By now you know how much we at HC love the Helping Hands team building activty. So we thought we would ask some recent participants of Helping Hands to share their views on this unique experience. Read below to find out their thoughts and feelings about the activity:
“Thank you! It really was a fabulous day and the highlight for me being the team building activity. 
I hope we can build on the momentum and enthusiasm in FY13.” – Jac, World Vision
“It was great to have something tangible at the end of it, and to work towards a worthy cause, rather than an arbitrary objective like some trainings!!”- Julia, World Vision
“We had a really great day, everyone loved the team building activity and thought it was the highlight of the day.”- Jodie, World Vision
“Fantastic team building event for a great cause” – Hassad team member
“Great experience and feel honoured to be helping the people in need”- Hassad team member
“It was inspiring to be a part of such a great experience”- Hassad team member
“It’s always good to give a hand and adds nobility to the cause”- Hassad team member
“Helping Hands – Brilliant Idea, Great Cause and a Very Rewarding Experience!”- Hassad team member
“We recently held a team building weekend on the Gold Coast for the head office teams of Ausure Insurance Brokers and AFM Insurance Brokers. This followed the purchase of AFM by Ausure last year and was the first opportunity for all employees of the Brisbane and Newcastle offices to meet together.
We were looking for a team building activity that would be enjoyed and remembered by all participants. The Helping Hands project ticked all the boxes we were looking for, plus a number I’d not thought of such as:
- Being an indoor, non-physical activity it meant all employees could participate without any apprehensions that outdoor activities bring to some people
- Working in teams of 3-4 allowed us to mix the employee groups in order to build relationships
- As this is a new activity, there was no chance that anybody had done anything like it before or brought any bad experiences to the activity,
- There was a tangible benefit to a global cause and our activity will make a very real difference to 10 people (and their families) somewhere in the world
Helping Hands was a great activity that fitted perfectly with the values and culture of the Ausure group. It’s a team building activity I would recommend to any organisation looking to give employees a unique experience.”- AFM CEO Scott McCarthy
“The Helping Hands activity proved to be a great fit for Ausure. We’re in the process of merging two companies following Ausure’s purchase of AFM Insurance Brokers last year. We found Helping Hands was a superb way to get the two company head offices–situated in Brisbane and Newcastle–together to participate in a meaningful philanthropic task while strengthening their team work and engaging with company goals.
Our head office teams are also essentially the helping hands for our broking network, providing support for 150 insurance broking branches across Australia who in turn help to protect the interests of their clients. Lending a hand is core to Ausure’s values, something everyone in the company can identify with.
Helping Hands is a truly rewarding, inspiring and beneficial team building activity on so many levels.
We cannot recommend it highly enough and encourage other companies in Australia to give it a go.”- Graeme Lilley, Ausure Group Operations Manager
“We took part in the Helping Hands activity as part of our Sales Planning Day. Being quite busy around the time of the Planning Day and having to spend around six hours out of the office was not something I was looking forward to!
Once the day began I was still a little nervous about what work may be coming into my inbox – but eventually began focusing on the day and not worrying about what I needed to catch up on. As the Helping Hands activity was explained to us I was wondering about which group I would be in and thinking the activity could be easily completed (and we could possibly get out a little early). This was until we were advised that we could only use one hand – our non-favoured hand at that too!
We began building the hands and it became evident that things were indeed more difficult, working with one hand and also the hand you most commonly don’t use. It gave me a better understanding of what landmine victims go through in trying to continue with daily activities following rehabilitation after a land mine incident. The day finished slightly early and I did get back to my desk to find that not too much work has come in. As I was leaving in the evening I was talking to a colleague and explaining how I had concerns about being away from my desk when the day began but once the Helping Hands activity began I forgot all about my work. It felt really go to do something for somebody else.
I enjoyed the activity so much that I have recommended it to a few of my clients. Recently I directed one of my clients to the website and was later advised that she would be having the Helping Hands activity as part of a team building exercise she was booking with us here at the Convention Centre!”- Erin, MCEC
“The helping hands workshop was a fantastic teambuilding activity coupled with an opportunity to make a real difference in somebody’s life!” – Sophie, MCEC
“I thought that the activity was powerful knowing that what we were making was contributing to someone else’s wellbeing. It also bought all of us as team together knowing this.”- Laura, MCEC
“I believe that the Helping Hands Program brought a new dimension to team building exercises; I left knowing that our team accomplished something that will change someone else’s life. Pretty special” – Adriana, MCEC
“The actual construction of the artificial hand was a worthwhile and thought provoking team building exercise. I would expect that everyone had a different perspective on their daily life after hearing the stories of those we were helping.” – Kathryn, MCEC
“I just wanted to send you a short note to thank you for our team building day you organised on Wednesday. I thought it was a unique and meaningful activity that resonated with me at the time and continues to do so.
It made me feel good to be involved with such a simple yet such a desperately needed” gift” and it made me reflect on how lucky we are in this beautiful country of ours. Oh and it was FUN too! Well done and thank you”- SIRTeX team member
“I have been involved with many team building activities over the years and this is the first one that was not “self-centric” – the best team building activity I have done. Thank you.”- SIRTeX team member
“How refreshing to be involved in something so worthwhile instead of a fluffy team building activity that you really don’t get much out of at the end of the day…this was brilliant…thank you for letting me make such a practical difference in someone’s life.”- SIRTeX team member
“I can’t wait to get home and tell my family that I helped to build a prosthetic hand for a land mind victim…what a great way to be involved in such a good cause…wow I can’t believe what we did today…thank you.”- SIRTeX team member
“This was an amazing experience…you know I realised after seeing the video of the young lady being able to hold a broom, that not only are we giving land mind victims some independence back to be able to carry things or feed themselves but this can allow some people the opportunity to earn a living.” – SIRTeX team member