11 October 2007
Yorkshire Water has today become the first organisation to be awarded the Investing in Volunteers for Employers (IiVE) quality mark, the only standard which recognises excellence in employer-supported volunteering. The accreditation demonstrates the company’s commitment to best practice through supporting and motivating volunteers and their managers, while complementing and enhancing its business values and objectives.
During the last financial year, 38% of employees (885 people) were involved in Yorkshire Water’s in-house volunteering programme; employees are also free to give their time to projects of their own choosing. One of the company’s publicly stated strategic objectives is that it becomes a “national role model for volunteering by 2010” and, to that end, it has just launched its biggest ever volunteering campaign, “One Million Green Fingers”, which aims to create 350 school gardens over the next three years.
Anne Reed, Yorkshire Water's community affairs manager, said:
"Yorkshire Water is committed to volunteering and achieving IiVE accreditation is another way for us to demonstrate to colleagues, companies and local communities the great benefits such programmes can bring. Our aim is to be a national role model for volunteering by 2010 and we hope that by showcasing the volunteering work we do other organisations will follow suit."
Sonet Geyer, Operations and Marketing Manager for IiVE at Volunteering England, said:
“I am thrilled that Yorkshire Water has strengthened its public commitment to volunteering by being the first to achieve IiVE. In undertaking the rigorous accreditation process, the company has ensured that its employees are motivated and supported, its managers are achieving best practice, and, as a result, the community will reap the rewards of the volunteers’ hard work.”
Case study
Dave McGlinchey, Yorkshire Water management accountant
“I joined Yorkshire Water’s volunteering programme initially through already being a school governor. When the company started holding support groups for governors I was happy to join and share learning experiences with colleagues.
“Since then I have taken part in various team building challenges across Yorkshire where the company’s volunteers have been involved in helping different communities, whether it be painting a church hall or helping to renovate a community centre.
“I get a lot of personal satisfaction from volunteering – it’s a great way to meet new people and strengthen relationships with those I already know. It’s also important to know you are making a difference to people’s lives, whether it's in a school, going on woodland walks for the disabled or helping with third world water provision.”
-end-
- For more information, including a full case study of Dave McGlinchey, or interviews please contact Cat Dean on 020 7520 8932 or email cat.dean@volunteeringengland.org. For out of hours enquiries, please contact Sonya Roberts on 07952 128 057
- For more information on Yorkshire Water’s volunteering projects, please contact Aimee Laycock on 01274 692435 or email Aimee.Laycock@yorkshirewater.co.uk
- Volunteering England aims to improve the quality, quantity, impact and accessibility of volunteering throughout England. For more information please visit www.volunteering.org.uk
- Investing in Volunteers for Employers is a UK-wide scheme, funded by Capacitybuilders and delivered by the Volunteering Hub. It is coordinated in England by Volunteering England; in Wales by Wales Council for Voluntary Action; in Scotland by Volunteer Development Scotland; and in Northern Ireland by Volunteer Development Agency.
