employer supported volunteering

Benefits of Employer Supported Volunteering for Community Groups

Employers are increasingly seeking ways to address the rising expectation that business should act responsibly, and the relationship between business and the voluntary sector has moved on, from asking for and donating money, to seeing the value in forming strategic partnerships that benefit all parties involved. Business in the Community estimates that 75% of FTSE 100 companies have some form of employee volunteering programme and the 2005 Citizenship Survey showed that 24% of employees worked for an employer who had a scheme for volunteering.

The Benefits to a Community Group of working with Business Volunteers

• Improving understanding between community and business and building partnerships
• Harnessing new skills, knowledge and energy
• Undertaking important work which usually would not be funded
• Raising profile of your organisation
• Gaining an understanding of businesses and seeing a new perspective on different ways of working
• Feeling valued by local companies and gaining confidence to approach other supporters

Working with Volunteer Centre Southwark

Involve is well known for running team challenges throughout Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham. From a community group’s point of view, the biggest benefit to you is that our services are FREE!

A Team Challenge involves a team of business volunteers working together to achieve a specific project for a community group, usually within one working day. These challenges ensure that community organisations can have practical projects fulfilled that they are unable to fund or achieve without a company’s support. We will work with you to develop and define an opportunity (not something you would need a qualified professional contractor to complete), find a company whose staff can complete the challenge, manage the day and provide a post challenge evaluation. We will also encourage the company to develop an on-going relationship with you.

For an idea of the type of challenges we have done in the past see our case studies

If you are a community group based in Southwark, Lambeth or Lewisham, and feel you would like to work with us on a team challenge for between 10-40 individuals, please contact Involve on 020 7358 5945 or email involve@volunteercentres.org.uk

Advice and guidance is also provided to community groups wanting to offer individual employees volunteering opportunities – perhaps using their professional skills, such as website design or business mentoring. For more information please contact finn@volunteercentres.org.uk