The national charity is calling out to MK business leaders about empty or underused commercial, retail and business space to deliver real community impact.
Volunteering Matters is seeking innovative partnerships with the ambition of re-energising available space for community good.
Kelly Israel, from Volunteering Matters said, “Local businesses and retailers may be struggling with business rates or be unsure how their properties will be used as lockdown restrictions ease or as we return to tiers as the vaccination programme rolls out. And flexible working is likely to continue as employers realise the benefits it delivers for the workforce. Unfortunately, this means that it may be difficult to encourage people to return to our high streets, especially if retail units lie empty or underused.
"Alongside this, charities like ourselves have limited space or our volunteers to use as a base, or meet in a covid-secure space. We’ve moved a lot of our services online, but our volunteers and the people in Milton Keynes who they support, are in danger of becoming, isolated with their health and wellbeing becoming severely impacted due to a lack of space where they can meet others and get support.
"We believe business units, office spaces or retail space could be re-purposed as spaces that can help build back the community. We’re asking business leaders to think about what role their empty or under-used spaces could play in helping Milton Keynes re-build.
We’re actively seeking partners to help us support and re-energise the community.”
Collaboration across sectors has never been more important as communities look to recover from the impact of the pandemic. In a retail or high street context this could enable retail units to be released of business rates, while helping bring people back to the high street/town centre by visibly showing the impact local people are making through volunteering - inspiring others to get involved in activities which can support the wider Milton Keynes community.
Interested business leaders can get in touch by contacting Kelly Israel, Project Manager Milton Keynes, on kelly.israel@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or 07936 811892.
Volunteering Matters currently delivers a wide range of work in Milton Keynes including Grandmentors, a mentoring projects for young care leavers, MK Drivers Service helping isolated people get to vital medical appointments, Covid-19 vaccinations, transporting children to school and undertaking errands and prescription collections and Stepping Stones - a new project that will see 100 children and young people supported in transitioning from long-term inpatient mental health settings back into the community and finally RSVP – our Volunteer-led nation family of projects for those aged 50 and above delivering the Pen and Brush and Greif and Well-being Online Café in MK.
Find out more about Volunteering Matters here.
