Launching a refreshed approach to volunteering in Bankside

Better Bankside is refreshing its volunteering offer to make it easier than ever for our members to support their local community.  From new monthly volunteering events and expanded partnerships to updating online information, we’re creating more ways for businesses and individuals to get involved and make a difference here in Bankside.

Monthly volunteering events

Launching this April, we’re excited to introduce a new programme of monthly volunteering events with Bankside-based charities, including Blackfriars Settlement, Bankside Open Spaces Trust and Plan Zheroes.

Our first event takes place on Friday 24 April at Blackfriars Settlement, with May and June events to be announced shortly.  All volunteering events will be advertised on our Events page, alongside our wider programme of social, wellbeing and professional development events, making it easy to see what’s coming up and how you can get involved.

These monthly activities are a chance to learn more about the charities that make a difference day in, day out for our local community, and to give both individuals and teams simple, practical ways to contribute to their work.

We’ll also be working more closely with Community Southwark, which supports voluntary and community organisations across the borough. Community Southwark’s volunteering team can help businesses find team volunteering days or opportunities to share their skills with local charities.

New partnership with the Central London Careers Hub

We’re also partnering with the Central London Careers Hub to help Bankside businesses play a bigger role in shaping the future workforce.

This new partnership will make it easier for businesses to help more local young people learn about the world of work and the diversity of career opportunities in Bankside – complementing our Bankside Futures career discovery programme, which returns this summer from 6 to 17 July.

Updating the Bankside Community Exchange

To make it easier for volunteers to find opportunities for themselves or their teams, we’ll be refreshing the Bankside Community Exchange. The enhanced platform will allow users to search organisations and filter them based on both the cause and the type of volunteering available.

The updated Bankside Community Exchange will launch in time for Volunteers Week in June this year.

If you’d like more information about the refreshed volunteering programme and the opportunities available locally, please get in touch with Rachel Nicholson, Responsible Business and Inclusion Manager.