Sharon Butler-Felby - OPRA Group

25Nov

South Woodham Ferrers U17 Jaguars: Kit Sponsorship

Our Talent Manger Leon Hunter-Rowe’s son, Kai-Geordan, plays Centre Forward for the South Woodham Ferrers United Under 17 Jaguars football team. They have been growing their success over the last few years, in fact, in 2021 they won the league, and during the last 2 years, they have twice won the Academy Soccer Tournament at The Warren in Shotgate.

Supporting Future Stars

In an inspiring move to build upon community spirit, we stepped up to sponsor the new kits for the team. This partnership not only helps the team look the part, but also foster a sense of belonging, pride, and support that extends beyond the pitch. Let’s take a closer look at how this collaboration benefits the young athletes who will wear these kits.

Building Strong Foundations

At the heart of this sponsorship lies a commitment to investing in the future. We recognise the importance of supporting youth programs that give young people the chance to develop, not only in sports but also in life skills. By sponsoring the football team’s kits, we aim to help to create opportunities for these future stars, offering them the chance to feel confident and professional on the field.

Youth sports programs are often underfunded, and for many teams, the cost of new kits and equipment can be a significant barrier. This sponsorship allows the players to focus on their performance and teamwork, without worrying about the financial aspects of their participation. In return, we hope to grow the goodwill of parents, coaches, and local fans who will see this as a strong demonstration of corporate social responsibility.

A Win-Win Relationship

For us, the sponsorship is more than just a charitable donation, we want to strengthening local ties. Our logo is proudly displayed on the new kits, which will be worn during every match. This not only boosts brand recognition but also ties the agency to a positive and supportive initiative that resonates with families, fans, and businesses.

We wanted to sponsor The Jaguars as they have the same values as we seek in candidates: teamwork, dedication, and leadership, and we wanted to demonstrate our commitment to helping people achieve their full potential, whether that’s in the world of sports or through career development.

Good luck Jaguars, for the rest of the season!

21Nov

Celebrating the Success of Our Exceptional Apprentice, Julie Carnera

We are thrilled to share the inspiring story of Julie Carnera, our HR Co-ordinator, who has successfully completed her Level 3 CIPD HR Support People Practices Apprenticeship. As we continue to champion the power of apprenticeships and the talent of our team, we are proud to highlight Julie’s remarkable journey.

Julie first joined The OPRA Group in 2021 as Office Co-ordinator, where her natural affinity for working with people, quickly became evident. It wasn’t long before our Director, Adele, and Head of HR Operations & Compliance, Cathryn, recognised Julie’s potential and encouraged her to pursue an apprenticeship in HR. They saw her excellent communication skills, her ability to connect with colleagues, and her dedication to learning, all of which made her an ideal candidate for an HR role.

Julie was eager to embrace the challenge. She recognised that this apprenticeship would be an excellent opportunity to build on her existing skills, enhance her CV, and take her career to the next level within The OPRA Group. In May 2022, Julie embarked on her Level 3 CIPD HR Support People Practices Apprenticeship, which would consist of four key units, culminating in an end-point assessment.

The apprenticeship required Julie to complete a blend of ‘on-the-job learning’ (80%) and ‘off-the-job training’ (20%). She engaged in live training sessions, independent research, and workshops through her apprenticeship provider, BPP.

The core units of her apprenticeship were:

Business, Culture and Change in Context
Principles of Analytics
Core Behaviours for People Professionals
Essentials of People Practice

Julie’s dedication to the program was evident as she balanced her day-to-day responsibilities with her apprenticeship requirements. Whether working on live projects in our offices or attending workshops and lectures, Julie’s organisational skills and commitment ensured she consistently met deadlines. Her ability to integrate what she was learning into her day-to-day role made the apprenticeship a perfect complement to her work as HR Co-ordinator.

