Bristol businesses are being encouraged to sign up to Business in the Community’s Give & Gain Day 2016 – the only global day of employee volunteering.
The event, on May 20, encourages businesses to give staff paid time off to volunteer to help local good causes. More than 30,000 people are expected to take part across the UK. 
Staged by Business in the Community (BITC), the Prince of Wales’ organisation that encourages businesses to be more responsible, it aims to raise awareness of the power and potential of employee volunteering and encourage and challenge many more businesses to invest time and in their communities.
On last year’s Give & Gain Day businesses across the country donated time worth £2.37m. In Bristol 16 companies took part with 304 volunteers helping 19 community organisations with support worth £182,000.
This year’s activities will include gardening, painting and refurbishment. Organisations interested in helping with skills-based projects are also encouraged to get in touch with BITC to find out the opportunities available to them.
Among the Bristol projects looking for volunteers this year are Blaze Castle Blast, Redcliffe Garden Makeover, City Farm Day, Inner City Challenge and Down and Dirty on the Farm.
Research shows that businesses that embrace employee volunteering benefit greatly. A recent survey by the NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) and CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) found that 81% of those who took part in volunteering reported increased community awareness and 59% reported an increase in confidence.
Some 65% of respondents said they would be more likely to work for an employer that encouraged and promotes volunteering.
BITC area director for the West, Raksha Pattni, said: “Volunteering is a powerful tool which builds dialogue and relationship between groups of people and organisations who might otherwise not have the opportunity to engage in a community.
“It also offers genuine mutual benefit – the experience builds skills and motivates employees while helping to make a positive contribution that meets community needs.
“Give & Gain Day is all about celebrating what can be achieved in communities through the power of volunteers – but it’s more than just a day and we urge businesses that take part to use it as a springboard into deeper long-term engagement in communities across Bristol all year round.”
Tina Varns, manager, sustainability and ethical sourcing at Waitrose – which sponsors Give & Gain Day – added: “Volunteering is such an important part of what we do. Each of our shops supports its staff to volunteer for local good causes. Waitrose donates thousands of paid hours a year for partners to give their time and skills to support local good causes. This will really come alive on Give & Gain Day.
“Over 60 of our branches were involved in Give & Gain Day last year and all reported it was such a rewarding event. They hosted community conversations and networking events that brought local businesses together with community organisations to discuss local challenges. Volunteering is a key way in which businesses such as ours can help make a real and visible difference to the communities in which we operate.”
Companies can get involved with by visiting www.bitc.org.uk/giveandgainday.
Pictured above: Employees from law firm Stephen Scown help to brighten up the Leonard Cheshire Disability centre
