Major UK employers back expansion of workplace volunteering
Browne Jacobson, Centrica, Coventry Building Society, Mitie, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and The Berkeley Foundation among businesses signed up to the 100 Million Hour Movement
Initiative aims to build community resilience and strengthen workplace morale through greater participation in employee volunteering
An initiative that aims to double the impact of employee volunteering has gained support from several major employers.
Organisations including Browne Jacobson, Centrica, Coventry Building Society, Mitie, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and The Berkeley Foundation have pledged to expand their employee volunteering efforts, as signatories of the 100 Million Hour Movement.
The campaign, spearheaded by volunteering charity, Royal Voluntary Service, seeks to unlock 100 million hours of employee volunteering by the end of 2028, for the benefit of communities and workplaces.
Launched in April, it responds to growing challenges in workforces and an urgent need to mobilise more support for charities, with employee volunteering offering a practical means of addressing both. It is supported by mounting evidence of growing pressures in communities and workplaces, including a 3 million volunteer shortfall *, rising levels of job dissatisfaction and declining employee morale **.
To join the 100 Million Hour Movement businesses have pledged to support three primary actions to increase employee volunteering in their firms.
- To lead from the front with visible involvement from senior leaders
- To open volunteering up to more colleagues
- To make it easy for employees to get involved
The target is ambitious, but small contributions across a large workforce add up - achieving 100 million hours for instance would be equivalent to every UK worker volunteering for less than three hours a year ***. Organisations of all sizes across every sector are being encouraged to pledge.
"It’s encouraging to see so many organisations get behind the 100 Million Hour Movement and sign our pledge. By working together we can effect real change, for our communities and for millions of workers, powered by employee volunteering. Having such a strong group of signatories makes all the difference, and we hope their commitment will inspire others to take action in the months ahead."
Carole Urey, chief revenue officer, Royal Voluntary Service
"It’s so important that companies are an active player in the communities they serve. At Centrica we encourage our colleagues to volunteer by giving paid time off to volunteer in our communities. I’m so proud of how much good work our amazing colleagues do."
Chris O’Shea, CEO, Centrica
"Volunteering is one of the most powerful ways we can support people, creating better places and thriving communities, and enabling lasting impact where it matters most.
"Last year alone, Mitie colleagues contributed over 35,000 hours of their time to volunteering initiatives including tackling food poverty, supporting skills development programmes, and refurbishing local communal areas such as train stations and parks. We see first-hand the difference this makes, which is why we’re proud to support RVS’s 100 Million Hour pledge to help drive even greater impact across the UK."
Kathryn Dolan, Chief People Officer, Mitie
"We are proud to support the 100 Million Hours Movement as it aligns closely with our longstanding commitment to tackling food insecurity and strengthening communities through volunteering. At Sodexo and within the Stop Hunger Foundation, we already see the impact that employee volunteering can have, not only in supporting charity partners but also in building skills, engagement and purpose across our teams. This pledge is a natural extension of that work, reinforcing our ambition to make volunteering more accessible, visible and impactful at scale."
Camille Thobois, Head of Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation
"When our people volunteer, everyone benefits. Volunteering strengthens the communities and organisations doing vital work, while giving our colleagues a deeper sense of purpose and connection. We see higher engagement and retention, alongside people developing real-world leadership and teamwork skills. Ultimately, it helps build stronger communities and a more connected, purpose-driven workforce."
Lucy Becque, Group Chief People Officer, Coventry Building Society
"Signing the pledge reflects our commitment to going even further, to expand our impact, create more opportunities to contribute and encourage more colleagues to get involved."
Beth Dowson, Partner and Community Action Co-leads at Browne Jacobson
"Volunteering has so many benefits. At the Berkeley Foundation, we work with remarkable colleagues across Berkeley who volunteer their time and expertise with our charity partners. Their contribution supports charities to deliver their mission and have a deeper impact in our local communities.
"Volunteering also builds new connections, understanding, and commitment to creating change. It can help develop skills, strengthen team relationships, and even contribute towards job satisfaction and personal wellbeing. This pledge is well aligned with our commitment to volunteering and we are proud to support it."
Sally Dickinson, Head of Berkeley Foundation
"Imagine the impact of 100 million volunteering hours! Doubling employee volunteering isn’t just ‘nice to have’, it’s a practical way to strengthen workplaces, support wellbeing, and help communities thrive. Every organisation can be a force for good, and there’s never been a more important moment to lead from the front."
Tim Campbell MBE, Entrepreneur and star of The Apprentice
Employee volunteering is a powerful tool to support communities, strengthen workplace culture and give employees a greater sense of purpose. However, while 62% of businesses now offer volunteering days to staff ****, many struggle to turn intention into action. Recognising this, Royal Voluntary Service has developed GoVo for Business – a digital platform designed to make it easier than ever for organisations to scale their volunteering efforts and track impact.
The charity-backed platform enables organisations to connect with thousands of flexible volunteering opportunities – 500 in every UK postcode - with causes of all sizes, empowering employees to volunteer in ways that suit them.
Notes to Editors
* Research was conducted by Royal Voluntary Service with a sample of 922 registered charities across England, Scotland and Wales between 30 September to 6 October
** The research was conducted by 3Gem with a sample of 2,000 nationally representative respondents age 18+. The survey fieldwork took place between 30 January 26 - 04 February 2026. It found one in three employees are dissatisfied in their jobs and 49% report their morale as ‘low’ or ‘neutral’, with one in five admitting it’s worsened in the past year
*** In February to April 2026, the number of people aged 16+ in employment was 34.41 million (Labour Force Survey)
**** Censuswide research from a sample of 1,000 HR Decision Makers in UK businesses (aged 21+), with a minimum of 50 who work for a FTSE 350 company. The data was collected between 27 February 2025 - 04 March 2025.
