What’s your involvement as an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant or Office Manager in organising and encouraging an uptake in workplace volunteering within your organisation? This requires often a lot of cross departmental logistics, communication with charities, and coordinating employee participation. EAs and PAs are often at the centre of these events which align with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)…
A new initiative aiming to double the impact of workplace volunteering
It’s great to learn about support from several major employers including:
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.
Why do we need to include workplace volunteering?
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 3 million volunteer shortfall (1), rising levels of job dissatisfaction and declining employee morale (2).
To join the 100 Million Hour Movement businesses have pledged to support three primary actions to increase employee volunteering in their firms.
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.”
Chris O’Shea, CEO, Centrica said: “It’s so important that companies are an active player in the communities they serve. At Centrica we encourage our colleagues to volunteer by giving paid time off to volunteer in our communities. I’m so proud of how much good work our amazing colleagues do.”
Sally Dickinson, Head of Berkeley Foundation said: “Volunteering has so many benefits. At the Berkeley Foundation, we work with remarkable colleagues across Berkeley who volunteer their time and expertise with our charity partners. Their contribution supports charities to deliver their mission and have a deeper impact in our local communities.
Volunteering also builds new connections, understanding, and commitment to creating change. It can help develop skills, strengthen team relationships, and even contribute towards job satisfaction and personal wellbeing. This pledge is well aligned with our commitment to volunteering and we are proud to support it.”
Kathryn Dolan, Chief People Officer, Mitie, said: “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.”
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.”
Lucy Becque, Group Chief People Officer, Coventry Building Society said: “When our people volunteer, everyone benefits. Volunteering strengthens the communities and organisations doing vital work, while giving our colleagues a deeper sense of purpose and connection. We see higher engagement and retention, alongside people developing real-world leadership and teamwork skills. Ultimately, it helps build stronger communities and a more connected, purpose-driven workforce.”
Beth Dowson, Partner and Community Action Co-leads at Browne Jacobson, said: “Signing the pledge reflects our commitment to going even further, to expand our impact, create more opportunities to contribute and encourage more colleagues to get involved.”
Tim Campbell MBE, Entrepreneur and star of The Apprentice said: “Imagine the impact of 100 million volunteering hours! Doubling employee volunteering isn’t just ‘nice to have’, it’s a practical way to strengthen workplaces, support wellbeing, and help communities thrive. Every organisation can be a force for good, and there’s never been a more important moment to lead from the front.”
Employees benefit in so many ways
Employee volunteering is a powerful tool to support communities, strengthen workplace culture and give employees a greater sense of purpose. However, while 62% of businesses now offer volunteering days to staff (4), 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/
Assistants – use your efforts in employee volunteering work to promote your recognition at the PA Life Star Awards 2026
Have you seen the PA Life Star Awards categories to enter? We have a Commitment to Wellbeing Star and a Project Lead Star categories. A great examples where a workplace volunteering project could be used to support your nomination as an EA, PA, VA, Office Manager or other business support professionals.
📅 Nominations are open until midnight 18 September 2026.
