From money transactions to making flax flowers - the staff at BNZ Rotorua took a break from their office for a worthy cause.
The annual BNZ Closed for Good event was held yesterday, involving branches throughout the country closing for the day so staff could volunteer within the community.
Rotorua staff helped at Kiwi Encounter, Lynmore School and the Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust by making flax flowers for next month's Pink Walk.
Banking adviser Brenda Lillas said staff appreciated the time away from their normal duties to help out. Staff and their partners gote busy flower-making at the Millennium Hotel and aimed to produce 2000 yesterday.
"It's quite a bit different for me from doing mortgages and investments and things like that," Miss Lillas said.
"But for us it's a huge satisfaction, being out in the community. It's really neat the bank gives us this opportunity to get out there and do volunteer work, we get given two volunteer days a year.
"A bunch of us ladies are passionate about this, it's inspired us to walk [in the Pink Walk] our manager is already planning on a session to get our outfits ready, she wants to win the team event."
The Pink Walk co-ordinator for the trust, Kylie Lang, said it was "brilliant" having BNZ staff help make the flax flowers which would be given to people who completed the walk.
"I get to teach them about my organisation and what we're doing but I get to also hear about them and what they're doing and meet some new people. I think it gives them a break from the office, too," Ms Lang said.
"It feels awesome ... it's rewarding and they are learning a new skill but they're also giving back to the community and helping out."
BNZ Closed for Good:
Described as New Zealand's biggest day of corporate
volunteering
Rotorua staff helped out at the Kiwi Encounter, Lynmore
School and Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust
Other Bay of Plenty staff spent time at Kawerau SPCA and
Eastern Bay Hospice Shop
2000 flax flowers were made for the Pink Walk in October.