Colleague Volunteering is changing
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Published 31 Jul 2024 in Colleagues
We know that you, our remarkable colleagues, are doing outstanding things every day to make a difference in your communities. So that we can celebrate the volunteering you do in your own time as well as your paid volunteering time we are changing the way we record colleague volunteering. This is what you need to know...
Our wonderful school-governing, kids-football-club-managing, Brownie-leading, community-group-organising colleagues go above and beyond to do good together both in work time and outside of it.
We have updated the colleague volunteering reporting system so that you can now report both the paid volunteering you do (that’s agreed with your manager) and volunteering you do in your own time. This video explains how it works.
What is paid and unpaid volunteering?
Paid colleague volunteering takes colleagues away from their normal day job to do something for the benefit of a community group or charity. You have 22.5 hours each year (pro rata) to spend volunteering for your Regional Community charity partner or other good causes agreed with your manager.
Unpaid volunteering is where you are volunteering outside of Society time and where it is not part of a Society-led project. It could include leading a team of Brownies or Scouts or coaching a children’s football team.
Share your stories
Don’t forget to tell us about your volunteering through Count Me In. Sharing your stories with us helps us shout about the amazing things you are doing, and you could win a £50 Your Co-op Food voucher and a £100 donation to a charity of your choice.
How Sam and Tom volunteer to make a difference...
Sam Beer Connexus Programme Technical Manager and Ambassador for Stroud Regional Community
During work time, Sam arranged a sponsored walk to raise money for Stroud’s charity partner Stroud Valleys Project. “We raised £815 and brought smiles to people’s faces with our colleagues from Slad Road food store dressed as dinosaurs!”
Outside of work, Sam has been raising money for charity for 18 years alongside family and friends. It started with her walking 106 miles along the Cotswold Way in five days, raising £4,000 for Motor Neurone disease.
“In recent years, our family charity group Stroud Stragglers has created a ‘Calendar Girls’ calendar and hosted a ball to launch it. That year, we raised more than £10,000 for Cancer Research. We have sold cards made by the Cobalt Unit, a medical charity based in Cheltenham, at our local stores in Cainscross and Stonehouse, raising £250 for the charity.
Coming up, five of us are completing a sponsored 50k (32 miles) walk in a day and in October we are organising a Classical Music evening in Cheltenham."
Stroud Stragglers Walk
Stroud Valleys Project fundraising walk
Tom Umney Store Manager at Abbey Farm food store and Ambassador for Swindon Regional Community
“We have a sponsored walk coming up this year to raise money for STEP, our charity partner, and I have helped by planning the route for it. I also help raise money in store through Give at the Till weekends, cakes sales and other activities.”
Outside of work, Tom joined a programme called the Road to Glory – a 10-week training programme culminating in a charity boxing event. “I thought it would be a good idea to raise money for STEP as my sister used them a few years ago, and they are also our Regional Community partner. I raised £210 through my Just Giving page and used the commission I made from ticket sales too. I enjoyed the programme so much that I am doing another 10 weeks in September, but this time I will raise money for the annual defib maintenance costs to keep the defib at my store operational.”
Speaking about his fundraising outside of work, Tom says: “If it’s something I enjoy doing and I can use it to raise money for a good cause that benefits others they I don’t see why I wouldn't. You get the experience of meeting new people and doing something good.”
Tom, before his charity boxing match
For more details on the changes to colleague volunteering, take a look at the updated Colleague Volunteering page, speak to your line manager or email communityteam@midcounties.coop.