It’s a little easier to say goodbye knowing that we will be saying hello again soon.
Our colleague John is taking a sabbatical and whilst he will be missed, every single one of us at Green Team Interiors could not be happier for him.
His travels will take in The Philippines, Tokyo, Belgium and Delhi and he will be away for a whole year, missing the Great British weather, fish and chips, English tea and Sunday roasts…oh, and his family and friends of course.
What prompted the trip?
John will be working with International Volunteer Headquarters (IVHQ), a long established not-for-profit organisation dedicated to establishing volunteer programmes around the world. It will come as no surprise to learn that John will be focusing his efforts on community initiatives and the environment, a cause close to many hearts here at Green Team Interiors.
In The Philippines, John will be working with fellow volunteers to help replant mangrove forests on the coast, germinate tree seedlings and litter pick as well as visit local schools to discuss environmental challenges and opportunities with the children.
Belgium will see John work on grounds maintenance for a non-profit spiritual retreat while in Tokyo he will be working with English speaking volunteers on a yet to be confirmed project.
It is perhaps Delhi that offers the most daunting challenge to John and his fellow volunteers. More than 100,000 children living in poverty have very little or no access to formal education and the task is to bring basic education to the children through reading and learning activities as well as games.
The entire trip is self-funded and we could not be more proud of John for his remarkable and wonderfully selfless effort.
So John, why are you doing it?
‘After a big change in my personal life, I closed one chapter and decided to open a wonderful new one. My aim is to undertake a journey to not only find myself, but also to help others, communities and beautiful environments. Quite often we become entrenched in our own life and I wanted to find other worlds, experience new cultures and exchange ideas and skills.’
Well we can’t argue with that John, have a great year, keep in touch and make sure you are back in time for Christmas!
For more information about International Volunteer Headquarters and their great work, please visit their website www.volunteerhq.org