FAQs
For individual volunteers
Why should I volunteer?
What can I do as a volunteer?
Which organisation can I volunteer for and where?
What’s required of me - how much time? how often? how much commitment?
I have never volunteered before, where do I start?
I work all day, how will I find the time to volunteer?
How do I talk to my employer about volunteering during work hours?
Do I need any training?
Do I need insurance?
What do I do if there is a problem with my placement or I want to stop volunteering?
Will I need a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check?
Where do you hold my information?
For companies
How can our company be involved in the local community?
What are the benefits of employee volunteering for the company?
What are the benefits of promoting volunteering to our staff?
What is Paddington Waterside Partnership (PWP)?
For Voluntary and Community Organisations
Why should we get involved with companies?
How can my organisation benefit from Paddington Waterside Volunteers?
Can Time for Paddington get funding for us from companies?
My organisation has never worked with companies before, where can we find information about it?
FAQs for individual volunteers
Why should I volunteer?
Employee volunteering is a hugely rewarding experience which benefits all concerned. You can make a difference to an issue you care about, whilst contributing to the regeneration of the local area. Depending on the activity you choose, you can use skills you already have or learn new ones by taking on roles, tasks and responsibilities that do not feature in your paid work, thereby contributing to your own personal development in a non-work environment. As part of a volunteering team, you can get to know your colleagues better through community based team challenges in a new and stimulating environment.
What can I do as a volunteer?
There are plenty of volunteering opportunities in the Paddington area. They range from short or long term, one-offs or regular, team or individual with varying levels of committment. You can fill in our application form with your interests and we will do our best to match them.
Which organisation can I volunteer for and where?
You can volunteer at any non-profit organisation or schools in the Paddington area. We can match you with numerous organisations according to your preferences. Give us a call or contact us via email and we'll get in touch to discuss it.
What’s required of me - how much time? how often? how much commitment?
The time frame and committment is up to you. Some opportunities will require regular attendance, but others are less frequent, there are flexible options to suit everyone. Be realistic, have a look at our questions below and choose something that you will enjoy and be able to manage.
I have never volunteered before, where do I start?
Volunteering is easy. To narrow the choice think What issues do I care about? How could I apply my skills to volunteering? How much time can I give and when am I going to do it? What do I want to get out of volunteering, what could I learn? How much responsibility do I want? What do I not want to do?
I work all day, how will I find the time to volunteer?
Most of the companies in our local communitiy offer from one to three days to volunteer on company's time and all encourage volunteering. We have a wide range of lunch-time opportunities or you can start with the one-day placement as an individual or with a team of colleagues. If you know how much time you can realistically give, we will find you an activity to suit your needs.
How do I talk to my employer about volunteering during work hours?
Companies now allow from one to three days for volunteering and community work. As your local broker we can advise you and your company on best practice in Corporate Community Involvement policies and procedures.
Do I need any training?
Some opportunities will require short training. the host organisation will provide the appropriate level of training and advice. Health and safety briefing are carried on for regeneration projects.
Do I need insurance?
You do not need to take any extra insurance as all the party are insured for any risk. Time for Paddington also carries an insurance to cover volunteers.
What do I do if there is a problem with my placement or I want to stop volunteering?
If there is a problem with your placement we will work with you and the organisation to resolve the situation. If you wish to terminate your placement you are under no contractual obligation to stay. We will assist you in any way you need to either find a more suitable placement or, if you wish, we will take your details off our database. The best way of preventing difficult situations is to be open from the start with the organisation, discuss how long you plan to volunteer with them and set a review date in which any issues can be addressed.
Will I need a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check?
All organisations working with children or vulnerable adults will require that a criminal record check be carried on anyone who wishes to volunteer with them. No criminal record checks will be made without your consent. Please visit www.crb.gov.uk for more detailed information.
Where do you hold my information?
We will hold your information on Time for Paddington Volunteer database. At no time will we provide any of your details to a third party. You have the right to see, challenge and remove any information about you that we hold in a retrieval system such as a computer database or paper index system. In order to keep you up to date with information and events we will include you in our mailing list or email list. We will never sell or give our mailing lists to a third party.
FAQs for companies
How can our company be involved in the local community?
The attitude toward Corporate Community Involvement has changed and now the vast majority of companies is involved in its local community. There are many ways in which companies can be involved, for example employee volunteering, in-kind donations, free professional services, financial support etc. If your company does not have a policy in place, please call us and we will assist you in creating your own CCI policy and programme.
What are the benefits of employee volunteering for the company?
Employee Volunteering (EV) is one of the most visible and tangible aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as it is an excellent way of understanding and meeting community needs. Through EV your company can have a positive effect on the community, creating sustainable partnerships with local organisations. We promote equal partnerships in an effort to move beyond the traditional donor/beneficiary relationship and support all partners in creating relationships.
What are the benefits of promoting volunteering to our staff?
Employee volunteering encourages team spirit and organisational loyalty by motivating the workforce. It can also help with attracting high calibre recruits as graduates increasingly look for a good reputation when choosing a company to work for. Volunteering can aid staff training and skills development within the existing workforce both for individuals and teams. We aim to integrate employee volunteering into corporate culture from the top down and bottom up.
What is Paddington Waterside Partnership (PWP)?
(PWP) was launched, as Paddington Regeneration Partnership, in 1998 to drive the creation of London's newest commercial, residential, leisure, retail and health quarter. The Partnership comprises the major developers, landowners, commercial occupiers and transport operators in the Paddington area. A Developer Forum and an Occupier Forum drive the direction of the Partnership's vision and activities through the Pride of Place programme. All members of the Partnership subscribe on a voluntary basis.
FAQs for voluntary and community organisations
Why should we get involved with companies?
Voluntary and community organisations can benefit in many different ways from involvement with the private sector. Organisations can gain access to skills, knowledge and resources that are normally cost prohibitive. Your organisation will benefit from a new audience with a wider public awareness of local issues - volunteers can be excellent ambassadors for your organisation. You will also gain an understanding of the new companies moving into Paddington Waterside which will contribute to the creation of an integrated community.
How can my organisation benefit from Paddington Waterside Volunteers?
Time for Paddington aims to match real community needs with volunteers’ skills. Your organisation could benefit from ready-made teams of highly-motivated volunteers who can plan and carry out major tasks or from an individual prepared to come and help out with your service provision. We cannot promise to address every challenge but if you contact us to let you know what you need, we will do our best to help
Can Time for Paddington get funding for us from companies?
Time for Paddington is not a fundraising project. There can be economic benefits to organisations that work with companies, but we do not actively search for funds for organisations, we aim to access other means of support such as skill sharing.
My organisation has never worked with companies before, where can we find information about it?
As Broker we have the capacity and to support your staff and facilitate contacts and communication with the corporate partners.
Still have a question?
Contact Roberta Boschi on 020 3145 1207 or email