As she neared the end of her apprenticeship, Julie’s hard work culminated in the Professional Discussion, a comprehensive 1.5-hour assessment where she showcased her knowledge and understanding of HR practice. Her focus and determination paid off as she passed her apprenticeship with flying colours.

Julie’s achievement is a testament to her commitment to both her personal development and the role of HR Co-ordinator. Her new qualification not only enhances her expertise but also boosts her confidence in supporting employees and guiding them through HR policies and procedures. Julie’s apprenticeship journey has equipped her with the tools to continue making a positive impact within the HR department and across the business.

Congratulations, Julie! Your hard work, dedication, and passion for people have made you a star. We couldn’t be more proud of you and are excited to see all the great things you will continue to achieve in your career with The OPRA Group.

31Oct

A SWINGING SUCCESS!

What an incredible day at the special client golf day on the greens at The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire. The Grove is home to one of the UK’s most prestigious golf courses and has recently been placed as the number 1 Golf Resort in England.

The day was very well organised, from the first tee-off to the last putt, the beauty of the course made for an unforgettable experience. We enjoyed some great moments with the people we met and enjoyed some top-notch golf. The greens were impeccable, and the company was even better, however, it’s not just about the game or who hit the fairways with us, we enjoy these events to build relationships and network with the group. The technology that was used made it easy to log scores and the live leaderboard was a fun touch. There was plenty of opportunity to mix with everyone before and after playing, as all of the attendees were ready to network.

The morning began with a well cooked hearty breakfast and some golf practice to set us all set up for what followed. We separated into manageable groups and progressed around the impeccable 18 hole course, the weather was perfect, bright and dry, not too warm and comfortable to play. People filtered back to the private suite from around 1.30pm and enjoyed a few well earned drinks and snacks while circulating around the group.

There was an irresistible aroma wafting through as the carvery style food was being freshly prepared and served, which was welcomed following the morning’s exercise. Another delicious meal was enjoyed and we settled down, satisfied, for the award section of the day. Unfortunately we did not win any of the prizes this time, but we could see the winners coming away with bottles of wine and various treats. The formal networking presentations finished the day nicely, however lots stayed to catch up with newly made friends …and to finish the well presented deserts.

We loved the experience and The Grove is a superb location to enjoy for the day. We look forward to returning to the next event in Spring.

30Oct

FREE HR MOT On US!

We will review your company’s human resources systems, policies, and practices to identify areas for improvement and compliance with employment law.

Our HR MOT will cover a range of topics, including:

• HR compliance: Ensuring compliance with employment legislation

• Recruitment: Attracting, selecting, and retaining the best people

• HR Policies and Processes: Helping to save time on people administration

• Motivation and Feedback: Ensuring employees are motivated and receiving feedback

• Pay and Benefits: Ensuring employees are paid fairly and receive appropriate benefits

• Internal Communications: Ensuring employees are communicating effectively internally

• Training and Development: Ensuring employees are receiving the training and development they need

We will

Provide you with advice on what needs to be completed to bring your human resources systems in line with current legislation and how we can help you to streamline them.

For Your Free HR MOT, it’s simple, just call us on 0203 617 8130 and we will ‘Treat’ you this Halloween!

#HR #SpecialOffer #HRMOT #OPRAHRMOT #HRCompliant #Halloween #HalloweenOffer

30Sep

Go Red Go Yellow for EHAAT!

Air Ambulance Week fell on 9^th – 15^th September 2024 and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT), asked their supporters to CHOOSE A COLOUR, RAISE MONEY, and SAVE LIVES! Did you know that EHAAT are not part of the NHS, or that it costs £2,800 for each mission EHAAT undertake? The average monthly operational costs for EHAAT are a huge £1,000,000! There is limited government funding and so as a charity, rely on donations. We are grateful for this life saving organisation and as a team are very happy to get involved as much as we can.

As charity partners of EHAAT, we chose a side, …a colour, either Red or Yellow to match the Air Ambulance helicopters. In exchange for a donation, we collected, baked, borrowed and bought, red or yellow coloured sweets and treats to offer to other colleagues. We turned our London office Red and our Essex office Yellow for our competition, Go Red Go Yellow!

