Employer Supported Volunteering

- Opportunities to use your skills directly to help and support local charities and voluntary groups -

In the past The Volunteer Centre has organised challenges on behalf of a range of employers: Army, Army Air Corps, National Air Traffic, Mars Drinks, Marketing Sciences, Hampshire County Council, University of Winchester, Sand-Aire, Winchester City Council and Winchester Area Community Action but Denplan has consistently released staff for challenge days annually since 2007.

 In the past 12 months Denplan employees have spent time at Badger Farm Community Centre, The District Scout Camping Ground, Winnall Community Centre, The Holy Trinity Church, and St Cross Hospital. The number and variety of tasks undertaken has been outstanding and includes: refurbishing teak benches to look like new, decorating, ground clearance, gardening, building storage facilities and creating an activity trail. In the past they have even created a garden and built an archery and air rifle range.

The monetary value of contributions made by employees in this way is hard to calculate. Feedback from charities that have benefited to date suggest that the kind of work carried out is often on an organisations wish list, but they would never be able to pay a commercial company out of their reducing budgets.

‘the contribution made by Denplan is the icing on the cake, financially its worth is therefore inestimable’. Further comments from recipients included: ‘it looks fantastic it took by breath away’.

The Volunteer Centre is keen to promote this type of volunteering in the future and companies could consider releasing staff to provide training, business planning, fundraising or event planning sessions if physical challenges are not attractive.