Sodexo and Mitie back national workplace volunteering effort

An initiative that aims to double the impact of employee volunteering has gained support from several major employers.

Organisations including the Berkeley Foundation, Browne Jacobson, Centrica, Coventry Building Society, Mitie and Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation have pledged to expand their employee volunteering efforts, as signatories of the 100 Million Hour Movement.

The campaign, spearheaded by volunteering charity, Royal Voluntary Service, seeks to unlock 100 million hours of employee volunteering by the end of 2028, for the benefit of communities and workplaces.

Launched in April, it responds to growing challenges in workforces and an urgent need to mobilise more support for charities, with employee volunteering offering a practical means of addressing both. It is supported by mounting evidence of growing pressures in communities and workplaces, including a three million volunteer shortfall, rising levels of job dissatisfaction and declining employee morale.

To join the 100 Million Hour Movement businesses have pledged to support three primary actions to increase employee volunteering in their firms. These are:

1. To lead from the front with visible involvement from senior leaders
2. To open volunteering up to more colleagues
3. To make it easy for employees to get involved

The target is ambitious, but small contributions across a large workforce add up – achieving 100 million hours for instance would be equivalent to every UK worker volunteering for less than three hours a year. Organisations of all sizes across every sector are being encouraged to pledge.

Carole Urey, Chief Revenue Officer, Royal Voluntary  Service said: “It’s encouraging to see so many organisations get behind the 100 Million Hour Movement and sign our pledge. By working together we can effect real change, for our communities and for millions of workers, powered by employee volunteering. Having such a strong group of signatories makes all the difference, and we hope their commitment will inspire others to take action in the months ahead.”

Camille Thobois, Head of Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, said:“We are proud to support the 100 Million Hours Movement as it aligns closely with our longstanding commitment to tackling food insecurity and strengthening communities through volunteering. At Sodexo and within the Stop Hunger Foundation, we already see the impact that employee volunteering can have, not only in supporting charity partners but also in building skills, engagement and purpose across our teams. This pledge is a natural extension of that work, reinforcing our ambition to make volunteering more accessible, visible and impactful at scale.”

Kathryn Dolan, Chief People Officer, Mitie, commented: “Volunteering is one of the most powerful ways we can support people, creating better places and thriving communities, and enabling lasting impact where it matters most.

“Last year alone, Mitie colleagues contributed over 35,000 hours of their time to volunteering initiatives including tackling food poverty, supporting skills development programmes, and refurbishing local communal areas such as train stations and parks. We see first-hand the difference this makes, which is why we’re proud to support RVS’s 100 Million Hour pledge to help drive even greater impact across the UK.”

Employee volunteering is a powerful tool to support communities, strengthen workplace culture and give employees a greater sense of purpose. However, while 62 per cent of businesses now offer volunteering days to staff, many struggle to turn intention into action. Recognising this, Royal Voluntary Service has developed GoVo for Business – a digital platform designed to make it easier than ever for organisations to scale their volunteering efforts and track impact.

The charity-backed platform enables organisations to connect with thousands of flexible volunteering opportunities – 500 in every UK postcode –  with causes of all sizes, empowering employees to volunteer in ways that suit them.

For more information or to pledge visit www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/100millionhours/.