ITV, Centrica and Mail Metro Media are getting behind a national effort to mobilise millions more volunteers, as new research reveals charities anticipate a three million shortfall over the next year.

As Founder Members of GoVo, the new digital volunteering platform launched this week by the charity Royal Voluntary Service, the businesses will help champion volunteering across their national networks and pilot the platform ahead of its launch to corporates.

Built thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, GoVo makes volunteering simple and more flexible. It has been developed in partnership with hundreds of national and local charities. It will launch to corporates later this year, enabling them to drive greater impact through employee volunteering.