News

Durham University receives national award for staff volunteering scheme

(27 January 2012)

Avril Brown takes part in gardening team challenge

A scheme which sees Durham University staff provide their skills and expertise to local community groups and projects has won a prestigious national award.

The University's Staff Volunteering and Outreach (SVO) programme was presented with the Investing in Volunteers for Employers (liVE) mark by the United Kingdom Volunteering Forum (UKVF).

Durham provides the opportunity for every member of staff to volunteer, in work time, for up to five days a year. Around 450 University staff actively volunteer, representing over 10 per cent of the workforce and in 2010/11 staff contributed more than 3,000 volunteer hours as individuals and as teams.

The liVE mark is the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management. Durham is the first North East University and the first of any of the leading research intensive 1994 Group or Russell Group universities to attain this quality standard.

Dr Andy Cattermole, Durham University's Head of Staff Volunteering, said: "This award is a tribute to the many hundreds of Durham University staff who volunteer in local communities every year.

"The University is world renowned for its teaching and research excellence but this award also highlights the world class depth of quality, skill and commitment of our employees.

"We're immensely proud of the work that our volunteers undertake and hope that this will in some way put the spotlight on their fantastic efforts in supporting a voluntary sector increasingly under pressure due to the current economic climate."

Dane Gould, of Volunteering England, said: "Durham's work on supporting their staff to volunteer in work time is remarkable and an example of the real positive impacts that large employers can make by working with their communities.

"This award reflects not only the impressive impact of the volunteers' work but also the high standard of support offered to volunteers by the University's Staff Volunteering team."

Community groups wanting more information about Durham University's Staff Volunteering and Outreach programme 0191 334 2199 or visit www.durham.ac.uk/volunteer

Volunteering is a "great way of giving something back"

Avril Brown has fully embraced Durham University's Staff Volunteering and Outreach Programme.

Avril, from Stockton, is the Campus Services Manager at the University's Queen's Campus in Stockton, where she has proved a real motivational force in encouraging her colleagues to get involved with volunteering.

The team actively support a number of causes including:

• Collections of gifts, clothes and essential supplies for the Cyrenians charity, in Plawsworth, County Durham, which supports homeless young men;

• A pilot project mentoring scheme for adults returning to work providing work experience placements at the University;

• Providing work experience to two young people from STEPS, an organisation based in Thornaby offering support to young adults with learning difficulties;

Alongside these projects Avril and staff from Queen's have also taken part in gardening team challenges for the Cyrenians and for Allison House, a residential home for Alzheimer's sufferers in Stockton.

Avril said: "The staff volunteering scheme is a great opportunity for us to give something back to our communities and a brilliant way of supplementing the work we do for the University.

"Everyone has been so enthusiastic about taking part and it really gives you a renewed sense of energy when you get back to work to know that you have been able to give your help to others."