UK Volunteering Opportunities: Patagonia “Skills for Action” Session & Action Works Platform
Patagonia is providing skilled volunteering opportunities across the UK for digital and creative professionals through their Patagonia Action Works platform. Find out more about the available volunteering opportunities and tonight’s “Skills for Action” virtual learning session below and here.
Press Release:
DIGITAL AND CREATIVE EXPERTS NEEDED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM
Patagonia Action Works platform matches creative and tech industry professional volunteers with grassroots environmental groups
As the effects of the climate crisis intensify, with floods, fires and extreme weather conditions across Europe, people are increasingly looking for ways to take positive, direct action in the fight to save our home planet. Patagonia is making this possible by calling on the UK’s creative and digital communities to turn despair into hope and offer their skills to grassroots environmental groups, through skilled volunteering opportunities.
Expert recruitment is often out of reach for grassroots not-for-profits – a situation that has been exacerbated by donations decreasing over the pandemic period. And on the other side, people are increasingly looking for work that has positive impact, with many creative, digital, and marketing agencies even offering their employees paid volunteering time. Now professionals can match their skills and passions to organisations that need their help through Patagonia Action Works – a digital platform that connects people with grassroots groups in the UK and around the world.
Patagonia Action Works brings together a global network of over 1,000 grassroots organisations. Skilled volunteering opportunities can range from one hour of lunch break consultancy to a major collaboration, in fields such as translations, graphic design, web development, audience research, copywriting and social media.
Patagonia Action Works has matched more than 2,600 volunteers with environmental nonprofits since the platform launched in 2018, resulting in 55,000 hours volunteered. In the UK alone, volunteers have given over 1,000 hours of their time to help environmental NGOs such as Protect Our Winters, London Waterkeeper, Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots, Power for People and The Irish Wildlife Trust amplify messages, build advocacy and achieve specific actions. This has saved UK groups nearly £185,000 in consultancy fees.
Beth Thoren, Environmental Action & Initiatives Director for Patagonia EMEA says:
“The past 16 months have been extremely challenging for everyone, in a multitude of ways. Environmental NGOs are struggling with reduced funding, whilst seeing the planet shift further and faster into crisis.
“We know that skilled volunteering is of huge value to environmental organisations and it is also extremely enriching to individuals looking for meaningful work, or a step up towards a career in the NGO sector. If you have digital, creative or social media skills, I urge you to visit Patagonia Action Works and find out how to get involved.”
People who are curious about skilled volunteering can also join Patagonia’s ‘Skills for Action’ session; an inspirational online panel event hosted by June Sarpong OBE – TV Presenter, Diversity Expert and Award-Winning Author. Register for free to join the event on 10 August, 18:00 BST and find out how, and why, to take action.
June will be joined by Patagonia’s senior global environmental marketing manager Whitney Clapper, Patagonia Action Works skilled volunteers and Matthias Wucherer from Netzwerk Bluhende Landschaft, a German NGO focused on the harmonious coexistence of bees, people and nature by maintaining the wild habitat of pollinating insects.
Sign up to the virtual event at https://skillsforaction.splashthat.com/
For more information about Patagonia Action Works, and to see what volunteering opportunities are available visit: www.eu.patagonia.com/actionworks.
