""
Brand and marketing agency Pixel8 has signed up for a matchmaking scheme which will see all of its employees help charities by volunteering their professional skills.
The Manchester agency will allocate each member of staff one day’s volunteering per year through the new Resonate Connect website.
In doing so, Pixel8 becomes the first company to pledge involvement for every employee through the scheme.
Pixel8 managing partner Jamie Watson, pictured, said Resonate Connect offers a welcome solution for companies which are keen to encourage employee volunteering but lack the time to organise it themselves.
He said: “We have long aspired to introduce employee volunteering but have simply not had the time or resource to explore or arrange it.
“It’s always appeared to be very time-consuming to organise, and the volunteering opportunities available have seemed to be based around manual work, whereas we know our employees would prefer to use and develop their professional skills.
“Resonate Connect seems to offer an ideal solution. Our staff will be able to choose assignments which involved utilising their skills, such as marketing, human resources, strategy and technical, and each assignment can be broken down into chunks of a few hours at a time and be completed remotely, from our offices.
“We are confident that, as well as supporting good causes, staff volunteering will bring benefits to the individuals concerned and to the business as a whole through enhanced employee engagement.”
Resonate Connect is a website which matches the specific skills of employees across Greater Manchester with good causes for short-term, pro bono assignments.
The free-to-use website allows volunteers to upload a short profile listing their skills and availability, while charities and other groups in turn upload their projects and the skills required.
They then receive a list of volunteers who match their requirements, and the parties are put in touch to make the necessary arrangements
Resonate Connect will be officially launched at an event at Manchester Cathedral on Wednesday, April 29, where city council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein will be the keynote speaker.
Alex Swallow, a social entrepreneur who is heading Resonate Connect, said: “We’re delighted that Pixel8 has committed its employees’ time to volunteering their skills through Resonate Connect.
“We’re confident that the individuals, local charities and Pixel8 will all benefit.
“We’ve had a fantastic response in a short amount of time and I urge other companies to follow Pixel8’s example by signing up for the scheme and the free launch event.”
Businesses can register for the scheme and the launch event via www.resonate-connect.org.uk/event.
