 What do half the population and one quarter of workers do? Volunteer of course! Latest studies have shown that nearly two million of us are taking time out to volunteer.
Fresh from her stint on the first series of BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’, Miriam Staley fronts this Community Channel production about employee volunteering and the benefits on either side. The short film shows how big companies such as the BBC and Universal use employee volunteering to enhance their staff’s morale and employees explain how much they get from volunteering and spending time out of the office. As Miriam herself says, “It sure beats working!”
More and more bosses are giving their staff time off to volunteer and they already helping to change the world we live in. Over 65 million hours a year – that’s £0.8billion in staff time – are being freed up to help communities in the UK. The BBC, which works with over 30 charities and hundreds of organisations, say it helps them improve what they put on the box. Some employees have been working at the Maxilla Nursery – helping to paint the school. Alex Walker, Head Teacher, said, “They have transformed our school. We’ve had lots of rooms done inside and now instead of having a dull green building under the motorway; we’ve got lovely rainbow fences. The children are going to be over the moon when they come back from half-term. Thank you very much!”
Karen O’Connor is one of the volunteers. She usually works at the BBC as the Editor of ‘This World’ and she had this to say: “I think it’s fantastic. It’s not just good for the people who are benefiting; I don’t think the nursery could afford to get painters in, but it’s fantastic for the team as well because it gets people out of the office and gets them meeting real people, doing something different, thinking about the world in a different way – maybe even helping their programmes and also working together in different ways – which is great.”
Caroline Stark also works at the BBC and is a volunteer mentor. She helps Lucy, a teenager who missed a lot of school, and helps her get back on track. Lucy says, “I like having a mentor because it gets you out of the house. It’s someone to talk to: something new. Having a mentor keeps you off the streets and doing stupid things and getting in trouble.”
Caroline loves being a mentor and wishes she had a mentor when she was Lucy’s age. She thinks it’s great that her employer allows her to take time off to volunteer. We also hear from another BBC worker who volunteers as a HR Manager for a children’s hospice. She agrees with Caroline about employers who give their staff time off to use their skills and experience give something back to the community.
ELBA (East London Business Alliance) is an organisation consisting up of 60 blue chip companies in the City and Canary Wharf. Many of the companies in the organisation allow their employees to show their expertise and help regenerate parts of East London. Jane Risley is a Business Analyst and volunteers for a city farm. She says, “It’s nice to get out of the office with people you work with in a totally different situation. Get your hands dirty, get stuck in and work together to really achieve something. It’s a great opportunity for people to get away from their day to day office life to come in and really put something back into the community.”
We also hear from an Investment Banker who works as a business advisor for a circus company that offers equipment and training. Despite the different backgrounds, he really enjoys the work and both sides have learnt something new. The creative nature of the circus has even rubbed off on him! Miriam explains that businesses that offer workers a chance to volunteer aren’t just doing it to look good – it’s also about making a difference in communities that need it. Another company in the film prepares food for a homeless shelter in Whitechapel. A lot of the volunteers wanted to get involved in this project as they passed so many homeless people on the way to work and found that it was an ideal way to help the shelter.
Staff at the John Lewis store in Sheffield volunteered in the way they knew best – by using their retail experience to volunteer for St Luke’s Hospice shops in the surrounding area. They pass on their skills by working with the shop staff on basic things such as making sure the correct goods are placed together in the shop and window dressing. All their help is gratefully received.
If you’re a worker, why not ask your employer to take part in an employee volunteering. If you’re an employer, why not start a similar scheme? As one volunteer said, “Just get involved!”
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Last Updated ( Monday, 06 March 2006 )
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