wienerberger volunteering in action: One day at a time

At wienerberger, we encourage our employees to take one full paid day a year, step away from work and volunteer for a cause they care about. It’s our way of connecting to our communities and strengthening colleague bonds.

Over the past year, wienerberger colleagues have sorted vegetables for a food bank, planted trees, walked dogs, roofed houses, and took part in a huge variety of hands-on experiences that aim to create long-lasting impact. 

Here’s a look at some of our most recent volunteering efforts.

On Monday, 1st December 2025, wienerberger’s Marketing and Category teams traded their office desks for food crates. They volunteered at The Bread and Butter Thing in Manchester, a UK charity dedicated to tackling food poverty and reducing waste by redistributing surplus food to families in need. Every day, the organization supports around 30 community food hubs and provides food parcels to over 1,800 families.

Twelve (12) members of the team were at the warehouse sorting out food parcels, loading them into several vans to be distributed to different Bread and Butter Hubs around the community. 

“It was really thought-provoking to see how much food would have gone to waste without The Bread & Butter Thing. It's made me think more about food waste in general and the fact that we take for granted having access to a huge range of food items on a daily basis. It was great to use the day as opportunity for team-building while also contributing to the local communities we live in,” Jessica Connolly, Digital Marketing Manager comments on the experience.

AJumoke Nwaeze, Multimedia Creative Executive shares her thoughts, “Sometimes we forget how much people struggle with something as basic as having food on the table. Volunteering with my team at The Bread and Butter Thing was a reflective moment for me, and a reminder that giving just a little of my time can make a huge difference in someone’s life. It wasn’t just about helping to save food, it’s about the hope and reassurance those food parcels bring to families in need.”

“I really enjoyed taking the time to give back to the local community and learning more about what this vital charity does. Everyone should take the time to contribute to make sure those in need don't go hungry. I'd like to thank the Bread and Butter Thing for the work they do, and for allowing me the opportunity to help them out, even if it was just for a few hours,” - David Scholefield, Marketing Automation Specialist.

A group of six colleagues from different teams who work from our Cheadle office participated in a rhododendron clearance at Lyme Park, a National Trust estate in Cheshire, home to a grand 16th-century mansion, formal gardens, and a 1,400-acre deer park. During the clearance, the volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got muddy, helping to remove invasive rhododendron plants. This effort is aimed at restoring native woodland and improving biodiversity across the park.

One attendee commented: “It was a great experience to work together as a team and do something productive outside of the office environment. I love being in the outdoors and the activity was also really rewarding, we left feeling that we had really helped more woodland be free of this invasive species and allowed native plants and insects to thrive as a result.”

Earlier in the year, Jacob Hill, Head of Category Marketing collaborated with Band of Builders and other volunteers to install roofing tiles at North Yorkshire. Band of builders is a charity that organises volunteers from various trades to undertake essential work for people from the industry who need it the most.

"To use skills that I have learnt at wienerberger, and time provided by wienerberger to volunteer for a project that will truly benefit the lives of the family was such a fantastic opportunity. I was involved in installing a roof and loved the practical, on-site work. It was a very rewarding experience and I cannot recommend the band of builders enough for anyone willing to use their time to support them. You can also support them in other less practical ways such as workshops, events and coffee mornings.” - Jacob Hill, Head of Category Marketing.

Jacob Hill and Band of Builders Team

Mike Burt, Maintenance Team Leader in Ewhurst spent his Volunteering Time supporting a local school with mock interviews. He comments, “I interviewed around 12 students, they ranged from very shy and timid to those who were overconfident yet unprepared. As the interviewer, I had to resort to using any and all experience/training I had in dealing with people, the differences in approach and how I was going to interview each one of them with the same questions but present them in the appropriate manner.”

As an organisation, our role in building for what’s next includes supporting our communities, and as we mark International Volunteer Day 2025, we will continue to encourage our colleagues to step outside their usual roles and make an impact locally.