All you need to know to get started

What is Employer Supported Volunteering?
Employer Supported volunteering (ESV) is where the employees of an organisation can take paid time off to volunteer during work hours. Employees can choose to use their volunteering time to support a local charity or community group in Medway either, of their own choice, or one supported by their employer.
Supporting your employees with opportunities to volunteer can have a significant impact on your employee engagement. ESV also helps to unite local Charities and Community Groups.
With employees currently returning to the workplace, (following the chaos of Covid), there has never been a better time to support your employees to be able to volunteer and help local causes in Medway. Medway Voluntary Action can help you get started with this.

Are you considering supporting your employees to volunteer? Here are 5 great reasons for you as an employer to consider it:

1. It can raise your organisations profile and reputation in Medway and it’s communities
2. It can increase the quality of your recruitment programmes
3. It can increase you workforces’ awareness of local causes, skill sets and enhance their learning and development
4. It can increase employee motivation, morale, loyalty and retention
5. It can also aid the improvement of communication and understanding between your employees

Are you a local employee considering volunteering through your employer? Here are some of the benefits for you:
• It will give you opportunities to develop your personal, communication and organisational skills
• Make friends and meet new people
• It can give you a sense of purpose and fulfilment
• It can provide opportunities for you to work in different environments and on issues you care about
• Stronger connections with your local communities in Medway

In addition to the benefits to you as organisation, Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) also provides invaluable (and much needed) additional support to communities and local causes in Medway:
• By providing enthusiastic volunteers with specialist skills for specific needs
• Present differing viewpoints and a wider perspective on community issues
• Helps to expand support networks for local residents
• Enhance volunteer capacity in Medway, meaning we can help more people in more ways

Examples of Employer Supported Volunteering
Employee Supported Volunteering comes in many shapes and sizes. Below are a few examples of how organisations and their employees can help out through ESV:
• Career Talks in local Schools, Colleges, Universities
• Volunteer Community Support Days
• Supporting one off events (stalls, awareness, activities)
• Mentoring
• Befriending
• Trusteeship

Check out some of these case studies where ESV has really made a huge difference across various communities:
• Cambridge University Press, Rowan and Blue Smile - Creating extended partnerships with local charities: Click here
• Taylor Vinters & Illuminate - A shared approach to better mental health: Click here
• Arm - encouraging a partnership between key charities: Click here

Check out this case study about how local organisation Mid-Kent College, went about setting up their first ever Employer Supported Volunteering programme which resulted in their first ever ‘Community Day’ in May 2022. Read about how they went about setting the program up, how they involved their employees in the process, the great enjoyment everyone got out of the day (including the local causes they supported) and their hopes for the future of the scheme.
To download Mid Kent College’s Employer Supported Volunteering Program Setup Case Study click HERE.

To download a copy of MVA’s new Employer Supported Volunteering Information Guide click HERE.

Other Helpful Downloads

• Business In the Community Toolkit On How To Set Up An Employee Volunteering Program
• IPD Employer Supported Volunteering Guide
• IPD Employer Supported Volunteering FAQ Sheet
• CIPD Employer Supported Volunteering Infographic
• Business4Better Report – Seven Practices Of Effective Employee Volunteer Programs
  
• NCVO Time Well Spent Report On Employer Supported Volunteering

Useful Articles/Resources

• Galaxy Digital’s Corporate Partnerships: A Guide For Nonprofits
• Charity Digital Article On How Charities Can Find The Right Corporate Partner
• Click Here To Find Out More About ‘Neighbourly’ – An App Which Helps Charities Get Support From Local Partners
• Alaya Guide On Creating A Virtual Corporate Volunteering Program