This is what we did on our volunteering days

Corporate volunteering days are becoming increasingly popular in businesses.

The days, also known as employer-supported volunteering (ESV), involve  employees volunteering at charities or local organisations during work time, with the support of their employer.

And while a Works4U report found just 9.6% of employers organised volunteering for their employees in the year before the pandemic, that proportion had increased fivefold to 51% between 2022-23, and almost 95% of employees said employers should do more to promote volunteering opportunities for their staff.

Certainly, it’s not just the charities and local organisations that benefit from the days – employers note improved employee engagement and satisfaction, stronger workplace relationships, and the opportunity to forge relationships with the local community and voluntary organisations.

Staff who volunteer often enjoy the days and feel they’re making a difference, get out of the office to meet people from varied backgrounds, and have extra experience to add to their CVs. Indeed, the Works4U research found nearly three-quarters (73.4%) of employees rated the impact of their volunteering highly.

Tackling child bed poverty

Sallie Bewell is people manager at Talk Straight, an Ilkley business which provides web filtering, safeguarding and security software. She’s volunteered twice through work to help Zarach, a charity that tackles child bed poverty (when families don’t have the sleeping arrangements they need for their children).

She says: “The day starts with loading up the van at the warehouse with bed frames, mattresses and ‘bed bundles’ – duvet, pillows, bedding, nightwear and essential toiletries.

“The morning flies by. It’s physically tough – moving bed frames, divan bed bases and mattresses from the van to their new homes. On occasions, it involves walking up several flights of stairs to get the beds in situ. If there’s more than one bed to deliver, this journey might need to be repeated two or three times. But every bit of effort is worth it when you see the excitement and joy on the faces of the children receiving their new beds.

“This whole experience offers a fresh perspective on life, making you truly appreciate what you have. Now, every night when I get into my own bed, I no longer take it for granted. Instead, I recognise how fortunate I am.”

Team effort for the RSPCA

A team of 12 staff from Somerset Council customer services department took part in a corporate volunteering wildlife gardening day at the RSPCA’s West Hatch Wildlife Centre, near Taunton, in June.

Lindsay Johns, Somerset Council’s service delivery manager, explains that all the council’s full-time staff are entitled to two paid volunteering days per year.

“The days were incredibly well-organised – a mix of great fun, hard work and education,” she says. “We had a variety of tasks offered to us – some involved more strenuous manual handling, while others were more gentle planting and gardening.

“By giving our staff the opportunity to leave the office and visit organisations such as the RSPCA – and learn about the fantastic work done there – is a win-win for everyone. One of our team even adopted a cat from the centre!”

Making a difference to local communities

Rob Lawson, head of sustainability at Vanquis Banking Group, a specialist finance provider, says staff are given two volunteering days each year to make a difference to local communities, or for causes that are close to their hearts.

He says he’s volunteered “too many times to count”, and explains: “It can be eye-opening, rewarding, and great fun.”

Last year the Vanquis team volunteered 1,696 hours for community projects, and Lawson says: “We’ve done everything from refurbishing community gardens, painting farm buildings and planting trees, to hosting skills workshops for disadvantaged children.

“We’ve also supported financial numeracy, by delivering maths assemblies in schools, and this year we even teamed up with the Professional Darts Corporation to teach children maths through sport.”

He’s also volunteered for a programme to break down barriers for disadvantaged students and offer them experiences that could significantly impact their career paths. “These initiatives have provided personal fulfilment, while also allowing me to build valuable connections within the community and contribute to meaningful change,” he says.

Helping at primary schools Scott Wilson is a director at Oscrete, a Bradford-based business which manufactures concrete admixtures for the construction industry.

“Our volunteering involves all team members, as we see the value of giving colleagues the chance to be involved in something enriching outside their usual working roles,” he says.

This year, the Oscrete team have been partnered with local primary schools to support children’s personal growth and develop communication skills and confidence, while being positive role models to help raise children’s business awareness and ambition.

“We painted a shed and playground equipment, cut the grass, made timber flower and vegetable beds, and refurbished a woodland seating area for the children to sit at, while listening to stories,” explains Wilson.

“Our work in the community brings a real sense of team spirit, pride and motivation to colleagues who value having the time and the opportunity to not only connect with our community, but feel they’re adding real value to the lives of young people.”

In ESG news this week:

• It would be a “massive own goal” for the Government to fail to match its ambition on green goals and food security with the funding needed to deliver them, it has been warned.
• The National Farmers’ Union has urged the Government to give farmers the confidence to invest in the future.
• A union has won a Supreme Court battle against Tesco over so-called proposals to “fire and rehire” workers on less favourable terms.
• Questions are growing around how the Government will attract investment to bolster growth with plans for the energy transition and water sector reforms relying on private capital.
• A new body has been set up to combat “misinformation” on electric cars.

Find out more about our ESG offering here: https://go.pa.media/l/314511/2022-11-07/l91tq

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