Our community needs us, but the benefits are felt on both sides, says Ivana Froggett, cluster branch manager at Saffron Building Society (ivana.froggett@saffronbs.co.uk).

The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action say: “Volunteering is integral to thriving communities... so that people can build connections and work together on things they care about, driving positive change.”

Yet, according to the latest figures, numbers are down, with 14m volunteering in 2021/22, compared to 20m in 2019/20 (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations).

Our local community organisations and charities need more support to help them thrive, from kind-hearted souls and compassionate businesses, offering their services and giving back.

Volunteering in the community

By getting out into our towns and villages, and meeting new people – as well as current members – we can better understand the communities we operate in, and also better understand the people, our members, and what is important to them.

Anyone who volunteers – be that for a few hours to help a loneliness charity, a mental health phone line or tidy a community space – is a special person. You have to be compassionate, a team player and focused on using your time efficiently.

We’re proud that, in 2023, our high street branch teams reached 718 hours of volunteering in their local communities! And this year, we’re aiming for more than 1,000 combined hours of volunteer activity, including our head office.

Whether it was cleaning the outside spaces and playgrounds at a junior school in Saffron Walden, hosting and marshalling a Guide Dogs for the Blind event, tidying the garden of a sheltered housing scheme for those over 55 years of age, or supporting the local Scouts group with events and activities, our team has been involved in a wide range of activities one can undertake.

Volunteering at work

We empower our teams to identify and champion their own volunteering opportunities, and will support them wherever possible. In fact, spending time with members, they sometimes hear about new projects we can get involved in.

Additionally, we use the OnHand app – an all-in-one tool on their phones to engage and connect with local volunteering opportunities such as helping isolated people with travel or shopping for those who are vulnerable in our community.

There are so many local connections and organisations that need help, support and – crucially – time. The app also makes it easier for employers to access opportunities, so please check out OnHand.

As well as the above, team opportunities have included time with the Essex Wildlife Trust, hospice shops, and Wise Up – a financial awareness programme for children (something close to our heart).

Volunteering does go beyond, with some colleagues even becoming volunteers outside of our programmes, taking their own time every Friday evening at cadet clubs, or becoming trustees of charities they are involved with.

Giving back

Furthermore, we have been running the Saffron Community Fund, for 12 years now, supporting local charities. Volunteering helps our team identify organisations who should apply for grants, and volunteers are on our panel to advise on how grants are allocated.

As one colleague put their volunteering journey: “If I can do something of value to the community and spend time with colleagues doing something fun and different, or achieve a personal goal at the same time, everyone benefits.”

If you know of any more volunteering opportunities in and around our region, please reach out to me (ivana.froggett@saffronbs.co.uk) and we will put you in touch with the best-placed colleague at the local branch to start a conversation.

Reading this, I hope you are inspired to investigate volunteering as an individual and recommend that your workplace gets involved. Volunteer opportunities for everyone can be found on the Essex County Council

Thank you for reading and considering, our local communities need us, but we all have something to gain.