We invited our colleagues and neighbours to come along and help themselves to treats and if they would like to leave a donation all the better. From home-made Victoria sponge covered in fresh cream and strawberries, red doughnuts, and red velvet cake, to lemon drizzle, packets of quavers and lemon Fanta (…other brands are available!) there were many treats in both colours.

The yellow team dressed in yellow, one of them even came in as a minion! …here’s the pictures!

The red team sported red jumpers, accessories, socks, fingernails and dresses.

In the red office we played ‘on theme’ songs like Raspberry Beret, 99 Red Balloons, Little Red Corvette, Red Red Wine, and more, in yellow they listened to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Yellow Submarine, Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and don’t forget, of course, Yellow by Coldplay.

The offices all enjoyed a sweet pick me up in the afternoon and we talked about Air Ambulance to the new people we met. We love that we have contributed to sharing the excellent work the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance do each and every day, getting involved with the Go Red and Go Yellow competition was good fun and a colourful way to have fun in the office. Bring some colour into your life next National Air Ambulance Week in any way you can.

Here’s the link to our Just Giving page if you would like to support us and help us to support EHAAT!

26Sep

Hydration Is Not Just About Water!

Our wellbeing experts give us insight into health and wellness that we may not think about. We all know we need to drink more water, but do we really understand the impact of not enough, do we know if there are better types of drinks, and what should we drink to keep ourselves and our staff well, cognitive and working productivity as we work out more or temperatures rise?

Here’s advice from our wellbeing expert, Donald Gordon, who has guided our teams though many informative workshops, where we have learned new things and ultimately felt better!

Staying well hydrated during the warmer months, exercise, or whilst fasting, can be quite challenging for most people. It is important to recognise hydration isn’t just about water, fluid loss via other means as well as sweating, involves the loss of electrolyte minerals. There are many reasons why replacement of these minerals via an electrolyte mineral-containing drink may be better than drinking pure water alone.

Drinks containing electrolyte minerals, particularly sodium, are known to stimulate thirst, thereby stimulating a greater voluntary intake of fluid. There is also evidence that drinks containing sodium stimulate the rate and completeness of re-hydration after a bout of exercise. Truth is some people perspire more than others, although the amounts lost in sweat are generally in proportion to total body stores, however, prolonged heavy sweating can lead to significant mineral losses (particularly sodium), which can cause cramping or dizziness.

Electrolytes serve three general functions in the body:

• They control osmosis of water between body compartments

• Many are essential minerals

• They help maintain the acid-base balance required for normal cellular activities

Drinking pure water effectively dilutes the concentration of electrolyte minerals in the blood, which can impair a number of physiological processes. When it comes to fasting, such as a prolonged fast of more than 3 days, you are reducing your food intake therefore also reducing your mineral intake by up to 40%. Donald advised us ‘Coconut water is a great natural electrolyte which has a unique taste and tropical flavour but has a low sugar content’.

Brain Power: Electrolytes + Water

Cognitive performance is intimately linked to hydration status, even as little as 1-2% drop in hydration can lead to feelings associated with brain fog, such as headaches, tiredness, and poor concentration. In fact, when the body becomes dehydrated, the physiological processes that occur are the same as the ones used when coping with stress, meaning adrenaline and cortisol are released. When the body is dehydrated, the levels of energy that can be generated are decreased.

Quantity

Many sources tell us we should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day, but in truth it is not scientifically proven. To be more accurate you need to assess different body types, environments, seasons and lifestyles, this would result in considerable variations.

It is impossible to cater for everyone, ultimately your intake may depend upon whether you are on a keto diet, which is more dehydrating, experiencing a hot climate, you are engaging in vigorous exercise or fasting. These will all will require an increased uptake. One simple guide is a urine colour check, if your pee is clear, light yellow that’s ideal, if it’s dark yellow, you’re probably not drinking enough.

