Investing in Volunteers award achieved for the third time

Recognising our quality volunteering programme

We have been recognised with the Investing in Volunteers award for our commitment to providing volunteering opportunities for our customers and colleagues. 

Investing in Volunteers is the UK quality standard which aims to improve the quality of the volunteering experience for all volunteers and demonstrates that organisations value the enormous contribution made by their volunteers. 

The award is only granted to organisations which meet a quality standard for good practice in volunteer management. We were assessed against six quality areas and proved to excel in all aspects of working with our volunteers.

Denise Hayward, Chair of UKVF (the Awarding Body) said: “UKVF is delighted to announce Peabody‘s successful achievement of this Award, they have demonstrated a real commitment to volunteering, proven that their volunteer management policies and procedures meet nationally recognised standards.”  

Sarah Feleppa, Peabody’s Volunteer Services Manager said: “Volunteering is a significant and vital part of what we do here at Peabody. It doesn’t just help us keep closely connected to our communities but also ensures that our customers are at the heart of everything that we do. We are grateful to our customers who sit on our management committees and give their views on how we should be improving our services. Our colleagues also give back to our communities using our Peabody Promise Days, working with our customers to improve our community spaces and services.” 

Volunteers across our communities

Our Community Foundation provides a range of volunteering roles for people living in our communities as well as for our colleagues.

At the time of the award’s assessment, 284 volunteers were taking part in 20 different roles with the most popular roles including being involved in our local management committees, connecting with isolated neighbours as a befriender or being a community leader. 

Support through the pandemic

We were also commended on our response during the pandemic. We created virtual and remote roles and expanded our befriending programme which became a vital lifeline for many who were isolated during the lockdowns.

Employee volunteering was also recognised as part of the award. We encourage and support our colleagues across the organisation to give back to the communities we work in through their annual ‘Peabody Promise’ days.

Dennis: a Charlton Community Leader

Charlton Premier Skills is led by Peabody Community Leader Dennis, who works with young people who are not in education or employment, or who are in entry level employment. Although they’re encouraged to get involved in the community football club, they’re also given access to the resources they need to develop their employability and enterprise skills. 

Dennis, who is also a Peabody resident said: “Making a positive contribution to my community is at the centre of my heart and gives me satisfaction when my actions put a smile on young people’s faces. Volunteering also gives me the skills and opportunities to support my career ambitions.”