Major employers back national campaign to double workplace volunteering by 2028 

Some of the UK’s largest employers have pledged to expand employee volunteering as part of a new national campaign aiming to unlock 100 million volunteering hours by the end of 2028. 

The 100 Million Hour Movement, led by Royal Voluntary Service, has secured backing from organisations including Centrica, Mitie, Coventry Building Society, Browne Jacobson, Berkeley Foundation and the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation. 

The initiative encourages employers to make volunteering a more accessible and visible part of working life, with the ambition of strengthening communities while also improving employee engagement, wellbeing and workplace culture. 

Participating organisations commit to three actions: demonstrating visible leadership support, opening volunteering opportunities to more employees and making it easier for colleagues to get involved. 

Royal Voluntary Service says the campaign comes at a time when charities are facing a volunteer shortfall of around three million people, while many employers continue to grapple with declining employee morale and job satisfaction. 

The charity argues that achieving 100 million volunteering hours is an ambitious but realistic target, equating to fewer than three hours of volunteering per UK worker each year. 

Carole Urey, Chief Revenue Officer at Royal Voluntary Service, said: “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.” 

Chris O’Shea, CEO of Centrica, highlighted the role businesses can play within their communities.  “It’s so important that companies are an active player in the communities they serve,” O’Shea said. “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.” 

Kathryn Dolan, Chief People Officer at Mitie, said the organisation had already seen the benefits of volunteering through colleague engagement. 

“Last year alone, Mitie colleagues contributed more than 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,” Dolan said. “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.” 

Lucy Becque, Group Chief People Officer at Coventry Building Society, added that volunteering delivers benefits for both organisations and employees. 

“When our people volunteer, everyone benefits,” she said. “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.” 

Research cited by Royal Voluntary Service found that one in three employees are dissatisfied in their jobs, while almost half describe their morale as low or neutral. The charity believes employee volunteering offers organisations a practical way to improve purpose, strengthen workplace culture and support employee wellbeing while delivering meaningful community impact. 

To help organisations increase participation, Royal Voluntary Service has also developed GoVo for Business, a digital platform that connects employers and employees with thousands of volunteering opportunities across the UK and enables organisations to measure their social impact. 

The campaign reflects a growing recognition that employee volunteering is no longer solely part of organisations’ corporate social responsibility programmes. Increasingly, it is being positioned as a strategic people initiative that can support employee wellbeing, skills development, engagement and retention, while helping businesses strengthen their connection with the communities they serve.