How business can lend a hand
Businesses large and small have a crucial part to play in making The Big Help Out a success. From the thousands of local shops and services which form the backbone of our communities, to the biggest brands, every one can make a difference.
If your company is passionate about connecting to your customers’ communities and improving lives, The Big Help Out can help you make a lasting difference. If you want to be front and centre of the community event of the year, do what almost 2000 companies did last year – reach out to us using the form below.
We are calling on businesses to support events in their local communities, to organise and register their own Big Help Out activities on our Platform, and to help us spread the word among their customers, employees, partners and communities. To help us spread the word, share on your social media channels or put posters up in your windows using our useful Partner Pack.
Imagine what a difference you could make if all your customers, employees and partners joined in and lent a hand?
The more of us who lend a hand, the bigger the difference we will make.
Here are some of the organisations already helping us to make a change.
Official partners of the Big Help Out
At Asda we know that as a large UK retailer we have the ability and the responsibility, to make a significant impact on the local communities we serve, and we are committed to driving a long term positive social impact, which is why 2021, we launched our community strategy with the objective of enabling togetherness, connections and resilience in Asda communities.
We know that grass roots groups are key to building connected communities and that volunteering support is vital to these groups, which is why we are proud to partner with the Big Help Out. Volunteering allows our customers and colleagues to connect with their local community and make a difference.
Together with the Big Help out we will promote volunteering opportunities through our network of stores and our 390 Community Champions, with the aim to building connected communities, strengthening resilience and removing barriers to health and wellbeing for all.
DPD is proud to be an official partner of the Big Help Out in 2024.
The Big Help Out's commitment to connecting volunteers to good causes resonates with us. DPD is community-minded – we strive to ensure the impact we leave on our society is a positive one. That's why we admire the Big Help Out so much: their hard work is not only essential but makes a real difference across Britain. It's a mission we wanted to be a part of.
DPD is committed to playing its part in helping those who need it most. We regularly reach out to charitable organisations to give back to the communities we serve – and so our partnership with the Big Help Out is a natural fit.
At Compare the Market, we’re committed to supporting communities. We are also committed to helping our colleagues find projects and volunteering opportunities that they’re passionate about.
We offer colleagues up to three CSR days each year, which they can invest in projects, organisations and communities that have meaning to them. We understand the benefits of volunteering are far reaching for both the projects and people they support, as well as for the individuals donating their time. When you do good, you feel good!
This is why we’re thrilled to be officially partnering with The Big Help Out. As part of our partnership, we’re pledging to Help Out with a company-wide commitment to support 50 projects in the lead up to, and across The Big Help Out during 2024. To support this pledge, colleagues from across the business will volunteer their time, skills and passion, with a collective aim to make a difference in our local communities.
Supporters of The Big Help Out
Business FAQs
The Big Help Out is a nationwide campaign that each year helps millions of people volunteer via a website and app populated by tens of thousands of charities.
Most activity takes place on or around Friday 7th to Sunday 9th June but the BHO platform remains open until August 31st.
It’s good for the inside of your company. Volunteering enables companies to connect to a wider sense of purpose and bring their values to life. It inspires employees, boosts productivity, and helps retain talent. It develops skills (from confidence to communication) and is the only wellbeing initiative that truly works, just ask the University of Oxford. What’s more, being part of a national moment boosts take-up of any existing corporate volunteering programmes.
It’s also good for outside of your company. You will make a difference in the communities in which you operate, supporting charities who in turn support our most vulnerable. Evidence has shown customers, colleagues, investors, and prospective employees notice Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives too, and it improves trust in your brand.
And it’s good for inside of you. Trust us. You will love it.
Every company is different but here are the classic stages:
STEP ONE: When? Decide on a date or dates for staff to volunteer. There is emphasis on the 7th to 9th June, but anytime in the summer is good.
STEP TWO: Who with? Think about whether you want staff to: select an opportunity that matches their individual preference; select opportunities that connect to your company’s objectives; or select opportunities linked to your company’s existing charitable partners. If the latter, of course, make sure they too are involved in The Big Help Out.
STEP THREE: Register on the BHO Platform. Determine who will be lead admin on the BHO Platform and follow these steps here.
STEP FOUR: Tell us about it. As you decide how you are going to get involved, email business@together.org.uk so it can be showcased with thousands of other businesses and shared with the media.
Your selected admin(s) will have access to a dashboard that shows how many people from your company volunteered; how many hours they volunteered for; and which organisations they volunteered with.
Yes, just brand or partially brand it as part of The Big Help Out; and tell us how many people volunteered, for how long, and on what causes, so we can add it to the sum total. You may find being part of a national campaign such as The Big Help Out boosts participation in your activity. We would also love to receive any photographs, videos, testimonies, or stories associated with your volunteering.
Yes. In addition to our BHO platform (being provided by DoIt) some other corporate volunteering platforms like Neighbourly and OnHand have agreed to be part of The Big Help Out, and will share information on how many companies participate. Alternatively, you could brand your own activity and share information with us.
The Big Help Out is FREE unless you want to become a lead partner, you wish to receive more granular data and more bespoke insights than a dashboard that shows how many people from your company volunteered; how many hours they volunteered for; and which organisations they volunteered with, or you wish to remain on the platform beyond August 31st. Email business@together.org.uk for more information.
Organisations submitting opportunities onto the BHO Platform must ensure they have suitable public liability and / or employers liability insurance covering volunteers and the types of activities they will be doing. But you may also wish to direct staff to certain organisations and opportunities.
Of course. It is lots of little help outs that make The Big Help Out, so companies of all sizes are welcome.
We are already in planning stages of The Big Help Put for the coming three years. We are determined to make it a permanent fixture in the UK calendar when we all think about how we can connect to each other and the communities in which we operate to make a positive difference.
