Making volunteering easy for organisations

Business in the Community and Volunteer Now have launched new, easy to use guides which offer valuable tips and advice on Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV).

These guides provide a vast range of information including case studies of best practice, seven steps to success and the benefits of ESV.

These guides are free to download from www.bitcni.org.uk or www.volunteernow.co.uk.

“Volunteering has enormous social and economic potential,” explains Martin Howell, Business in the Community’s Volunteering Director. “It helps strengthen values and provides important learning opportunities as it empowers individuals to learn new skills and competencies and can even improve their employability. This is particularly important when times are tough.

“It can also play a huge part in building stronger communities and healthy, participative, active citizenship.”

Last year in Northern Ireland, businesses involved in Business in the Community’s Cares initiative empowered over 2,600 employees to volunteer. Over 150 organisations, schools and charities benefitted. A total of 20,800 hours were donated which is equivalent to 520 working weeks or 10 working years!

Chair of the Business in the Community’s volunteering programme, Maureen Walkingshaw, HR Director for Customer Service at BT explains: “The Employer’s Guide is an excellent and welcome resource for any organisation participating in employer supported volunteering activities. With all of the information and contacts in one place it will certainly be an extremely useful handbook for our team in BT.”

Bringing the advice full circle, a guide has been specifically designed to help the community and voluntary sector determine how to package group volunteering opportunities and get the best through a volunteering partnership.

Wendy Osborne OBE, Chief Executive, Volunteer Now adds: “The Community Guide is a step by step guide on employer supported volunteering for the voluntary and community sector. It contains practical guidance on getting started, case studies and creating win-win situations for voluntary organisations, employers and the employees.  Volunteers make a tremendous contribution to communities across Northern Ireland and we hope that these guides will encourage more employers to get involved.”

If you would like to find out more about business volunteering opportunities contact Business in the Community on 9046 0606 or Volunteer Now on 9023 2020.