Catalyst volunteer day at Julia’s House Creekmoor warehouse

On 26 March, four members of the Catalyst team took part in our first official volunteering day, supporting Julia’s House by spending a hands-on day at their warehouse and shop in Creekmoor, Poole.

Chris Fairfax, Catalyst CEO; Anna Bennett, Marketing and PR Director; Dan Burden, Senior Underwriter; and Fiona Collins, HR and Office Manager all volunteered their time to support the Julia’s House team. Throughout the day, the team helped sort donations and assisted wherever needed, from organising clothing and shoes to moving sofas and even assembling a donated gazebo to make sure every part was accounted for.

Julia’s House is an incredible children’s hospice charity that provides essential care, respite, and emotional support for seriously ill children and their families across Dorset and Wiltshire. Their work makes a life‑changing difference to families when they need it most, and Catalyst is proud to support Julia’s House through both fundraising and hands-on volunteering.

As part of Catalyst’s ESG commitments, every team member is allocated two paid volunteering days each year. These can be used to support a charity or cause of their choice, or to take part in company‑organised volunteering opportunities like this one.

Anna Bennett, Marketing and PR Director at Catalyst, said:

“Knowing a local family who benefited so deeply from the support of Julia’s House, I have long been in awe of the incredible work they do, especially knowing how heavily they rely on fundraising to run their hospice and deliver such vital care.

This was Catalyst’s first volunteering day at the Julia’s House warehouse and shop in Poole, and our team were keen to get involved. But we had no idea of the scale of the operation, it is absolutely huge and runs like clockwork! We were met by Alison, who immediately made us feel at home and put us to work behind the scenes alongside the wonderful staff and volunteers.

Chris and Dan headed off to sort shoes, move sofas, and even tackle a donated pergola to ensure it was in good order, before getting stuck into the Christmas room. Fiona and I had great fun sorting children’s and ladies’ clothing by colour, type and season, which involved quite a few ‘how cute’ moments over the tiny outfits!

As the day came to an end, we all agreed how rewarding it was to get stuck into some hands‑on work and support Catalyst’s chosen charity of the year. And of course, we didn’t leave this brilliant charity shop without picking up a few bargains!”

Dan Burden, Senior Underwriter at Catalyst, added:

“It was great to be part of Catalyst’s first volunteering day and to give back to a charity that provides so much support for families in our local area. From the moment we arrived, we were looked after and given roles that allowed us to make a meaningful contribution to the daily running of the warehouse and shop. We all had a great time and left feeling we had done something genuinely positive, something we hope will encourage others to get involved and offer their support too.”

Fiona Collins, HR and Office Manager at Catalyst, said:

“It was a privilege to kick off the first of Catalyst’s charity days with a visit to the Julia’s House warehouse in Creekmoor with Anna, Chris and Dan.

The day started with a tour of the warehouse, which just kept going — it was like Aladdin’s cave, with more treasures around every turn. Anna and I were assigned children’s clothing, which was great fun, from sorting and bagging donations to plenty of cooing over the baby items.

Our competitive sides soon emerged when it became a challenge between us and Chris and Dan to see who could bag the most items. Anna and I were clearly victorious and were quickly promoted to sorting ladies’ clothing, colour‑coordinating items for storage where we really found our rhythm!

It was a day full of laughter (and a little shopping), but most importantly, we were supporting such a worthy cause. Being able to give back to a charity so local to us made it even more meaningful. I couldn’t recommend giving it a go more.”

Caroline Attreed, Corporate Fundraiser at Julia’s House, said:

“Thank you so much for your wonderful support, it looks like you had a fantastic day!”

Catalyst’s first volunteering day marked the start of a long‑term commitment to making a positive impact within our local community. Days like this not only support vital charities such as Julia’s House, but also bring our team together, reinforcing the values of care, collaboration and responsibility that sit at the heart of Catalyst. We look forward to building on this experience and continuing to support Julia’s House and other great causes in the months ahead.