530 Welsh workers join an international army of 17,000 to support Give & Gain Day 2011

Today more than 530 volunteers from across Wales are swapping their usual Friday at work for a day giving back to their local community.

They are taking part in Give & Gain Day, the UK’s only national day of employee volunteering run by responsible business charity Business in the Community. The campaign gives employees a unique opportunity to make a difference to the communities they live and work in across Wales. 

With the pressure on local organisations, businesses and community groups greater than ever before Give & Gain Day 2011 is a real opportunity to empower businesses, their employees and communities to work together to achieve real change. 

Working in teams, Welsh volunteers are contributing their skills, talent and experience to help groups with real needs in the community including schools, charities and community groups.  Thirty companies are supporting 30 different volunteering projects up and down Wales from ground-force style garden makeover projects in primary schools and community allotments, to painting and decorating community centres.

Almost 250 volunteers will be working in Cardiff and the south Wales valleys, another 70 in Newport, 200 across North Wales and 16 in Swansea.  Volunteers from Wales are in good company, joining an international army of over 17,000 volunteers who will be out and about making a positive difference in their local communities today in the first year that the campaign has gone global.

In a recent consultation with its membership Business in the Community identified employee volunteering as one of the key ways that businesses can develop meaningful sustainable relationships with communities.

In support of this, a huge range of employers in Wales have backed the campaign including Principality Building Society, Wates Living Space, ScottishPower, Kingspan, HLN Architects, Castle Bingo, Morgan Sindall, Real Radio, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Magnox North, Brother Industries, Peter Alan Estate Agents, Wales & West Utilities, Lloyds Banking Group, Blackhorse Finance and Injury QED.  Some small businesses are also taking part including energy and environmental consultancy UES, Crystal Collections and SERS as well as employers within the public sector including the Intellectual Property Office, the Office of National Statistics and the Welsh Government. 

The number of Give & Gain volunteers in Wales have almost doubled in 2011, up from 300 last year. 

Commenting on the campaign, Simon Harris, Wales Director for Business in the Community said: “With the pressure on local organisations, businesses and community groups greater than ever before Give & Gain Day 2011 is a real opportunity to empower businesses, their employees and communities to work together to achieve real change. 

“There is increasing political and public focus on localism and people being empowered to make a personal difference in their communities. Volunteering is one way in which businesses can start to build real relationships and help to transform the communities they live and work in across Wales.  Staff benefit too as it’s a valuable way to have fun, learn and develop new skills.  I’m delighted to see so many businesses taking part this year – it highlights the fact that local employers are recognising the win/win impact and benefits of volunteering both for their organisation, the individuals and the communities that they will touch.”

Give & Gain Day is run by Business in the Community, with national sponsors Lloyds Banking Group, Eversheds LLP and Hewlett Packard in association with BT and GyroHSR.