Volunteering Opportunities Galore

At a glance

Connect Reading began working on a Vision for Volunteering for Reading, co-commissioned with RVA and ACRE. Our part was to engage businesses with volunteering opportunities, ensuring that corporate volunteering days had more impact and more uptake.

Collaborating with PepsiCo

An employee from one of our corporate members businesses, PepsiCo, wanted to gather volunteering opportunities from multiple charities all in one place. He was keen that staff had more choice for their corporate volunteering hours. We discussed the possibility of a Volunteering Fayre, bringing together dozens of charities from the Greater Reading area (and beyond!) to showcase their work, volunteering and team challenge opportunities plus chances for employees to participate to raise sponsorship through sporting events.

Stephen ensured it could work, getting the sign off from PepsiCo and hosting the fayre, ensuring all charity participants had lunch provided. He also made sure that Walkers’ products were available for those charities who could distribute them to their beneficiaries.

On the 18th October 2022, we welcomed 31 charities and nonprofits to participate in this amazing 3 hour Volunteering Fayre at PepsiCo’s headquarters.

The Impact

• 31 charities had a chance to showcase their work, raise awareness and recruit volunteers for individual opportunities and team challenges
• 85 PepsiCo employees signed up to volunteer in some way!
• 83% of charity and nonprofit participants said PepsiCo’s staff asked to find out more about volunteering with them
• 17% said it was beneficial to build awareness of their work with PepsiCo’s employees, as well as networking with other charities