Bank swaps calculators for brushes

Using paint brushes instead of calculators for the day, staff from BNZ Stratford helped out with some community projects around the town, as part of the bank's national Closed for Good campaign.

Across the country, all BNZ stores closed last Wednesday, freeing up over 3000 staff to help more than 500 regional organisations with a range of projects.

In Stratford, those projects included painting play equipment at Avon Kindergarten and painting the kai room walls at the Stratford Parents Centre.

While at Avon Kindergarten, the team also got their hands dirty, building an edible garden for the staff and children.

BNZ CEO Anthony Healy said he was delighted to see the range and variety of projects coming through this year:

"Not-for-profit and regional organisations are such a vital part of our communities. They're often people who are busy managing their own jobs and families, so that's why we're out in force supporting them," he says.

"Every BNZer has a role to play in supporting their community and I know our people are really proud of the chance to share their time and skills," he said.

BNZ's Closed for Good initiative is New Zealand's biggest day of corporate volunteering, and since 2009, BNZ staff have given almost 130,000 hours of their time through Closed for Good to give back to the community.