Timing

Hydration is significant for your quality of sleep. If you forget to drink enough during the day, you can end up trying to play catch-up too late. This often leads to multiple visits to the bathroom during the night, not helpful for good, uninterrupted sleep. Therefore, it’s super important to hydrate first thing in the morning after an overnight fast. This will help with lubrication of joints, elimination of waste, respiration and priming of the vascular system at the start of the day. Try not to hydrate before the tasks of the day get started and run away from you.

Detoxification

The array of liver-supporting detoxification agents on offer today is positively mind-boggling, Slippery Elm, Milk Thistle, Dandelion, Burdock, Rhubarb Root, various greens, prebiotics, minerals and botanicals, the list goes on. However, without one key component and delivery mechanism, they are all practically ineffective. Guess what that element is? Yup, that’s it, WATER. Our whole internal transportation system for getting substances in and out of the body, connecting pathways to and from the brain, nerves, various glands and tissues are all water-dependent.

Quality Matters

If you filter your tap water for health reasons, and to save on plastic, some systems remove pollutants like lead, chlorine, mercury, VOCs, cadmium, PFAS / PFOA, pharmaceuticals, particulates, and more. Donald says, ‘If you use reverse osmosis filters they weed out everything including healthy minerals and electrolytes, so you will need to remineralise your water. A pinch of Himalayan Sea salt will work.

Caffeine and Alcohol

Both are diuretics which means they push water out of the body. The degree or impact of alcohol on hydration appears to be limited with research being inconclusive due to the broad aspect of variables at play. Some researchers observed that drinking higher caffeinated coffee had a short-term diuretic effect, whereas lower caffeinated coffee and water were not dehydrating.

Don’s advice to keeping well at work, with heightened energy levels and concentration to a maximum is to keep well hydrated. Ensuring your hydration is topped up will enhance a good night’s sleep, lower stress and generally keep you feeling happy and satisfied.

#hydration #water #cognitiveprocess #WellbeingMatters #WellbeingAtWork

25Sep

Why Screen your Employees?

Background checks provide you with additional information to help you to make more informed hiring decisions. Screening your potential or existing employees reduces the risk of hiring or retaining individuals who may not be suitable. It’s important to note that while pre-employment or re-vetting checks are valuable, and shouldn’t be skipped, they must be conducted in a fair and non-discriminatory manner. We always follow legal guidelines, provide transparency to candidates, and obtain background checks appropriately in the hiring process.

Let’s cover the basics, what actually is the importance of carrying out background checks? Background checks for potential employees can reveal different types of information about an individual, which can depend on the scope and depth of the check. The specific information disclosed in a background check for employment depends on factors like the purpose of the check, legal regulations and the type of background screening being conducted.

Here’s some Reasons For Background Checks

Safety In The Workplace

Background checks can help you identify individuals with a history of things like fraud, theft, violence or other criminal activities. By screening prospective employees, you can minimise risks to the safety and wellbeing of your staff, business, brand and clients.

Confidentiality and Security

Some positions may involve access to sensitive information, such as confidential data. Screening potential candidates can help ensure that individuals with a trustworthy background are placed in roles where security and confidentiality are paramount.

Reduction of Legal Liability

By conducting thorough background checks, if necessary, you would be able to demonstrate that you have taken reasonable steps to ensure a safe and secure workplace. This can help mitigate potential legal claims in the future.

Verification

Background checks can help employers confirm that candidates possess the qualifications and experience they claim to have. This includes vital things like employment history, gaps in employment, education, professional licences and certifications.

Brand Reputation

Hiring individuals with a history of undesirable traits like unethical behaviour or crime, can negatively impact your business’s reputation. Background checks can lower risk and help you avoid association with individuals who could potentially harm your organisation’s image.

