Today, Wednesday 5th November, Volunteering England, England’s volunteer development agency, is calling on businesses to embrace employer supported volunteering schemes as a feel-good tonic for staff, in a time of business and economic uncertainty.
Employer Supported Volunteering schemes deliver huge benefits to companies. They can enhance a company’s reputation, credibility, recruitment and staff retention, improve staff morale and work performance. They also offer effective ways to train and develop staff as well as helping the business cope with change management and aid Government and regulatory relations.
Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England, comments:
“In today’s climate of business uncertainty, many companies will be looking at innovative and creative ways to maintain a competitive advantage. Although many companies will be feeling the pressure of recent events within the economy, Volunteering England is urging business to embrace Employee Supported Volunteering Schemes, where appropriate, to help deliver a wide range of potential benefits to their businesses.
“From Volunteering England’s experience, companies with volunteering schemes have found employees are proud to work for them, potential employees want to join them, customers feel good about buying from them, partners want to work with them, investors want to invest in them, and local strategic partners welcome them to their area. “
Yorkshire Water has a long legacy across the business for volunteering.
Most recently Yorkshire Water has developed a leading edge volunteering programme called One Million Green Fingers whichaims to utilise the company’s thousands of volunteers to create 350 sustainable school gardens by 2010. Around 30 percent of Yorkshire Water employees consistently take part in volunteering.
The campaign launched back in September 2007 and to date 97 sustainable school gardens have been created by 891 volunteers from within Yorkshire Water, its sister organisations and contract partners.
Each One Million Green Fingers garden contains elements that will help pupils learn about important topical issues such as water conservation, the environment, sustainability and healthy eating. Already 47 primary schools have signed up to take part in next year’s challenges proving that the campaign remains popular.
Community affairs manager at Yorkshire Water Anne Reed said: “The impact of our employee supported volunteering schemes over the years has been tremendous not just for the local community but for the individuals involved and the company as a whole.
“The programme lets colleagues take ownership of projects, builds team morale, allows us as a business to engage with key stakeholders and the community, promotes a positive image of the company which has benefits in terms of recruiting and retaining the best employees.”
Yorkshire Water volunteer Mandie Farren said: “Taking part in our volunteering programme enables me to meet such a wide variety of people from within the business and the local community. Volunteering to me is all about having fun, it is a great activity to partake in and helps build my confidence on a personal and professional level. From manning the phones on Red Nose Day at our contact centre, teaching patients computer skills at the cancer support unit, painting faces at the school fayre to creating gardens in primary schools across Yorkshire, I really can get involved in such a huge range of events.
“Our programme is so varied that it helps to build great links with the local community. What we do makes a real difference to the people we help, so if I can give even a little bit of my time to help create this feeling then it is all worth it."
According to the to 2006-07 Helping Out study 36% of current employees had an employee supported volunteering scheme available to them, which was a sharp rise from the 16% of employees who reported they had had worked for an employer that actively encouraged, or had schemes for employees to take part in community or voluntary activities, as reported in the 1997 National Survey of Volunteering.
Volunteering England can provide support to companies to ensure that schemes are not intensive in labour, resource and administratiion. High quality training and development products are also available for good volunteer management.
There is also a significant network of over 300 local volunteer centres which can support employers who wish to start an Employer Supported Volunteering Scheme.Funding and support is also available through Train to Gain www.traintogain.gov.uk
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- For more information please contact Suzi Darsa on 020 7520 8928 / 07887 523 522 or email suzi.darsa@volunteeringengland.org
- More case studies available on request:
- Volunteering England are running a conference on Employer Supported Volunteering on Tuesday 27 January 2009 Barbican Conference Centre, London. If you would be interested in attending please email events@volunteeringengland.org or visit the Event web page
- Volunteering England aims to improve the quality, quantity, impact and accessibility of volunteering throughout England. For more information please visit www.volunteering.org.uk
