People Profile – James Donnelly
We’ve been finding out more about James Donnelly, Beldam Crossley’s Engineering Manager. He leads a team of six designers, engineers and test technicians who are, he says, the “technical foundation of the business”.
He’s also someone who takes advantage of Beldam Crossley’s offer of two days a year to volunteer in the community and is sold on the benefits of the programme.
About James
James joined Beldam Crossley in 2018 as a Senior Development Engineer, moving back to his native Bolton from Southampton (I study in Huddersfield, I moved for a job in Southampton following my studies) where he’d achieved his degree in Mechanical Engineering & Business. It was the company’s variety of over 1,000 different products that first attracted him – and the challenge of being the technical resource for all of them.
Today, as Engineering Manager, he’s happiest splitting his time between the shop floor and major projects – he’s currently heading up a £150k plant industrialisation project. Solving long-term problems gives him the greatest satisfaction, although he also loves the buzz of energy that comes when his team scores a quick win.
James & Emmaus Bolton
He first came across the Emmaus charity while renovating a house and looking for some second-hand furniture. Part of a worldwide network, Emmaus is dedicated to ending homelessness by giving adults in need a place to stay for as long as they need it. It helps fund its work in Bolton with many enterprises including charity shops, cafés, a scrap store, a garden centre, a workshop and up-cycling service and even an ice-cream parlour.
James was so impressed by their work that he offered to become a volunteer – pledging his two employer-paid volunteering days to help in their café. It was an experience he found both humbling and massively rewarding.
“You never know who will end up homeless because their circumstances have changed, not necessarily by their own fault. Seeing people in different situations helps you to have more empathy and to be grateful for what you have. It feels like you’re not giving a lot, but any charity will be grateful for two days’ help.” he says.
Q. Would he recommend the experience to other employees?
A. “Oh yes, definitely. You can choose any charity you want – maybe one with a family connection. It’s OK to be nervous but once you make the first contact you’ll realise how easy it is. The charity will benefit and I’m fairly certain you will too.”