Smailes Goldie has had another successful year supporting local charities and community groups across Hull and the wider Yorkshire area.
Supporting good causes has long been part of the firm’s culture, with staff regularly raising money and giving their time to charities chosen by colleagues.
In January 2025, this commitment was extended with the launch of a new volunteering initiative, focused on providing more help to organisations in the local area.
The scheme allows every employee one paid day each year to volunteer within their own community. The response from the team has been overwhelmingly positive, with more than 60 members of staff taking part so far.
Throughout 2025, teams volunteered at Dove House Hospice in Hull, helping with gardening and decorating work to improve outdoor spaces for patients and visitors.
Staff have also supported Rooted in Hull, assisting with day-to-day tasks on site and helping prepare for community events.
Martin, a Site Manager from Rooted in Hull, expressed his gratitude to the team: “It was great to have the volunteers down for the day. It’s always busy at this time of year and with funding low we rely on volunteers to help out. The volunteers came down a couple of days before a big event and were a massive help rearranging the site, getting rid of various weeds and making the place look good and safe for people coming to the event. A big thanks to all involved.”
Smailes Goldie employees also took part in a DIY SOS-style project at Braeburn School in Scarborough. The team redecorated and tidied outdoor play areas to give pupils more space and a stronger sense of pride in their surroundings.
Other highlights include supporting Betton Farms, helping Yorkshire Cancer Research at stores in Hull and Selby, volunteering with the RSPCA Hull and East Riding Branch and donating gifts to Mission Christmas, organising the gifts so they’re ready for collection.
In the run-up to Christmas, staff volunteered with East Yorkshire Foodbank, accompanying drivers and delivering food parcels to households during one of the charity’s busiest times of the year.
Pete Dearing, Partner at Smailes Goldie, said the initiative had strengthened the firm’s connection with the Yorkshire community.
“We have always supported local charities, but this initiative has taken it a step further. Giving people the time to volunteer means they can see the difference they are making first-hand. The feedback from staff has been brilliant and the organisations we’ve worked with have been very welcoming. It has reminded us how much can be achieved when people are given the chance to get involved.
“On behalf of Smailes Goldie, I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated or given up their time to help these causes over the last 12 months. I can’t wait to see what sort of challenges and events the team get stuck into this year.”
The firm plans to continue the volunteering programme, with more projects already planned across Yorkshire for 2026.
For more information about Smailes Goldie and its work with the community, please visit www.smailesgoldie.co.uk.
