Make #GivingTuesday the day you volunteer to be a school governor
01 Dec 2014
As a University that is committed to making a positive difference to society through all of our activities, we are excited to be taking part in the UK's Giving Tuesday campaign, on 2 December 2014
Established in the US in 2012, #GivingTuesday provides a charitable alternative to the start of the Christmas shopping season, a time for people to begin the festive season with a day of giving and making a commitment to charity.
Staff and students at the University already give generous time and support to a range of initiatives and there are a wide range of examples at our making a difference blog.
The School Governor Initiative is one of two examples of initiatives that staff are already supporting – and where we are encouraging more to get involved (the other is our new Workplace Giving scheme).
More than 150 members of staff from across the University are currently volunteering their time and expertise through our School Governor Initiative. Since 2011 the University has trebled the number of staff who support state schools, which is the largest increase of any single employer in the UK. Our staff are volunteering in the region of 13,000 hours a year and this creates nearly a million pounds of economic value to local schools.
As School Governors, staff bring their skills, expertise and enthusiasm to local schools, providing strategic direction and challenge to schools and head teachers. The University has made provision for staff to have appropriate time to undertake this role through the Public Service Leave Policy and related guidance for governors.
Dr Julian Skyrme, Director of Social Responsibility, said:
"Being a school governor is a great way for staff to make a long term difference to the development of schools and young people. But it's also something staff can get much back from - be these new skills and knowledge about the curriculum, policy, finance, strategy, estates or HR - as well as an enhanced connection to our local community."
Make a difference by volunteering to become a school governor. Find out more and how to register:
- Visit our partner’s SGOSS website and register your interest
or - Contact our Coordinator at the University
Further information
For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit: