City Action

FAQ's

Does City Action charge for it's services?

No, City Action is able to provide a free service for both business and community organisation members as it is fully funded by the City of London Corporation. This includes our Account Management service, events and online database.

There are small number of volunteering opportunities listed on the City Action database that require a donation to be made directly to the community organisation involved, these are usually practical team challenge activities that require materials and staff supervision in order for them to take place.

What geographical area does City Action cover?

City Action works within the City of London borough and the seven boroughs that surround it: Camden, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Westminster.

What organisations are eligible for City Action membership?

Businesses that are based within the Square Mile of the City or who are financial services companies generally, are eligible to become members of City Action. In addition, community organisations that are based in the City or seven boroughs that surround the City and are working to improve the lives of the people within in their communities are able to become a City Action member. Please contact the team if you have a query about your eligibility.

Does City Action have membership policies?

Yes, City Action has a membership policy for both it's corporate and community organisation members which outlines our membership benefits and terms of service.

Please click here to download the Corporate membership policy

Please click here to download the Community Organisations membership policy

How does City Action provide a volunteer matchmaking service?

There are two main ways in which City Action provides a volunteer matchmaking service:

The City Action online database.
This database contains hundreds of volunteering opportunities which have been requested by City Action's community organisation members. Each corporate member (or an employee of a corporate member) can register their interest for a volunteering opportunity through the database and a member of the City Action team will be in touch to facilitate this request.
A bespoke matchmaking service for City Action's corporate members.
This service involves undertaking a consultation with a corporate member in order to identify the available time, skills and resources that can be shared with the local community via employee volunteers. City Action Account Managers will then recommend suitable skills-based volunteer matches, arrange initial meetings with local community members when appropriate and monitor the volunteering programme for as long as is necessary.

Are there similar services to City Action in London and the UK?

There is currently no other service that is run by a local authority which is similar to City Action. City Action is funded and run by the City of London Corporation, the local authority for the City of London borough.

The City of London Corporation is in a unique position as the local authority for the 'City' - a world leader in international finance and business services which contains more than 13,000 businesses within a square mile. There are other employee volunteering organisations in London and the UK, the majority of which charge a membership fee for their services.

Why does City Action focus on skills-sharing?

City Action was established in 1998 by the City of London Corporation as a service to 'bridge the gap' between the City and the City-fringe boroughs and assist in the regeneration of these areas. The vast majority of local community organisations identify volunteer support needs which focus on making use of their skill-set; either workplace skills such as business or IT knowledge or personal skills such as leadership and communication.

City Action believes that a skills-based volunteering experience is beneficial to all parties involved: volunteers are using their skills to support a local community organisation but in turn they are developing or enhancing their own skills whilst experiencing a different environment and meeting new people. City Action provides a limited number of non-skilled 'practical team challenge' activities for it's corporate members but this not our primary focus or area of expertise.

Does City Action get involved in charity fundraising or corporate donations?

No, City Action's aim is to provide a free volunteer matchmaking service for City businesses and local community organisations. City Action is not able to promote fundraising requests or events on behalf of our community organisation members.

Is City Action a charity?

No, City Action is not registered as a charity. The service is fully funded by the City of London Corporation and is based at the Economic Development Office in the Guildhall, EC2.

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