Give and Gain Day 2016
01 Mar 2016
Develop your team through volunteering on Friday, 20 May
In support of our social responsibility agenda, the University is once again taking part in Give and Gain Day.
This national day of employee volunteering organised by Business in the Community (BITC) falls on Friday, 20 May, when the organization brings 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 Friday, 20 May that benefits our local community.
Here are 10 benefits of becoming involved:
People
- It's fun
- It develops skills
- It promotes team work
- It inspires
Community
- It can improve lives in our local community
- It builds new partnerships
- It helps where the need is greatest
The University
- It increases staff motivation
- It can enhance the profile of the University
- It enhances our responsibility
Get 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:
Or contact Jacqueline Manley, the BITC co-ordinator for the North West region for Give and Gain Day, on:
Or sign up for an event at:
More information
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.
Sign up quickly, as subject to availability, we have a small pot of University funding for additional, single places available on a first come, first served, basis.
You may already have built a relationship with a particular community organisation, 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, 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, contact:
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:
- Educational and work opportunities;
- Healthy Living & Sport;
- Science and culture activities;
- People, place and environment.
Activities will also, in most cases, take the following geographical priority order:
- Manchester priority wards: City, Ardwick, Hulme, Rusholme, Moss Side, Longsight, Fallowfield, Old Moat, Withington, Levenshulme
- Other wards in Manchester City Council
- Other Greater Manchester local authorities
If you are already planning to undertake individual volunteering activity on Friday, 20 May beyond the scope of University team development, either volunteering that you do outside work, or for example as a School Governor, you can register your activity via the Give and Gain Day website and join in with contributing to the global event.
For further information about the University's staff volunteering initiatives, contact:
Or visit:
For further information about staff learning and development, contact: