Youth clubs, primary schools and the Birmingham Institute for the Deaf are calling for local businesses to sign up for Business in the Community (BiTC)’s Give & Gain Day, the UK’s only national employee volunteering day.

With finding employment a struggle and dwindling youth services’ budgets, this year’s event will be focusing on young people with a series of exciting projects already planned.

These include:

• Wolverhampton’s KWAM (Kids with a Mission), a club for young children run by the All Nations Church, needs volunteers to transform their building
• Stanville Primary School in Birmingham is encouraging Outdoor Learning through a day of educational activities
• Birmingham Institute for the Deaf needs volunteers to carry out mock interviews with deaf clients
• In Warwickshire, the Association of Youth Clubs are organising a football tournament.

Give & Gain Day, which takes place on 17 May, connects skilled professionals with vital voluntary sector organisations by matching them with a good cause and volunteering project to support. This provides an invaluable boost that is particularly relevant at a time when many local organisations are at breaking point.

A report at the end of 2012 from the Charities Aid Foundation suggested one in six charities may have to close in 2013.

25 businesses including Tata Steel, Lloyds Banking group, Fujitsu, Jaguar Land Rover, Mondelez International, Squire Sanders and Morgan Sindall to name a few have already signed up, building on the region’s strong history of supporting volunteering in the local community. Last year over 650 West Midlands employees took part from organisations including Audi, DTZ, GVA, Lloyds, AF Blakemore, University of Wolverhampton.

Jayne Magee, Director of Operations at Business in the Community in the West Midlands, said: “Employee volunteering has the power to transform business and communities. Local companies can play a valuable role in helping young people gain the skills, enthusiasm and confidence they need to begin their careers and pursue their interests. The experience builds skills and motivates employees, with 86% of individuals that took part in 2012 reporting an increased loyalty towards their employer as a result.”

Sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group and in association with BT, Give & Gain Day 2013 is dedicated to getting thousands of employees out of the office, store or factory to volunteer in their local communities. By making volunteering fun, accessible and inspirational, Business in the Community wants to make it something that all businesses give their staff an opportunity to do in work time.

West Midlands companies that want to make a difference in their communities and get involved with Give & Gain Day should contact Philip Hunt 01902 717491 or email [email protected]