Volunteering at ten-year high

Volunteering is at a ten-year high with 26 percent of people carrying out some volunteering in the last three months, and more men are volunteering than women, according to new research by nfpSynergy.

The research consultancy’s report, entitled The New Alchemy, analyses trends in volunteering over the past decade and people’s motivations for giving their time.    

Based on regular polls of 1,000 UK adults carried out by phone from January 2003 and January 2012, and online from May 2011, it shows 26 percent of those surveyed said they had volunteered in the last three months in July 2014, a seven percentage point increase since the research began.

This is a high last reached only once before in the last decade, in May 2013, before volunteering dropped to 21 percent in September last year.

Researchers found that 27 percent of men said they had volunteered in the last three months compared to 26 percent of women.

Figures show women have only polled lower than men twice in the last decade and have an average volunteering level of 24 percent over the last three years, compared to men’s 21 percent.

In 2005, 25 per cent of women said they volunteered, compared to just 13 percent of men.

The latest poll also shows that the number of young volunteers has continued to increase with 33 percent of 16 to 24-year-olds saying they give their time, which is more than double the level in 2005 of 15 percent.  

The research shows that regular worshippers are more than twice as likely to volunteer as others, with 41 percent giving their time compared to 19 per cent of non-regular worshippers.

Broadsheet readers are also more likely to be volunteers with 32 per cent giving their time, compared to 21 percent of tabloid readers.

Rates of volunteering vary by socio-economic class, the report states, with more affluent people still more likely to volunteer. This is supported by findings from the Cabinet Office’s Community Life survey, which found 36 percent of people in the least deprived areas regularly volunteer, compared to 19 percent of people in deprived areas.

The report also looks at people’s motivations for volunteering and a key reason is “the 21st century significance of voluntary experience for employability”.

To download the report visit https://nfpsynergy.net/user/login?destination=/free-report/new-alchemy-trends-and-motivations-parts-2-and-3.