Agent Diary: Charitable work is good for the recipients but also supports our wellbeing

I love following the stories of those who actively contribute to causes by participating and the money raised by those happy to donate, says Thompson Travel Owner, Sharon Thompson

It’s hard to believe it’s 10 years since a group of travel colleagues from Northern Ireland, from agents to operators and media, embarked on a mission to assist non-profit organisation Habitat for Humanity to build a house in Romania for a young lady in need of a safe environment.

Fifteen of us headed out with the daunting prospect of building a bungalow in seven days. I grew up in a farming environment, so wasn’t worried about work outdoors, but I had never used a chop saw.

By the end of the week I was an expert. This week, we met for the 10th anniversary and reminisced about the fun we’d had, the accommodation and the final result for Andrea, the beneficiary.

As I looked round the table at our reunion dinner, I had a real sense of pride and thankfulness that we were all still able to attend, and the 10 years seemed like they’d never passed. We had just as much fun as when we were there. Our team was part of the NI Travel Trade Team Big Build. Our days were long and the work was constant, but manageable. Really, anyone could do it.

Memory lane

As we looked through photos and videos of our trip, a subconscious bond was evident. We had had the best laughs. Every hard day’s work deserves a reward and at the end of our first day we happened upon a small pub. Of course, we couldn’t pass without going in, and a round of drinks cost our group of 15 about £20. Needless to say, we returned the next night, only to find the prices had risen; by the end of the week, they had quadrupled. It was clear the owner was a great businessman and, as demand was high, he was capitalising on that. It sounds very similar to our own industry.

One night, we visited a local restaurant. I’d never seen such a massive menu. It was akin to the size of the Financial Times with four full pages. But as we started to give our orders, we realised it would have been easier to find out what was available to eat rather than what was on the menu.

Nevertheless, the memories are cherished and Andrea will always remain in our hearts.

Charitable acts

This year, I missed out on the Travel Trade Crusade organised by Sarah Archer and her team. I had the pleasure of participating in it a few years ago and it was a really rewarding experience. I love following the stories of those who actively contribute to causes by participating and the money raised by those happy to donate. We really do have a fantastic industry.

On Friday, September 27, it was the Macmillan Coffee Morning. This struck a chord with me more so than ever before because of the recent loss of our dear personal and travel industry friend Denise Holmes.

She was the perfect example of a hard-working ‘travel legend’, who sadly lost her life to cancer. While we can’t bring our friends back, we can do something to contribute to such a worthy cause. Macmillan has been hosting coffee mornings since 1990 – have you ever done one? This year’s may have passed but it’s worth considering the valuable work that Macmillan does – maybe that’s my next challenge.

Putting life into perspective

Our industry goes through every world tragedy that presents itself to us and yet we still manage to bounce back. One of the best aspects of putting every effort into a charity event is time out from your usual work environment. Stepping back from daily life and putting everything into perspective strengthens us and helps us when we return to our working environment.

A sense of achievement and satisfaction at completing a task really supports our mental health and wellbeing. It is a well-known fact that people who are known contributors to charitable causes are often seen as good leaders and are soughtafter in the workplace. Back to our time in Romania, when we handed the keys to Andrea, that sense of pride and achievement was magnified and will be a lasting memory for all of us.