HOME > Volunteering > Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV)

Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV)

ESV is how employers help their staff get involved in volunteering. You might also hear it called corporate volunteering, workplace volunteering, or employee volunteering.
Ways it can work:

Time off to volunteer (paid or unpaid)
Sharing and promoting volunteering opportunities
Linking volunteering to staff learning and development
Organising volunteering activities for employees
Matching employees to volunteering roles that suit their skills

Why it matters:
ESV lets employees give back to the community, learn new skills, and make a real impact while supporting the organisation too.

Employer Supported Volunteering – Volunteer Scotland

The Therapeutic Power of Volunteering: A Case Study from Happy Hooves CIC

Kateryna Stoian, Volunteering Development Coordinator Volunteering is a spectrum of opportunities…it can be joyful, skill-building, rewarding, therapeutic, and even spiritual… whatever you choose. I believe volunteers should always be clear about what they expect from volunteering. I chose exactly the combination of the last two. As a long-term volunteer offering intellectual input, I had often thought about trying something very… Read more »

Supporting Families at Christmas: Julie’s Volunteering with Us2U

Julie Hogg, Lead for Children and Families volunteered with Us2U, helping to pack 515 Christmas food hampers. She was motivated by a desire to support children, young people, and families across Dumfries during a difficult and often costly time of year. Julie’s contributions included checking pre-packed hampers to ensure all items were present, topping up hampers… Read more »

Supporting Biodiversity Through Action: Rachel and Galloway Fisheries Trust

Rachel Muir, former Development Officer, Income and Fair Funding Rachel volunteered with Galloway Fisheries Trust, helping to plant trees along a watercourse in Upper Urr. She was motivated by a desire to help address the biodiversity and climate crises. As a keen environmentalist, I wanted to volunteer with one of the many third sector organisations in Dumfries and Galloway… Read more »

Strengthening Governance in the Community: Rhian’s Role with Cycling Dumfries

Rhian Davies, former Lead for Community Transport Rhian has been volunteering as Secretary for Cycling Dumfries for the past four years. What motivated you to volunteer? I have volunteered as Secretary for Cycling Dumfries for the last four years. At our recent AGM, we identified governance as an area we need to review. As a new staff member at Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, I had governance trainin…

A Day on the Food Train: The Kind of Difference You Have to See to Believe

Niomi Hamilton, Lead for Community Health and Wellbeing It was one of those typical October mornings — drizzly, grey, and stubbornly damp — when I joined the Food Train team for a day of deliveries across Heathhall and Kirkmahoe. I met the local coordinator, Jo, at Morrisons, where volunteers were already scanning and sorting shopping for the day’s runs. I was paired with an… Read more »

Community Clean-Up Day at Balmaclellan Village Hall

Jackie Wells, Locality Development Officer – Annandale and Eskdale On a crisp and bright morning, I joined a small but determined team of volunteers at Balmaclellan Village Hall for a long-overdue clear-up day. As a space that sits at the heart of our community, the hall has welcomed countless events, gatherings, and celebrations over the years. But… Read more »