Wolfestone Looks Back at its Recent CSR Activities

Since its inception, Wolfestone, a multi-award winning translation company, has understood and taken seriously its Corporate Social Responsibility. The company takes enormous pride in giving back to the community in which it was founded. Wolfestone was created in 2006 by Roy Allkin and Anna Bastek in the centre of Swansea, and has since grown and flourished to become one of the fastest growing language service providers in the United Kingdom.

Staff Benefit from CSR Commitment

In-keeping with the company ethos of going the extra mile, Wolfestone allows each of its staff one day’s paid leave to take part in CSR activities of their choosing. Most recently, Geraint Jones, English Language Editor for Wolfestone, took part in mock interviews at Penyrheol Comprehensive School, Gorseinon. Working in partnership with Careers Wales, Year 11 pupils of Penyrheol Comprehensive submitted realistic job applications and were given interviews based on their career ambitions. The aim of mock interviews is to better prepare the next generation of young people for the looming world of work, to give them useful advice on completing job application forms and CVs and teaching them best interview techniques. Geraint Jones commented: “It was clear to see that through the guidance and resources of Careers Wales, and the hard work and dedication of Penyrheol’s teaching staff, that pupils were very well-prepared. Not only were my questions answered with full confidence and enthusiasm, but many pupils already had an impressive history of work experience that they used to highlight their key skills and characteristics.”

A History of Giving Back

Now in its 10th year, Wolfestone has a vast and consistent CSR history. The company has been influential in promoting the importance of learning modern languages in the neighbouring schools and colleges, and is well-known for giving students of Swansea University a valuable insight into the translation industry through talks and workshops, and providing in-house work experience. Wolfestone’s community contribution is not just limited to languages, though. In 2013, the Wolfestone annual team building programme saw staff head to the woodlands of Penllergare. Not to be confused with Penllergaer village, this Victorian estate was once a landscape of sheer beauty. However, since the turn of the 20th century the woodland had suffered years of neglect. Wolfestone’s staff volunteered to cut through almost 100 years’ worth of overgrown trees and shrubs and helped to lay a path that would be used by future visitors to these magnificent grounds.

Tenovus Charity Pledge

To celebrate its landmark 10th birthday, Wolfestone aimed to show its gratitude and appreciation to the local community by undertaking an enormous charity fundraising campaign. Co-Founder, Anna Bastek, said of the campaign: “While our focus is international, we are proud to have our headquarters in Swansea. So it was clear for us when we entered our 10th year in business that we wanted to give something back to the local community.” At the beginning of 2016, Wolfestone pledged to raise £10,000 for Tenovus Cancer Care, a Cardiff-based charity specialising in the treatment and support of cancer patients. To date, Wolfestone’s staff have taken part in numerous events and activities to help reach that £10K milestone. These have ranged from an Apprentice-style challenge at Tenovus’ Neath store, where staff were separated into teams and competed to sell the most products, to Anna Bastek tackling the gruelling Ironman challenge in Sweden in August. The headline fundraising event took place in October, when Wolfestone celebrated its 10th birthday in style by hosting a gala dinner at Swansea’s Marriot Hotel. Teaming up with its customers and suppliers, Wolfestone took the opportunity to raise money for Tenovus through auctions and raffles, all the while celebrating and reflecting on all the hard work and effort that has gone into building the company over the past 10 years. At the time of writing, Wolfestone has raised approximately £9,000. With the £10,000 goal within touching distance, Wolfestone’s staff are determined now more than ever to achieve what at the start seemed like an impossible dream.