Legal Compliance

Background checks help employers ensure compliance with UK laws and regulations, such as the Data Protection Act, Equality Act, and Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. We conform with current GDPR when it comes to handling candidate information. Certain industries and roles may have specific legal requirements for background screening, such as those involving vulnerable people or roles that carry a level of financial responsibility, we carry out all of the more specific checks.

Protection of Vulnerable Groups

Pre-screening checks are particularly important when hiring employees who work with vulnerable people. If you want to employ someone to work with children, elderly individuals, or people with disabilities, carrying out these checks will help safeguard the well-being of these groups and help prevent potential harm.

Prevention of Fraud

When hiring for roles that involve financial responsibilities or access to company funds, performing background checks, including credit checks, can help identify candidates with a history of financial irresponsibility or fraudulent activities.

Industry-Leading Turnaround Times

We offer background checks for employment with industry-leading turnaround times to help employers protect their organisation from employee-related risk.

Here’s some Reasons For Background Checks

Safety In The Workplace

Confidentiality and Security

Reduction of Legal Liability

Verification

Brand Reputation

Legal Compliance

Background checks help employers ensure compliance with UK laws and regulations, such as the Data Protection Act, Equality Act, and Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Certain industries and roles may have specific legal requirements for background screening, such as those involving vulnerable people or roles that carry a level of financial responsibility.

Protection of Vulnerable Groups

Prevention of Fraud

Industry-Leading Turnaround Times

We offer background checks for employment with industry-leading turnaround times to help employers protect their organisation from employee-related risk.

Richard Donovan, Screening Manager: r.donovan@theopragroup.com | 0203 854 7237

06Sep

‘Microaggressions’ in the workplace and how to navigate them

Our Director Adele was interviewed by George Chesterton, Senior Features Editor at The Telegraph Newspaper, to give her opinion and expert advice for an article about ‘microaggressions’ in the workplace and how to deal with them from an HR and business owner’s perspective, here’s a summary of the article, the pitfalls and advice from Adele.

We are probably all guilty of making what we think are insignificant comments or taking small actions that we consider to be throw away, motivational or even quite well meaning and polite. What do we mean by microaggressions? These verbal or behavioural slights are often unintentional and can convey a derogatory or negative attitude towards someone, for example telling someone to ‘man up’ when you want someone to rise to a challenge or strengthen their resilience, Adele rightly says this is “gender bias, as when said to a woman it infers a man is stronger or superior, and if said to a man it posits a predefined quality of strength, resilience or fortitude that is necessary or required to be male.”

What other types of microaggressions have been spoken about recently? The frequent one which is confusing for lots of people seems to be common courtesy, holding a door open for someone to pass, should we? …shouldn’t we? Is the age of chivalry dead? Adele advises, “Certainly, it’s not to be encouraged in tight spaces, respect people’s personal space. If someone complained, I would find out if it was a regular thing and I’d be tempted to ask if the person complaining would rather have the door swing back in their face. However, letting a woman go before them would need to be addressed if someone complained about feeling uncomfortable. It would just be a conversation and there aren’t any legal factors involved.”

Microaggressions are often unintentional and even well-meaning but convey a derogatory or negative attitude toward someone on the grounds of a protected characteristic such as race, sex, ability, gender or age. It’s a complex and nuanced concept, but increasingly accepted across HR departments.

On the subject of ability, have you considered how criticising someone for not making eye contact can impact them? For example, a colleague appears to be repeatedly less engaging than others in meetings, they could be speaking quietly and not making eye contact, which can be perceived as uncommunicative or showing a lack of involvement with whatever is being discussed. Adele recommends “You shouldn’t criticise or judge this in any scenario. It shouldn’t be a point of judgement. It could be related to something such as autism but even if it’s not, it’s not a cause for criticism.”

Being a working parent to children under 18 years old is tough. Is it fair to assume that other colleagues should fill in? Have you ever thought that your co-workers without children should be more available to work at those times of year perceived to be solely or mainly for children? Maybe annual leave for those special days should be prioritised for those with little ones? Do you think that the people with children should be able to leave work earlier to pick up their children? This is an assumption about a person being free at times when other colleagues with children under 18 are most likely to want to be away from work.

