Basingstoke Employees in the Community Network

In 2006 Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, issued a challenge to all employers - to have a volunteering scheme for their employees. This challenge has been met by a growing number of employers, as according to the 2006-07 Helping Out study 36% of current employees had an employer-supported volunteering (ESV) scheme available to them (Up from 16% in 1997).

Research suggests that Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) schemes can motivate employees to join companies and encourage commitment. The 2007 Volunteer IMPACT survey by Deloitte found that 62% of respondents would prefer to work for a company where they can volunteer. Other research has found that involvement in ESV schemes and support for volunteering from employers helps employees feel more positive about their employer and more committed to their job.

Employee Volunteering is when company employees offer their time and expertise for the benefit of local voluntary and community groups during work time with the support of their employer. Volunteering is promoted, encouraged and recognised by the company.

The Basingstoke Employees in the Community Network was launched in May 2007 to promote Employee Volunteering. Numerous local companies and voluntary groups have signed up to the initiative, which matches Employee Volunteers with organisations that need their help. The Network enables local voluntary and community groups to benefit from the skills, expertise and practical assistance available to them on a voluntary basis from local companies.

Any company or voluntary organisation in the Basingstoke area is eligible to join the Network, although companies will need to have an Employee Volunteering policy in place. Companies starting from scratch can find a vast array of useful information on how to get started on the Volunteering England website at http://www.volunteering.org.uk/

What can Employee Volunteers do?
There is a wide variety of voluntary and community organisations in Basingstoke and Deane from very small local groups to large national charities which need volunteers. The Basingstoke Employees in the Community Network encourages staff, within the member companies, to volunteer for one or more of the following activities:

• Team Challenges
• Sharing Professional Skills
• Regular Volunteering

Benefits
Employee Volunteering creates a partnership between the private, statutory and voluntary/community sectors which provides mutual benefits.

For Businesses:
Employee Volunteering demonstrates a company's commitment to playing an active part in the local community and to building a more prosperous, healthy and safer community for all who live and work there. Benefits include:

• Development of new skills eg leadership, project management, teamwork
• Increased staff morale and motivation
• Improved staff recruitment and retention
• Enhanced local reputation (positive media coverage)
• Improved customer loyalty
• Creation of new business opportunities

For Voluntary/Community Organisations:
Employee Volunteers can make a real difference to voluntary organisations by helping them to accomplish tasks which they do not have the resources to achieve. In addition access to a range of business skills and potential sponsorship can create the additional capacity and infrastructure support to make a real difference to the work that they do, often with the most vulnerable in society. Benefits include:

• Cost savings
• Improved facilities or services
• Acquiring new business skills
• Raising local awareness of the work done by voluntary groups
• Recruitment of regular volunteers and Trustees
• Building long-term relationships with local companies

If you are a Business or Voluntary/Community Organisation and wish to find out more about the Network, please contact Vivien Harrison on 01256 423833 or send an email

Many Businesses within Basingstoke and Deane are current Members of the Network

Members Section
This section is designed specifically for the Members of the Basingstoke Employees in the Community Network.  It is password protected and shows the latest information on Employee Volunteering projects for individuals and teams 

In order to fund the Network and ensure its sustainability and ongoing success it is necessary to charge for Team Challenges, but not for individual skills sharing projects.  Please contact the Project Co-ordinator on 01256 423833 or email to find out further details

Download the Employee Volunteering Lealet.pdf from here