voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
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Volunteering Among Younger People on the Rise, Research Finds
Created: 28/04/2025
News/Events Category: Volunteering
Volunteering amongst young people is on the rise but it is falling among older age groups, research has found.
Young volunteers
A report by the think tank nfpResearch, which has surveyed members of the public since 2010, found that in March last year, 32% of 16- to 24 year-olds said they had volunteered in the past three months.
This was up from just 21% in March 2012, says the report, which is based on nfpResearch’s monthly representative survey of 1,000 people.
Mature volunteers
But for those aged over 55, volunteering has begun to decline.
For those aged between 55 and 64, just 12% surveyed last year had volunteered in the past three months – down from 26%in 2012.
Among people aged over 65, the proportion of people volunteering fell from 28% in 2012 to 17% in 2024.
The decline in volunteering among older age groups is likely due to a combination of different factors such as worsening pension provision, an older pension age, and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on lives and long-term health, the report says.
Ethnic minority volunteers
The report also says that people from ethnic minorities have higher levels of volunteering. Despite only forming about 12% of nfpResearch’s typical sample, in the 10-year period from 2014 to 2024, those from ethnic minority backgrounds had an average volunteering rate of 32%, compared with 19% of white people.
Report recommendations
The report includes a number of recommendations to boost volunteering, including the creation of a volunteering infrastructure body for England and the appointment of a "volunteering czar” to champion the development of volunteering.
It pushes for the development of volunteer management training and qualifications and for the development of volunteer recruitment campaigns and strategies.
The report also urges charities to employ a director of volunteering on their senior management team and to offer support to volunteer managers within their organisation.
Technology should also be embedded in volunteer recruitment and retention, the report says, such as through apps for recruitment and management of volunteers.
Click here to read the full report.
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