Team development opportunity through volunteering activity
12 Feb 2016
In support of our social responsibility agenda, the University is once again taking part in Give and Gain Day on 20 May 2016
On this national day of employee volunteering, organisers Business in the Community (BITC) are bringing together like-minded organisations to use their ideas, talents and resources to enhance their social responsibility impact.
Give and Gain Day connects employees with community organisations by matching them with a volunteering project. In the past, volunteers have helped with everything from school sports days to employability workshops for the long term unemployed. Give and Gain Day participants in the UK are part of a global movement of thousands of volunteers across 25 countries as diverse as Spain, Iran, Nigeria and Guatemala.
By making volunteering accessible and inspirational, BITC aims to support organisations to see volunteering as something that can contribute to individual professional development and team building.
The University is encouraging managers who already have a planned team development activity in the pipeline, or are thinking about undertaking an event, to consider taking part in a Give and Gain Day activity. This will align the University’s own team development goals with the possibility of participating in activity undertaken during working hours on 20 May 2016 that benefits our local community.
Ten benefits of becoming involved
People
1. It's fun
2. It develops skills
3. It promotes team work
4. It inspires
Community
5. It can improve lives in our local community
6. It builds new partnerships
7. It helps where the need is greatest
The University
8. It increases staff motivation
9. It can enhance the profile of the University
10. It enhances our responsibility
Getting involved
Responsibility for organising these days is devolved to individual managers. To register interest, find out more about local projects, and how you can participate in BITC brokered Give and Gain Day activity, visit the following site:
Or simply sign up for an event at:
Events do not need to take up the whole day and a range of activities is available. There is a cost involved (minimum £480 per team of up to 10 people and £48 pp thereafter) which covers insurance, health and safety, administration and all brokerage arrangements. However, teams that Sign up before the 26th February 2016 can benefit from a 10% early bird discount! To access the early bird discount, please use the following promotional code: EarlyBird when booking. Subject to availability, we have a small pot of University funding for additional, single places available on a first come, first served, basis. You can contact Jacqueline Manley, the BITC co-ordinator for the North West region for Give and Gain Day, at:
You may already have built a relationship with a particular community organization, and wish to return to them on Give and Gain Day outside the BITC brokered arrangements. This is perfectly acceptable, as long as you have local management permission, and complete the necessary risk assessment documentation. If you plan to do this, please register your intent with susan.field@manchester.ac.uk so we can keep full account of all the volunteering activity which is taking place on the day.
If you have new ideas or opportunities for Give and Gain Day team volunteering activity outside the brokered BITC offer, and would like to discuss whether your event would qualify for time off from work under this initiative, please contact susan.field@manchester.ac.uk to discuss further. In line with the University’s priorities for engaging its communities, such events will normally need to focus on less advantaged groups, areas and communities and relate to one of the following key themes:
1. Educational and work opportunities;
2. Healthy Living & Sport;
3. Science and culture activities;
4. People, place and environment.
Activities will also, in most cases, take the following geographical priority order:
A) Manchester priority wards: City, Ardwick, Hulme, Rusholme, Moss Side, Longsight, Fallowfield, Old Moat, Withington, Levenshulme;
B) Other wards in Manchester City Council;
C) Other Greater Manchester local authorities.