1 – Lead from the front
Senior leaders should volunteer and actively promote workplace programmes – normalising participation and sending a clear message that volunteering matters.
Movement launches to double employee volunteering, strengthening communities and workplaces
- The 100 Million Hour Movement targets a doubling of employee volunteering hours by the end of 2028
- Royal Voluntary Service unveils initiative as new research reveals dwindling workplace morale
- Organisations nationwide are urged to pledge to grow their volunteering efforts
A nationwide initiative to boost flagging morale in UK workplaces while building resilience in our communities has launched today, with a call for employers to step up their employee volunteering efforts.
Spearheaded by Royal Voluntary Service, the 100 Million Hour Movement aims to double employee volunteering hours undertaken - from 50 million* to 100 million - by the end of 2028, delivering major benefits to workplaces and communities.
Research for the campaign** suggests a growing sense of malaise now characterises much of the UK workforce. Nearly half of UK workers (49%) report their morale as ‘low’ or ‘neutral’ and one in five admit it’s worsened in the past year.
A combination of factors are affecting workplace morale including workload pressures (29%), lack of recognition (21%), poor work–life balance (18%), cost cutting or salary freezes (16%) and a lack of purpose in work (14%). However, continued division and challenges in communities are also playing a part: 42% of workers say this has affected workplace culture or team relationships – rising to 64% of 18–24s and 58% of 25–34s.
The 100 Million Hour Movement has been launched to help elevate morale and strengthen society through greater participation in workplace volunteering and in response to clear evidence of volunteering’s many benefits.
For employers and their people, it’s a proven way to improve wellbeing, motivation, skills, confidence and connection – all factors that contribute to higher engagement and productivity at work. Volunteering also strengthens communities by building resilience, connection and understanding between people from different backgrounds. If more businesses and employers lean in, the potential for the UK is considerable, helping to close the three million volunteer shortfall*** charities face amid rising demand for support.
"The nation is under growing strain. People are feeling depleted and disengaged, with workplace morale declining and communities facing mounting pressures. Employee volunteering is a practical and effective way to respond to these challenges. Yet in many workplaces it’s still an overlooked resource. Millions of volunteering hours set aside each year go unused. It’s a wasted opportunity.
"We’ve launched the 100 Million Hour Movement to kickstart a national effort to reboot the UK’s morale and build community resilience through the power of employee volunteering at scale. From major corporates to SMEs, public sector organisations and not-for-profits, we’re calling on UK employers to sign a pledge to grow participation in volunteering and join our movement to create positive, lasting change across our workplaces and communities."
Carole Urey, chief revenue officer, Royal Voluntary Service
"Imagine the impact of 100 million volunteering hours! The collective power of organisations and their people showing up for communities across the UK. It’s an ambitious target, but it’s exactly the kind of ambition we need right now. Doubling employee volunteering isn’t just ‘nice to have’, it’s a practical way to strengthen workplaces, support wellbeing, and help communities thrive. Every organisation can be a force for good, and there’s never been a more important moment to lead from the front."
Tim Campbell MBE, Entrepreneur and star of The Apprentice
One of the first organisations to sign the pledge is UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson. The firm, which employs more than 1,300 people across seven offices, is committed to supporting local causes and giving back to the communities it serves via initiatives such as dedicated community action groups in each office.
"Our people are passionate about making a difference in their local communities and volunteering is a great way to do this. Signing the pledge reflects our commitment to going even further, to expand our impact, create more opportunities to contribute and encourage more colleagues to get involved, and supports Browne Jacobson’s ambition to work at the forefront of tackling society’s biggest issues."
Beth Dowson, Partner and Community Action Co-leads at Browne Jacobson
To join the movement, organisations of all sizes, across every sector, nationwide are being urged to boost volunteering across their workforce, pledging to undertake three essential steps:
2 – Open volunteering up
Only a third of UK workers are offered volunteering time currently. By making volunteering available to more colleagues, regardless of job role, location or working pattern, it will help foster a more inclusive culture, increasing uptake and impact.
3 – Make it easy
To remove friction, employers should provide clear guidance on how to get involved and offer a simple sign-up pathway. This could be supported by tech platforms like GoVo for Business which make it easy to find, apply and track volunteering opportunities.
To join the movement, organisations of all sizes, across every sector, nationwide are being urged to boost volunteering across their workforce, pledging to undertake three essential steps:
The 100 Million Hour Movement follows on from the recent launch of GoVo for Business, the UK’s only charity-backed employee volunteering platform. Providing access to thousands of flexible volunteering roles – 400 in every postcode – with causes of all sizes, GoVo for Business makes employee volunteering simple with tools to track impact and roles that fit around work commitments including curated team days. All commercial income from GoVo for Business is reinvested into the platform's further development and RVS’s community services.
The 100 Million Hour Movement will run until the end of 2028.
Notes to editors
*According to a Censuswide survey of 2000 UK Adults aged 16+. 30.06% of UK workers are offered paid volunteering days. This equates to 10,176,504 people being offered volunteering days in the UK. The average number of days offered to all UK workers is 2.34. This equates to an average of 23,794,124 days a year being gifted, or 190,352,994 hours (based on 8 hour day). The mean percentage of volunteering days taken in the last 12 months is 26.22% = 49,907,338 hours used in the 12 months with 140,445,656 going unused.
**The research was conducted by 3Gem with a sample of 2,000 nationally representative respondents age 18+. The survey fieldwork took place between 30.01.2026 - 04.02.2026.
***Research was conducted by RVS with a sample of 922 registered charities across England, Scotland and Wales between 30 September to 6 October.
