How we can help broker a long-term partnership for your organisation
Giving back to our local community is one of our priorities
In collaboration with Volunteer Centre Camden; OPM is now partnered with a community centre in Somers Town. The community centre works with children, disabled people, older people and people who are currently unemployed. OPM members help run activities and events, provide marketing support, evaluate the centre’s services and help to develop CV writing and English language skills. OPM Annual Review 2009
In 2009, OPM, the Office for Public Management, was looking to extend their employee volunteering programme. Previous experience and consultation with staff enabled them to clarify objectives for their programme:
• The volunteering to be close to the OPM office (max 15 minute walk)
• Offer the opportunity for all staff to be able to volunteer in a regular activity
• Able to involve OPM staff in 4-6 days of volunteering during the course of the year
• Would involve some OPM staff in volunteering using their professional expertise to assist the organisation selected.
• Have had a needs assessment completed to identify areas in which the organisation would most benefit from support
• Preferably to partner with one community organisation
VCC was able to help by:
• Finding two possible partner community organisations that matched OPM’s objectives, these were put to OPM employees who elected to volunteer with Somers Town Community Association
• Assist the Community Association to analyse the needs which could be met by employee volunteers
• Help produce a list of varied employee volunteering opportunities
• Work with OPM and the Somers Town Community Association to clarify their joint aims and sort out the practicalities of the volunteering
• Make presentations to employees at OPM about the Association, its needs and the volunteering opportunities
Benefits to OPM of using VCC as a broker:
• Having an initial choice of potential volunteer partners that matched their objectives
• Good support during the crucial initial stages
• Effective start-up to their programme, with 34% of employees signing up
OPM now has a developing employee volunteering programme with staff members playing an active role in their local community, building on the enthusiasm of their staff, using and extending their skills in line with the culture and values of the company.
