Corporate Volunteering in the West of England
Connecting Businesses with Schools and Young People through Ablaze
What do we mean by corporate volunteering?
Corporate volunteering is when businesses support their employees to give time, skills and experience to benefit their local community.
At Ablaze, corporate volunteering means something very specific:
we connect businesses across the West of England with schools and young people, using volunteering to help tackle inequality of opportunity.
Our programmes are built on long-term relationships and are designed to make a real difference for children, young people, employees and communities.
Corporate Volunteering with Ablaze
Ablaze is a Bristol-based charity working across the West of England, including Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and Wiltshire.
For over 20 years, we have partnered with businesses and schools to deliver high-quality corporate volunteering programmes that support children and young people facing disadvantage.
We work closely with businesses to:
- Create meaningful volunteering opportunities for employees
- Support young people who benefit most from extra help
- Build long-term partnerships rooted in local communities
- Deliver clear, measurable impact
Why Corporate Volunteering Matters in the West of England
Across the West of England, too many children and young people face barriers linked to poverty, limited access to support, and a lack of role models.
Schools are under pressure, and young people do not always have opportunities to connect with the world of work.
Corporate Volunteering with Ablaze helps bridge this gap by:
- Bringing positive, consistent adult role models into schools
- Supporting literacy, numeracy and confidence at an early age
- Helping young people understand education and employment pathways
- Strengthening connections between local businesses and communities
When businesses volunteer locally through a local charity, the benefits stay local.
Why Partner with Ablaze?
Ablaze specialises in education-focused corporate volunteering that works for everyone involved.
What partners value about working with us:
- Experience: Established in 2005, with deep knowledge of education and youth support
- Local expertise: Strong relationships with schools and communities across the West of England
- Well-run programmes: Volunteers are trained, supported and carefully matched
- Safeguarding and quality: We manage the practical details so partners can volunteer with confidence
- Impact focus: We measure outcomes and share learning with partners
We design programmes that align with your organisation’s CSR, ESG and employee engagement goals, while meeting real needs in schools and communities.
Our Corporate Volunteering Programmes
Reading Partners
Employees volunteer in local primary schools to support children with reading.
Volunteers:
- Work one-to-one with a pupil throughout the school year
- Support pupils who benefit most from extra reading practice
- Help build confidence, enjoyment and progress in literacy
Reading Partners is one of our longest-running and most impactful corporate volunteering programmes.
Number Partners
Volunteers swork with a small group of local primary school pupils to develop confidence and skills in maths.
The programme:
- Uses structured activities and resources
- Supports positive attitudes to learning
- Helps pupils feel more confident with numbers and mental maths
Career Mentoring
Business volunteers support young people to:
- Build confidence and aspiration
- Learn about different careers and pathways
- Understand the world of work
This includes mentoring, careers talks, workplace insight and employability activities delivered in partnership with schools and colleges. We will work with the business and school to tailor the structure and content of the workshops to suit your needs.
Employment and Skills Programmes
Ablaze deliver a series of workshops which, along with a carefully matched Corporate Volunteer mentor and work placement, support young people aged 16-25 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to:
- Develop employability skills
- Explore career options
- Take steps towards sustainable employment
These programmes are particularly important in supporting young people at key transition points.
The Impact of Corporate Volunteering with Ablaze
Our corporate volunteering programmes deliver real, measurable impact.
For children and young people:
- Improved literacy and numeracy
- Increased confidence and engagement
- Greater awareness of education and career options
For businesses and employees:
- Meaningful opportunities to give back locally
- Development of skills such as communication and mentoring
- Improved employee engagement and wellbeing
We share impact data, stories and case studies with partners so they can see the difference their involvement makes.
Corporate Volunteering Case Studies
We work with a wide range of employers across the West of England, from small local businesses to larger organisations.
Our partners tell us they value:
- The structure and support we provide
- The focus on long-term relationships with schools
- The opportunity to make a genuine local impact
“I’ve really enjoyed the volunteering. It’s been such an inspiring, educational and fun programme to take part in. I feel proud to volunteer with my local community.”
Frequently Asked Questions about Corporate Volunteering
What is corporate volunteering?
Corporate volunteering is when businesses support employees to volunteer their time and skills, often through structured programmes delivered in partnership with charities.
How does corporate volunteering support children and young people?
Corporate volunteering provides additional support, positive role models and opportunities that help children and young people build confidence, skills and aspirations.
How can our business get involved?
Businesses can partner with Ablaze to offer employees volunteering opportunities in schools and employability programmes across the West of England. We manage recruitment, training, safeguarding and ongoing support.
Is corporate volunteering effective?
Yes. When programmes are consistent, well-supported and based on real need, corporate volunteering can deliver long-term benefits for young people, volunteers and schools.
Do volunteers need experience working with children?
No. We provide training and ongoing support and work closely with schools to ensure volunteers feel confident and prepared.
Will volunteering take up a lot of time?
We can work with your business to find out which of our programmes is best suited to the time your volunteers have available, from a one-day programme to regular, weekly volunteering.
What are the costs involved?
We ask our business partners to make a contribution towards the costs of running our programme; the contribution depends on the size of your business and the programme you are taking part in. Get in touch to find out more.
Partner with Ablaze on Corporate Volunteering
If your organisation is looking to support local communities through corporate volunteering in the West of England, we would love to talk.
👉 Contact us to discuss a corporate volunteering partnership with Ablaze.