Staff at the National Trust will be celebrating Leap Year this month by donating their time to volunteer for the day in their local communities. More than 5,000 of their employees will use the extra day on Wednesday 29th February 2012 to celebrate the importance of volunteering and support more than 62,000 volunteers who give up their time every day.
The ‘Local Leap’ was first started four years ago when National Trust staff were given the extra day off to make green improvements at home. This saw a debate about who actually ‘owns’ the extra day that crops up every four years, and so the ‘Local Leap’ was born!
Director-General of the National Trust, Fiona Reynolds, said –
The Trust knows first-hand how important volunteering is. We simply couldn’t function without our 62,000 volunteers. Through Local Leap we want to get to know our local communities even better, and build new relationships into the future. As anyone who volunteers knows, it is a hugely rewarding experience, and I hope Local Leap will encourage others to volunteer anywhere in the country.
Volunteering activities include tskas such as tree planting, decorating schools, helping charities and developing local campaigns to save a derelict building. The Local Leap also marks the centenary year of the death of Octavia Hill, one of the National Trust’s founder members
Chief Executive of Community Service Volunteers, Lucy de Groot, said –
Leap Day is the perfect time to make a difference in our communities and give our own lives greater purpose. There’s no better way to do this than by volunteering, and in these uncertain times the need is greater than ever. The National Trust’s Local Leap Day builds on a proud history of volunteering. It also could be the start of many long lasting relationships for first time volunteers.
