Volunteers have made short work of a mammoth job – and it's prompted a call for more local businesses to offer their time to community projects.

Tauranga charity organisation St Vincent de Paul was offered a warehouse full of beds and they reached out to Good Neighbour to help relocate them.

'It was a huge task that required some heavy lifting,” says Angela Rogers from Good Neighbour. 'We put the call out and had about 20 people from PRP Property and half a dozen from Holland Beckett Lawyers as well as Christian Surfers.”

Angela says it took the volunteers around 100 hours to shift 10 tonnes of rubbish. Some beds were taken to the tip as they couldn't be salvaged, and the rest were transported to another warehouse to be given out by St Vincent de Paul.

'It's amazing how many people sleep on the floor,” says Angela. 'The beds are very much-needed in our region.”

She is now encouraging more businesses to get their staff involved in volunteering. 'As well as great team building and networking, we treated them to a chicken curry meal made entirely from rescue food,” says Angela.

'It's a very satisfying job, very inspiring. People volunteer for a variety of reasons. Some enjoy the social aspect, some need to be reinvigorated or inspired.”

Good Neighbour frequently carries out street blitzes and small house moves that require strong volunteers, making business involvement ideal. Angela says seeing the appreciation is a reward in itself.

'You can help lift other people's burdens when you come together with a force of people. You're able to bring tears of joy to someone else.”

To help out Good Neighbour, phone 07 394 4249. To help out BOP St Vincent de Paul, phone: 07 578 3814.