Whitbread launches £1 million volunteering programme
Howard Lake | 23 March 2005 | News
Hospitality company Whitbread PLC has launched a £1 million volunteering programme with environmental charity Groundwork to encourage life-long volunteering.
The launch of Whitbread ActionUK comes as the company welcomes the Russell Commission’s consultation into life-long volunteering. The employer of 40,000 people agrees that financial incentives alone will not encourage life-long volunteering in the long-term and it welcomes the need to reinforce financial support with structured mentoring and support mechanisms to help volunteers develop the skills and confidence to participate in and run community projects.
The programme will offer training and support for volunteers, both young and old, wanting to improve their neighbourhoods and get involved in projects to make them better places to live. It will also actively support projects already in place.
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The Big Lottery Fund has awarded the programme £1 milllion, one of its largest grants to date.
Piers Blake, head of corporate responsibility at Whitbread, explained: “Whitbread’s experience of volunteering over the last 25 years has demonstrated that with direction and grants people can turn their ideas into well managed, life changing and enriching programmes. Whitbread ActionUK, which is recognised as a pioneering initiative by the Big Lottery Fund, will help people to fulfil their volunteering ambitions in a more focussed and direct manner.”
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.