An annual volunteering event for over 200 employees

Community Day is an ambitious annual event which aims to drive employee engagement and understanding of the business’ community investment, by sending over 200 staff out volunteering on one day. We’ve been helping British Land to design and prepare for the event annually since its inception in 2012.

Our role involves working closely with community partners – schools and charities based around British Land developments across London – to develop meaningful projects that will make a genuine difference in local communities. The result is a diverse range of projects which appeal to the varied interests of British Land employees.

We train and support lead volunteers to manage the final set-up of each project, and to motivate and inspire their teams, and help ensure that the event is well communicated both internally and externally.

A particular focus for this year’s projects was working alongside members of the community, which saw volunteers delivering employability workshops for East London jobseekers, decorating supported housing properties with tenants of a homelessness project in Kingston, and accompanying a group of stroke survivors on a cycling trip. Together the projects touched over 450 beneficiaries.

Our evaluation has found that community partners are always impressed by the work of the British Land volunteers, whose enthusiasm helps the business to deepen its relationships with the organisations involved, and over the years we have been suporting British Land the percentage of employees volunteering has doubled to an impressive 84%.

“The service Three Hands provided was fantastic, and their extensive experience of working with corporate clients was evident. They really listened to our needs and objectives, both in terms of the community organisations we wanted to work with and what we wanted our staff to gain from the Community Day. Throughout the process I had the utmost confidence that they would deliver, and we were delighted with the results.”

Joanne Hammond, Charity and Volunteering Executive, British Land

“I really enjoyed it – and for me it was largely because I thought the tasks had real long term benefits, and we were well utilised during the day. It was humbling and inspiring in equal measure; a day which put things into perspective and reinforced just how lucky and privileged I am.”

British Land Volunteer

“One of the children said “This is the best day I’ve ever had in school- ever!”, another “I’ve been to Camp Bestival but this has been much more fun!”. The volunteers who took part also really loved being here, learned a lot from the children and said they would love to come back. An all ’round great success and day! Thank you.”

Sheelagh Leith, Learning Mentor at community partner St Mary’s Bryanston School