How much do people volunteer?
In 2016-17 it was estimated that...
22% of adults said they had taken part in formal volunteering at least once a month.
63% of adults said they had taken part in formal volunteering at least once a year.
75% of adults said they had given to charity in the four weeks prior to completing the survey, with an average donation of £22.
But volunteering is actually declining...
Why this matters
"The societal gains from volunteering are potentially large – and also largely under-appreciated. Certainly, they are not well measured. At least in official GDP statistics, they are not captured at all."
Andrew Haldane, Chief Economist, Bank of England (2014)
However, estimates suggest that:
· Formal volunteering contributed £23.9bn to the UK economy in 2012;
· Analysis by the Bank of England and Pro-Bono economics suggest that an alternative higher estimate could be as much as £55bn.
This decline is evidently bad for communities and people who benefit from services provided by volunteers, but it has wider consequences too...
Volunteering has been linked with a number of beneficial outcomes including...
· Better mental health outcomes for older generations;
· Helping improve employability and boost entry into work;
· Better mental and physical health;
... as well as a variety of other benefits. In short, volunteering can be a good way to help build resilience and independence, and the value goes far beyond the direct services.
Lower levels of volunteering would mean smaller contributions to the economy, and worse outcomes.
So what can be done?
In a time of limited resources and even more limited Parliamentary time, encouraging volunteering could be a way to improve outcomes, both for volunteers, and the communities they help.
If this sounds a bit familiar, it's because it mirrors the idea of the 'Big Society'. Namely that:
"If you've got an idea to make life better, if you want to improve your local area, don’t just think about it - tell us what you want to do and we will try and give you the tools to make this happen."
David Cameron, Prime Minister (2010)
The question is how Government can encourage this, and kickstart communities becoming empowered and engaged.
Backing Volunteering Programmes
Programmes such as the National Citizens Service (NCS) have been running since 2013, initially supported by the Cabinet Office, and now by the NCS trust. It includes time spent on activities both at within and outside the participants' local area, and designing and delivering a social impact programme.
The 2015 evaluation found that the NCS was delivering outcomes such as improved social trust, perceptions of social cohesion, volunteering, and knowing how to tackle a problem in their local area. It also delivered value for money. However, since then the scheme has since been criticised for high per-participant costs.
This illustrates the central issue; whilst programmes can have an effect, justifying the cost for outcomes such as volunteering can be difficult.
Helping Communities help themselves
An alternative is not designing the programme, but giving support to Communities which want to tackle issues themselves. This is part of the reasoning behind Power to Change, a grant-making foundation which defines Community Businesses by four key features:
· Locally rooted: Rooted in a given place, and responsive to the needs of that area.
· Trading for the benefit of the community: Acting as a business, but meeting local needs
· Accountable to the community: The Community has a voice in their direction, and the Community Business is responsive to them.
· Broad community impact: They benefit the local community as a whole.
Research conducted by WPI Economics and NatCen found that volunteers were integral to the performance of Community Businesses. Instead of focusing directly on increasing volunteering levels, helping bodies like this get started may be a way of encouraging volunteering from the ground-up, giving local people a cause to work for, and a direct voice in what they're working towards.
So what does this mean for public policy?
The fact that volunteering is decreasing should be of concern...
1) A decrease in volunteering, if not stopped, could have very real public policy impacts. Working out how to arrest this will be a challenge, but hugely rewarding. Volunteering schemes are one piece of the puzzle, but clearly this can't be fixed entirely from Central Government.
2) Schemes to support volunteering can indirectly help tackle some of society's most pressing issues, including loneliness and a lack of independence in older generations, and employability in younger generations. However, working out how to get those who would benefit the most from volunteering into such roles will be a huge part of the challenge.
3) People may lack the time or capacity to volunteer formally. Identifying the barriers to them doing so, be it a need for childcare, stress about finances, or a lack of opportunities will be just as important as creating specific volunteering schemes.
4) People can rally around local priorities and shape their communities. Our recent research into Community Businesses in the pubs, transport, and housing sectors showed the importance of volunteering to the success of Community Businesses. Providing the outlet and opportunity for communities to identify their priorities and create change may be a way of increasing volunteering at the local level.
5) Measurement is difficult. The above figures are for formal volunteering (e.g. through a group, club or organisation), but informal volunteering or micro-volunteering may become more important over time. Understanding the impacts of different types of volunteering and whether they are increasing or decreasing will be crucial in the future.
