June 17 will see London's biggest ever business employee volunteering action day with workers across the capital leaving their day jobs and suits behind to help schools in 20 different boroughs with repainting, cleaning, gardening and repairs.

The day is being organised by London Cares, part of the national Cares campaign, an initiative of Business in the Community. People from companies ranging from the London HQs of international corporations to small businesses with no more than 10 employees will be flexing their muscles and giving their time to help London's children. No emails. No phone calls. No meetings: just paintbrushes, brooms and spades.

Support for the day is also coming from business leaders, head teachers and politicians. The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said "I wholeheartedly support this initiative by London Cares and businesses across the capital. It is excellent that companies are prepared to encourage their employees to give back something to the community in order to make the city a better place. I am especially pleased that many of these volunteering projects link to my priorities - improving school playing fields supports the health of London's children and will help create our Olympic champions of the future; murals develop artistic and cultural skills and experiences, gardens support my biodiversity strategy. "

Steve Auckland, Managing Director, Metro, one of London Cares' media partners and Chairman of London Cares, said "We want to do everything we can to make this day a key date in every Londoner's diary, the day we all make a difference to London life".

The London Cares Education Action Day is being supported by Accenture, Eversheds and HSBC, who between them are supporting more than 40 ten-strong teams of volunteers from their own offices. ITV London, Metro and Grey London are media partners for the day and are also sending out large teams to take part.

2005 is the Year of the Volunteer.

For more information about the London Cares Education Action Day - and to register - please visit www.londoncares.org.uk or call Vicky Gashe on 020 7566 8750

For press enquiries please contact Paul Williams, Business in the Community, Tel: 020 7566 8666, mobile: 0779 325 7200 or email: pawilliams@bitc.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

London Cares is part of Cares UK which has grown and developed rapidly since its inception in 1999. Cares now has 27 city partnerships engaging over 350 corporate supporters who have collectively brokered over 80,000 employee volunteers to support social and economic regeneration in UK communities.

Year of the Volunteer 2005 is owned by volunteers, led by a partnership between the Volunteering England Consortium and Community Service Volunteers (CSV), and supported by the Home Office. The Volunteering England Consortium consists of Volunteering England, TimeBank, do-it, The Media Trust, Business in the Community and Youth Action Network. To find out more about events and activities during the Year of the Volunteer 2005, please visit the official website at www.yearofthevolunteer.org

Business in the Community is a unique movement in the UK of over 750 member companies, with a further 2000 plus engaged through our programmes and campaigns. We operate through a local network of more than 100 business led partnerships and 60 global partners. Our purpose is to inspire, challenge and support business in continually improving its impact in the community, environment, marketplace and workplace.

The London Cares Education Action Day is sponsored by Accenture, Eversheds and HSBC. ITV London, Metro and Grey London are media partners.

The following companies have so far confirmed their participation in the London Cares Education Action Day:

Accenture
Associated British Ports
Bain & Company
BrainJuicer
BSkyB
BUPA
Danone
De Beers
EDF Energy
Eversheds
French Thornton
Grey London
Harper Collins
HBOS Foundation
HSBC
ITV London
Jardine Lloyd Thompson
John Lewis
Kelly Services
Land Securities
Linklaters
Lloyds TSB
Mellon Global Services
Peter Jones
SBR Europe Ltd
Turner Broadcasting
Wraggle & Co

It is also confirmed that schools from the following London boroughs are welcoming volunteers on June 17 to help brighten things up.

Bexley
Brent
Camden
City of London
Ealing
Greenwich
Hackney
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Islington
Kensington & Chelsea
Lambeth
Lewisham
Redbridge
Richmond
Southwark
Sutton
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest

Business in the Community

Business in the Community

More from Business in the Community