Dubai’s largest employee volunteering program supports charity fundraiser for second consecutive year

Dubai, UAE: ENGAGE Dubai, the largest and most prestigious employee volunteering program in Dubai, set up by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Centre for Responsible Business, has supported the Al Noor Annual Fun Fair for the second consecutive year, on Friday, February 25, 2011.

Four hundred volunteers from businesses across Dubai dedicated their time and effort to help run the fun fair, which is the main fundraising event for the Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs. ENGAGE Dubai constituted the majority of volunteers who were present on the day.

As well as Dubai Chamber staff, companies which took part in the volunteering event included KPMG, Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Dnata, DLA Piper, Serco, FedEx and Emirates Airlines.

Al Noor is a non-profit organization which provides educational support and services for children with autism, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy and other learning difficulties.

“One-off donations are a valuable source of fundraising for charities, but this is not the only support they need. Charities and voluntary organizations often lack manpower for fundraising events or community projects and this is where companies can come in,” said Dr Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber.

“Volunteering programs, like ENGAGE Dubai, have a positive and long lasting impact on companies by enhancing the skills of their staff, increasing employees’ motivation and encouraging them to have a greater sense of belonging in the community,” Dr Belaid said.

“ENGAGE DUBAI shows how meaningful and easy it can be for employees to contribute their time and skills to benefit local causes, and in turn reward their companies with increased loyalty and employee satisfaction,” Dr Belaid added.

ENGAGE Dubai volunteers have contributed more than 1,000 volunteering hours over the past two years in support of Al Noor. Some 25 companies are members of ENGAGE Dubai and have participated in five different projects since the initiative was launched in November 2008.

Andrew Robinson, of KPMG, which took part in the fun fair, said: “KPMG in the UAE is proud of its employees who have volunteered to support the Al Noor Fun Fair this weekend. We believe that volunteering is an excellent way for individuals to become involved in the local community and we support the ENGAGE Dubai program which brings together local charitable organizations and businesses. This initiative is consistent with one of KPMG’s values of being committed to our communities.”

Dubai Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business launched ENGAGE Dubai in association with Business in the Community (BITC) UK, an organization supported by the Prince of Wales, which encourages companies to be more socially responsible.

The employee volunteering program aims to link up charities with businesses keen to participate in volunteering schemes as part of their wider corporate social responsibility initiatives.

The ENGAGE Key Cities program was established in 2002 by the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and BITC. There are currently 21 projects in 20 cities including Beijing, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Milan and Paris.

Leave a comment