Struggling for ideas for your office Christmas party? Try volunteering.

Lots of charities are desperate for volunteers in the build up to Christmas - while companies are looking to do something different, unusual and much more fun than the average Christmas office party.

So TimeBank, the national volunteering charity, has come up with the idea of Christmas Party Volunteering - getting together with your workmates for a few hours volunteering in your community.

TimeBank Chief Executive Helen Walker says: “We do it ourselves at TimeBank, packing crates to send to homeless shelters one year and serving lunch to lonely older people another. It's great fun, a classic team-building exercise, and after our volunteering we all go out to the pub or a local restaurant to put on our party hats and share our stories. We head home for Christmas feeling we've made a real difference to someone less fortunate than ourselves."

TimeBank can match you up to a volunteering opportunity that suits you and your team however big or small. They'll source the opportunity, undertake a risk assessment, write up a plan and be there on the day to support you, helping you to get the very best out of your Christmas volunteering.

You'll get to spend time with your colleagues out of the office, doing something incredible for your community.

There's more information at http://timebank.org.uk/employee-volunteering/christmas-volunteering and if you have any questions, call Calley on 020 3111 0700 or email calley@timebank.org.uk