sure everyone will want, so watch this space to find out what that is.
We’ve been organising these kinds of seasonal activities for a while now and have seen it has a positive effect on our co-workers. While these small activities aren’t revolutionary, building and running a programme of events such as these activities as a team helps us give back and work together better.
Is your company running any special programmes this Christmas? What effect does that have on your colleagues? I’m constantly curious about different ideas and how they can bring a sense of enjoyment and fulfilment back into work, while at the same time helping and providing value to others. Please let us know in the comments, and have a wonderful Christmas time!
Originally published Dec 10, 2019, updated Jan 16, 2023
