2008 a time for businesses to be generous

Merseyside businesses have pledged to give something back to the community as part of a Capital of Culture volunteering project.  

Weightmans solicitors, Alliance and Leicester, KPMG and others will donate thousands of hours of their staff's time to good causes.

The Business in the Community Cares initiative is joining forces with Trinity Mirror NW2, the owners of the Liverpool Daily Post & Echo, to encourage businesses to pledge their support for employee volunteering during the city's special year.

Trinity Mirror NW² is leading by example and pledging 2008 hours of our staff's time as volunteers to support community initiatives.

That equates to 251 days made available to help local groups, charities or projects improve their services or facilities.

Sara Wilde, regional MD of Trinity Mirror NW², said: "We hope to make a real difference not just providing benefits in 2008 but hopefully helping some community organisations provide an ongoing legacy, either creating new facilities, learning new skills or developing better services through their partnership with ourselves."

The 2008 initiative, supported by North West Development Agency, launched in the atrium of the Post & Echo building last night.

A list of challenges and volunteering opportunities had businesses pledging help on the spot.

Pat Ryan, head of international services at Alliance and Leicester, said: "Our staff always enjoy taking part. With this project, we are going to have the staff leading the project with the managers taking orders."

The 50 projects include:

•  Salvation Army, Bootle: delivering food hampers.
• Window dressing at Woodland Hospice's charity shop, in Walton.
• Makeover of Age Concern offices, Ellesmere Port.