Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) has a range of mutual benefits for everyone involved. Employees volunteering individually or in teams build skills, bond as a team and improve their wellbeing. Employers see increased motivation, confidence and better staff retention, and charities and the wider community benefit from the contribution made by volunteers through one off events and ongoing partnerships.
The campaign is branded as “Work of Heart” to encourage businesses to understand not only the mutual benefits of creating an Employee Volunteering scheme, but also the social value of the spirit of giving for Corporate Social Responsibility.
The highlight of the week will see engagement between business and local authority leads on employee volunteering, and community groups and charities around Suffolk, in a networking brunch that will take place on 11th May.
Chris Abraham, Chief Executive of CAS explains, “Offering volunteering opportunities to employees is an amazing way to address an organisation’s commitment to social responsibility. It empowers staff, has a positive impact on their social and teamwork skills, and can help change and improve the culture. We hope that CAS’ Work of Heart campaign will continue to strengthen the relationships between Suffolk’s employers and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector through volunteering.
Another element of the campaign will include training for the voluntary sector to encourage the incorporation of Employer Supported Volunteering into Volunteering Policies, with a free online training session taking place on 12th May, “How to plan an Employer Supported Volunteering Programme”.
Employees are encouraged to take up their volunteering hours during the week and the Volunteering Team at CAS are signposting employers to the opportunities on the website Volunteer Suffolk. A social media campaign will also be running – #WorkofHeart, which businesses and charities are encouraged to engage with.
A free ESV Best Practice toolkit and resource pack has been put together to provide both employers and VCSEs with an introduction to the concept, case studies and guidance as to how to put together their policies.
For further information or to book onto the free networking or training contact volunteering@communityactionsuffolk.org.uk
Image: Staff from the NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group who spent their employee volunteering hours assisting with gardening in the grounds of St Elizabeth Hospice”.
Staff left to right – Shona Evans, Caroline Wells, Hannah Lord-Vince, Maddie Sawyer, Gillian Mountague, Chris Stanton, Emma Doughty