Adele advises that “This is very common and also extends to expecting those without children can or should work on bank holidays and at Christmas, for example. These people could have caring responsibilities and other life responsibilities outside of having children. Children aren’t automatically relevant to a person’s availability or ability.”

‘You look too young to work here’ and ‘are you having a senior moment?’ are both specifically about a person’s perceived age. The first comment is especially commonly used as a ‘compliment’ towards women, however it is loaded with assumptions based on the bias that they couldn’t possibly hold high status positions. The second comment is usually meant as a joke but don’t we all forget things, whatever age we are? There could be other factors involved like the menopause for example.

Adele is firm on this, “Referring to personal characteristics or traits of people that have no relevance to someone’s capability and ability is a no-no. This is age discrimination, essentially, because why would this have any relevance to any assessment of their performance? Even complimenting someone’s outfit can have an impact because it can be taken as a criticism of what the person has worn before. The intent was positive, but the impact is negative. That’s true of a lot of microaggressions.” And “Making comment about age is biased based on the perception of someone’s age. It’s not harassment unless it’s persistent but it’s unconscious because you are thinking about someone’s age when you shouldn’t be. You are labelling someone. This could potentially form part of an age discrimination case, particularly if it comes from a manager.”

Have you heard a colleague say ‘It’s just my OCD”, used as a throwaway remark to make fun of themselves, their neatness and organisation? Adele says “This implies a self-diagnosis of OCD and apart from anything else is based on usually false assumptions about what OCD actually is, that certain behaviours fall into that diagnosis and often they just don’t. Saying this trivialises a mental health condition. The other side of it is that if someone actually has OCD and says this they could make their colleagues uncomfortable.”

The intent was positive, but the impact is negative. That’s true of a lot of microaggressions. The most common criticism of microaggressions is that they encourage hypersensitivity and that such remarks are blown out of proportion, but others claim they can have a serious impact on mental and physical health, including depression and sleeping problems.

Commenting on health issues or disabilities, even if meant in a positive light can be taken the wrong way, for example saying something like, “The way you have overcome your disability is so inspiring’ could be meant with the best intentions but how much do you really know about the nature of the hardships and challenges the person has faced?

“You shouldn’t allow disability to imply a lack of ability so on the basis that a colleague has a registered disability, that disability should not be part of anyone’s thought process, unless it is related to some particular provision for the disability. Almost all these cases can be resolved through discussion, but if you can discern either ill intent or significant impact then they can become performance management issues.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/02/are-you-guilty-of-microaggressions-quiz

14Aug

Tips for Preparing for Exam Results

Awaiting exam results can be a nerve-wracking experience. As the countdown to the release of A-Level, T-Level, GCSE and other results begin, the anticipation is building and the young folk across the UK find themselves on the edge of a pivotal moment in their lives. The stakes can feel high, with building pressure and uncertainty. This time of high emotion actually does have a great lesson, an invaluable chance to cultivate resilience and a positive mindset, the tools that will serve these individuals beyond their academic journys and into their professional lives.

For many students, their career prospects, aspirations and even their self-worth feel connected to those letters and numbers inside that envelope. They can feel a fear of disappointment, pressure to meet expectations, and anxiety of the unknown which can all weigh heavily on their minds. Therefore, it is important to consider that while these results are of course significant, they do not define the entire future.

Resilience: The ability to withstand hard times

Resilience is a skill that can help teenagers deal with the challenges that come with waiting for exam results. Here are a few ways to encourage resilience:

Developing Coping Strategies: Encouraging ways for young people to find healthy coping strategies like physical activity, creative hobbies, staying away from too much tech and social media, or using mindfulness when feeling overwhelmed, can all help manage negative emotions.

