ESV and its impact on the environment

ESV and the Environment

After attending the Third Sector Leeds Goes Local Climate event, the Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) team here at VAL were inspired to put together something to illustrate ESV’s impact on the environment.

ESV works with environmental organisations, placing corporate organisations and their employees into environmental volunteering opportunities.  This valuable work impacts organisations through the direct achievement of the work done on our volunteering days, but also through raised awareness and advocacy of the organisation and cause our volunteers support.   Both help community groups and organisations to have a more sustainable future. On a larger scale, widespread environmental ESV has the potential to enhance ecological responsibility in business and bring about real, tangible change.

Achievements

The ESV service brings together large teams of corporate employees and puts them into planned volunteering days, meaning community organisations get access to big groups to help with large scale projects that they wouldn’t usually be able to get done.   For environmental groups, such as those working on community gardens, habit construction or green space maintenance, this kind of access to workforce is invaluable.  And at the same time, many corporate teams love the idea of getting outdoors and doing something different; a win win situation for both sides, the organisation gets a big job done, and the volunteers enjoy the experience.  
 

Lasting Impacts

Volunteer groups may join the team day for a variety of reasons, but they will all leave with an impression. The volunteers learn about the organisation and the impact of their volunteering, and may leave wanting to learn more. ESV raises awareness of issues, projects and social action groups in communities.
Within team days, individuals could become committed to the organisation they have helped and may well return in their personal time too, leading to further volunteering, advocacy and fundraising!    
 

Sustainable Future

ESV boosts an organisations’ sustainability. There is the potential for further awareness and therefore future interest and future plans can be made easier with increased support.   Employer volunteering can improve an organisations’ capacity – continuous improvement means continuous growth or stability. ESV allows organisations to be in a better position for the future, to sustainably continue with their work.

 

Change in Business

On a much larger scale, ESV and its advocacy and recognition has the potential to lead to changes in business. There is an increase in the corporate social responsibility need for businesses to positively contribute to both society and the environment. If ESV became more widely standardised, this could lead to a significant shift in the way businesses operate within communities. More social and ecologically responsible business is good for the environment and good for our future!   I hope that this has provided a snapshot into the many benefits of ESV.

If you would like to get staff from your organisation out volunteering, or if you have a project where you could use a team of volunteers, please get in touch we’d love to hear from you! esv@val.org.uk 0113 2977920 @esvleeds_val  

 

VAL