A good read ... a literacy volunteer helps a pupil practice reading
January - this is officially "the worst month of the year", says Cathy McBain, when Christmas is but a memory, we have no spare cash, the reality of the daily grind is back and the weather is so terrible it leads to blazing rows with your partner and ultimately divorce. Or a new holiday. Or a new career. That is at least what the lawyers/travel companies/recruitment consultants would have us believe. But while not everyone is contemplating (or can afford to make) such a drastic step, there is something very tempting about change. Maybe we don't want a whole new life, just to do something different and reconnect with other people.
Research has proven that volunteering makes you happier and healthier. But while most people are aware of its benefits to themselves and others, there is the issue of time.
In a recent survey called Helping Out, the reason most people gave for not volunteering was lack of time. Which is one of the reasons why many people choose to work for an employer that offers them an ESV scheme. ESV stands for Employer-Supported Volunteering and can take many forms: either where the company gives you paid time off to volunteer, or arranges activities that staff can opt in to, or offers flexitime so you can fit your volunteering around your job.
These new research findings are being launched on February 13 at an ESV event in London. The research shows that people want to volunteer - but they want paid leave and a wide range of activities to choose from. The survey, which follows up on similar questions asked 10 years ago, shows the interesting statistic that although the number of employees with access to an ESV scheme has shot up from 16% to 36%, take-up remains static at 29%. So while it's great that more companies are offering a scheme, they also need to really communicate the benefits and provide enough of an incentive to stir their staff into action.
Of course, in these troubled times, with billions being wiped of stock market values, companies must keep a firm eye on their bottom line. However, research from across the world consistently demonstrates that ESV has a positive impact on all aspects of a company's business. And a recent online survey for Volunteering England showed that most people believe evidence of "ability to recruit and retain staff" is the main benefit for companies to adopt an ESV scheme.
So, company managing directors and staff alike - let's all make an effort to turn January into the best month of the year by looking seriously at how we can do something different, reconnect with people and maybe develop some new skills through Employer-Supported Volunteering.
· Cathy McBain is Head of Employer-Supported Volunteering at Volunteering England
