The idea behind the Volunteer Exchange is to link up schools and businesses – providing volunteering opportunities for local companies and a willing workforce for schools.

Many schools need help to set up and maintain outdoor areas, such as vegetable patches, wildlife gardens and ponds. These outdoor “classrooms” are extremely valuable to schools, making learning more interesting for children and bringing lessons to life.

The Volunteer Exchange makes it easy for local businesses that are keen to allow staff to spend time volunteering for community projects as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility and team building activities.

Using the website, businesses can volunteer as much or as little time as they want, select convenient locations and specific projects which interest them.

Jill Foster, the sustainable education efficer from Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT), the charity behind the Volunteer Exchange, said: “Through the free website businesses can find out about projects at local schools that their staff can volunteer to help with. Projects are environmentally- friendly and include activities such as planting vegetables for allotments and creating or maintaining wildlife gardens.

“Schools benefit through the volunteers from local businesses helping them to provide different learning environments and improve the quality of outdoor education for the city’s children. The site works just like a dating agency between schools and businesses making it easy for both parties.”

Businesses that have already signed up to the Volunteer Exchange website include consulting engineers Royal Haskoning based in Bretton.

Marketing officer Laura Brewis said: “Giving something back to the local community is really important to Royal Haskoning and we set aside a number of days each year for staff to volunteer during work-time for local projects.

“We are keen to use the new volunteer exchange because it makes it easy for us to get involved with worthwhile projects.”

n For details, visit the website at www.greenerschools.co.uk/ ve_index.asp