Embracing Uncertainty: Learning to embrace uncertainties rather than fear them is a way to build resilience. Encouraging students to see this period of time, while waiting for results, as a chance to develop patience and adaptability, this will help them in the future.

Shifting Perspective: Every experience, whether positive or negative, contributes to personal growth, setbacks are just that, not failures, simply stepping stones to success. Viewing challenges as opportunities for development can make a huge difference to a positive mindset.

Honing a Positive Mindset: Approaching situations with an optimistic and proactive attitude

Focus on Effort, Not Just Outcomes: Celebrate hard work that they put into their studies, regardless of the final result. Remind students that effort and dedication are as important as the results themselves.

Set Realistic Expectations: To help reduce pressure and potential disappointment, setting achievable goals and managing expectations can be achieved by encouraging students to aim high but to also be realistic about outcomes.

Visualisation is a powerful tool: Encouraging students to visualise positive outcomes, and the steps they will take to achieve their goals, can help build confidence and reduce anxiety.

Seek Guidance: Remind students that they are not alone by encouraging them to reach out to family, friends, teachers or tutors for support and guidance, as sharing concerns can provide better perspective on the situation.

Moving Forward, Regardless of the Results: There are multiple paths to success

It is imperative to remember that there are multiple pathways to a successful future. Some students may achieve desired grades and progress with plans, while others may need to explore alternative routes. Both scenarios offer valuable learning experiences and alternatives can sometimes result in a better path for certain individuals.

If you do not recieve the results you had hoped for try not to worry, stay open minded as there are numerous opportunities available, some of which you may have not even considered yet, apprenticeships for example. Lean from this experience and consider re-taking any essential qualifications. Please remember this result does not define your entire future, there are many twists and turns in life.

Reach out to us for any advice on OPRA Flex, Apprenticeships, jobs, or even a friendly ear to talk through further education advice like the clearing process, we will try and help you.

#alevelresults #gcseresults #exams2024

05Aug

EURO 2024 Sweepstake for Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust

As we continue to support Essex and Herts Air Ambulance this year, we were excited to see that they were running a sweepstake for the Euro 2024 competition. Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) is a charity that relies on the generosity of its supporters. Their life-saving service is delivered across Essex, Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas without government funding. The EHAAT airbases are located in Earls Colne and North Weald which means they can reach the furthest parts of Essex or Hertfordshire in under 20 minutes!

You may be surprised to know that, on average, each team responds to approximately seven calls a day. The most common reasons for an Air Ambulance to be dispatched are medical emergency, road traffic collision and accidental injury. On average the crews treat over 1,900 patients every year. When we visited the base at North Weald we met some of the crew and were shown one of the helicopters. The base has an interactive training area where the team are able to simulate different conditions, places and types of incidents, for example a night club, a busy protest march, a hospital, an arena, shopping centre, school and more. They could make it noisy, dark, windy etc, it is amazing to see how the sim studio could provide a wealth of training for so many conditions, all in one place.

We decided to take part in the EHAAT EURO 2024 Sweepstake, so we were sent a very well-designed pack from EHAAT where we could draw the countries for each of us. We all donated £10 per ticket and half of the combined money was given straight to EHAAT and the other half was kept for the lucky winner. We needed a few extra people to take part so some of our friends and family, outside of the team, but still very much part of the OPRA ‘family’, were offered a ticket.

The tournament started and to be honest, not every game was entertaining, therefore, the sweepstake made it much more interesting for us as we had more fun as the competition progressed. People began to get knocked out and we soon whittled down to the final two teams, England vs Spain! As previously mentioned, we reached out to other external people to join in and it soon became apparent that we had a fun scenario, our Head of Talent Katie Fenn drew England and her (and our Resourcing Business Partner, Billy Ellis’) children drew Spain! It was a win/win for the Fenn/Ellis household and even though we were not super happy with England coming second, we were all highly delighted that we could make it exciting for the Fenn/Ellis gang.

Here’s our Just Giving link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/OPRA-Group-Ltd

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