Orange offers microvolunteering mobile app
Howard Lake | 31 March 2011 | News
Mobile company Orange today launches its ‘Do Some Good’ volunteer application, designed to help mobile phone users contribute short bursts of volunteering action wherever they are. The mobile enables people to volunteer five minutes of their time and expertise, at a time and place that suits their lifestyle to help with various tasks from the prevention of bullying to turning derelict plots into community gardens.
Volunteering England is supporting the initiative and encouraging people to download and use the free app.
‘Micro-volunteering’ actions include:
* CyberMentors on the move – to help authorities build an accurate picture and scale of bullying, users can log whether they or someone else is being bullied, reporting specific locations.
* Places to Play Map – to locate and map playable places in the community for community groups, families and children with users able to take photos of places in their area to tag and share with others.
* Guerrilla Gardening – to map derelict sites for green makeovers encouraging a greener UK.
The 12 charity partners for the Do Some Good app are Samaritans, Groundworks, Cybermentors, Guerrilla Gardening, Futuremorph, Photofoundation, WCAFI, Young Foundation (I do ideas), Sustrans, Mission Explore, Sustainable Restaurant Association, Practical Action. Over time, the number of actions on the app will grow as Orange works with new charities and social entrepreneurs to develop more.
Andrea Grace Rannard, Further and Higher Education Senior Manager, Volunteering England said: “Mobile volunteering is an innovative approach with the potential to engage new audiences in volunteering and have an enormous impact on the lives of people across the UK.”
Prime Minister David Cameron MP welcomed the app. He said:
“Millions of people who don’t currently volunteer would like to do so if they had the time and information to make it as easy as possible. ‘Do Some Good’ is a great way of tapping into this huge pool of untapped volunteering energy.”
Orange say that, according to research it has commissioned, the main barrier to volunteering is lack of time. The study found that if volunteering was made easier for people they would do so, with over two thirds saying they would rather give up their time if they had to choose between donating £5 or giving up 5 minutes.
Marketiers4DC are presenting a programme about the new app today. Helen Davies from Orange will explain who could benefit from volunteers’ help and how to get involved. She will be joined by Jogesh Limbani from Orange, who will be talking about how technology can help make volunteering easier.
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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.