Volunteering
at Allstate Northern Ireland

How our employees give back

Bat Conversation Ireland

I'm a keen fisherman (fishing mainly for Salmon and Sea-trout ) and looking after the environment has been one of my many interests. While fishing the night fly for sea trout I've always encountered bats and 4-5 years ago I decided to purchase a Bat Echo meter for my iPhone and so began my interest in UK and Ireland bats. I volunteered to monitor two local waterway sites this year for the All Ireland Daubenton's Bat Waterway Survey which has to take place within the month of August.

The survey is funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, and has been ongoing since 2006. Bat Conservation Ireland has over 600 registered sites that require monitoring for this survey so volunteers are very much in demand. Myself and two of my grandchildren, Charlie aged 9 and Bobby aged 7, accompanied me on the surveys where we recorded 104 Daubenton Bats as well as their echo calls and over 200 other species of bats. Bats are early environment indicators. The data we collected is used by the government agencies to drive environmental policies for the present and the future. Getting out with the grandchildren whilst supporting a worthwhile survey was a win, win. The grandchildren and I regularly go out at dusk to find specific bats and the craic is brilliant!

George,
DevOps.

Women's Aid

I recently led a set of 'Art Therapy' sessions, in aid of the valuable and admirable Woman's Aid charity. It was both fulfilling & rewarding. To see these lovely ladies participate and display an interest in something that they hadn't done before was truly energizing.

The art class created an environment that allowed the ladies to relax while painting and listening to soft background music, it permitted the ladies to focus their minds on something enjoyable hence creating a 'sense of achievement' which in turn, developed their self-confidence. At the end of the class the ladies had an art piece that they were proud of which lifted their spirits and boosted happiness amongst the groups. Check out my art pages if you'd like to see more of my work on Instagram @veros.palette and 'Veronica Doherty' on Facebook.

Veronica,
Application Developer

A table with painting supplies during an Art class.

Rachel and her dog, Harry, rest during their walk along the North Coast.

Guinnes on a table near Cathedral Quarter.

Air Ambulance NI

Our Arity team started off with the goal to complete The Mourne Seven Sevens challenge 14 times collectively which equates to 252 miles during the week starting 23rd August 2021 to raise money for Air Ambulance NI. We completed the challenge virtually due to the current Covid restrictions. Peter made the most of the sights that Belfast had to offer while completing his challenge, and even stopped off for a celebratory Guinness in Cathedral Quarter after a long day of steps. Rachel decided to walk along the North Coast, staying local to home. This included White Rocks Beach, White Park Bay, Giant's Causeway to name but a few, along with my dog Harry who loved the challenge

The biggest challenge for the team was keeping the sun-cream topped up surprisingly as the weather was fantastic during the week of the challenge and was great to be able to stay dry while clocking up the miles. It was an excellent opportunity to be able to help support such an amazing charity which will go on to help others. The target was 252 miles for the week but we managed to 568 miles (1,136,063 steps). With a target of £500 we raised £550 which will go a long way to help a great organisation

Peter and Rachel,
Arity

Prostate Cancer Research

Long version — I took part in the Cycle 100 Miles in May Challenge for Prostate Cancer Research. It was something that I initially saw on my social media feed. It sparked my immediate interest as it was an illness that a close member of my family had gone through a few years ago. Allstate were happy to support me by including this cause in our Force for Good campaign and providing the hours to volunteer. I decided to cycle the 100 mile distance over 2 days — 1 trip from Antrim to the beautiful coastal village of Carnlough and then back again (around 30 miles each way).

The other day, I did a 40-mile cycle from Antrim to Portglenone and around the surrounding areas. It was a really fulfilling experience being able to raise money to help fund lifesaving research for men and their families affected by this disease. On a personal note it was also quite a physical challenge (I had never cycled any further than around 10 miles before!), but one which I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to everyone. My friends, family and work colleagues were very supportive and showed great generosity in donating to this extremely worthwhile cause.

Padraig,
Product Manager.

Padraig takes a break while out cycling.

Etch-a-cell ER, your cell's social network.

Zooniverse Neurological Cell Study

I'm excited to be taking part in volunteering for Zooniverse's Neurological Cell Study. I believe I will be part of a crucial volunteering opportunity where my efforts could help advance Zooniverse's ability to analyse biological structures using electron microscopy and segmentation. With enough volunteer help they may be able to train computers to segment automatically. This has huge potential to help them understand biology and study disease.

My volunteering could bring hope to some patients who suffer from serious illnesses. If my efforts can give hope to even only one patient it will be absolutely invaluable. Thank you to everyone who gives us their time to volunteer for important issues, and also thank you to those organisations that provide Allstate with the opportunities to make a difference.

Volunteeringat Allstate Northern Ireland

Bat Conversation Ireland

George, DevOps.

Women's Aid

Veronica, Application Developer

Air Ambulance NI

Peter and Rachel, Arity