VSO’s partnership with the Randstad Group was established in 2004. VSO and Randstad Group share common core activities in their business, working to provide partner organisations with the right people, who have the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. The aim of the partnership is to:
- Expand VSO’s reach throughout Europe and North America, vastly increasing the ability of VSO to recruit and place volunteers with local partners in developing countries
- Give Randstad Group employees the opportunity to support a common project that makes a real difference to the disadvantaged.
The partnership works on three levels:
1. Randstad supports VSO by providing its expertise in recruitment and selection;
2. Randstad’s financial support enables VSO to place more volunteers in a more diverse range of countries, such as Indonesia, Ethiopia and Guyana;
3. Randstad employees are actively involved in the partnership through:
- Offering their skills and expertise as a volunteer themselves;
- Identifying and helping recruit professionals who might like to volunteer;
- Participating in fundraising activities to support VSO’s work.
Randstad’s commitment to the partnership is evident in all of their offices around the globe. Many countries have taken the initiative to host events and start activities that have helped raise the awareness of VSO. Currently, there are over 50 initiatives taking place throughout Randstad to support the partnership. Some examples of past Randstad staff fundraising activities include:
- In the Netherlands and Italy staff of the Randstad Group participated in an annual ‘Walk Against Poverty’
- Randstad UK held various ‘Big Curry Night’ themed fundraising events
- Randstad Belgium and Randstad UK went skydiving to raise awareness and funds for VSO
- Randstad Italy organized a ski event for their clients; clients were invited to participate in a day at the slopes and asked for donations for VSO.
