A report examined trends in volunteering, and the motivations of volunteers, as part of an ongoing project that examined volunteering more generally.
Source: Mhairi Guild, Tim Harrison, and Joe Saxton, The New Alchemy: How volunteering turns donations of time and talent into human gold (Part 2 Trends in volunteering over the last decade/Part 3 Harnessing volunteer motivations), nfpSynergy
Links: Report | nfpSynergy press release | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Sep
An article examined how volunteering policy, volunteering programmes, and operational practices in volunteer brokerage organizations affected the motivations of young volunteers. It said that young people were increasingly pressured into volunteering, and into seeing volunteering as a route into employment, and it said that the advantages for employability were often used as a 'selling point' by volunteer recruiters. The article concluded that the findings supported existing narratives about the changing nature of volunteering and the potential for future problems for volunteer-involving organizations.
Source: Jon Dean, 'How structural factors promote instrumental motivations within youth volunteering: a qualitative analysis of volunteer brokerage', Voluntary Sector Review, Volume 5 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Aug
A report evaluated the Community Visitor (CV) pilot scheme in three care homes for older people in Essex, south east England. CVs visited care homes every week, aiming to befriend older people and to enhance communication between care home managers, staff, residents, and their families. The report said that: residents valued the company and conversation of CVs, were less isolated, and took part in a greater range of activities; CVs often made a big difference in addressing the 'little things' that mattered to older people; while CVs were able to make observations and helped care homes in developing their approach, they had limited influence on the culture of care homes; and the pilot had highlighted the role of committed, supported volunteers in augmenting the work of the care home. The report made recommendations.
Source: Chris Tanner and Bethany Morgan Brett, "We'll Meet Again – Don't Know Where, Don't Know When": Supporting community visiting in Essex care homes, University of Essex
Date: 2014-Jun
An article examined charity shop volunteering in the United Kingdom. It said that some people volunteered as a way to overcome the dislocation experienced as a result of events such as retirement and bereavement. It discussed the interpretation of such actions and the links to the idea of 'public compassion'.
Source: Ruben Flores, 'From personal troubles to public compassion: charity shop volunteering as a practice of care', Sociological Review, Volume 62 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jun
A report said that volunteers working with a large advice charity found that the experience boosted employability, self-esteem, and health, and reduced stress levels among volunteers. The report was drawn from ongoing research to understand and evidence the social value of the work of the organization, which was a major provider of free advice services in England and Wales.
Source: CAB Volunteering – How Everyone Benefits: The value of CAB volunteering to individuals, communities and society, Citizens Advice
Links: Report | Citizens Advice press release
Date: 2014-Jun
A think-tank report examined the contribution that Scouting made to skills acquisition and employability for young people and adult volunteers, drawing on focus groups and interviews with Scouts, ex-Scouts, adult volunteers for the Scouts, and employers. The report said that participation as a Scout provided soft skills, opportunities, and networks that improved employment prospects, and that this was also true for adult volunteers. The report made recommendations, including for employers to develop incentivized employee volunteering schemes linked to personal development strategies.
Source: Jonathan Birdwell and Ian Wybron, Scouting for Skills, Demos
Links: Report | Summary | Demos press release
Date: 2014-May
A new book examined volunteering among older people in eight European countries (including the United Kingdom), as part of a policy for active ageing. It discussed the influence of different interactions between the structural, macro, meso, and micro levels, and made policy suggestions.
Source: Andrea Principi, Per Jensen, and Giovanni Lamura, Active Ageing: Voluntary work by older people in Europe, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-May
A think-tank report examined types and forms of mentoring used within the criminal justice system in England and Wales, to identify examples and themes which constituted best practice. It said that around 15,000 additional volunteer mentors could be recruited over the following five years to contribute to rehabilitation efforts, funded through the Transforming Rehabilitation strategy budget. The report made recommendations.
Source: Jonathan Aitken, Meaningful Mentoring, Centre for Social Justice
Links: Report | CSJ press release | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Apr
A report proposed a range of policy measures to help build 'character and resilience' defined, broadly, as the attributes that enable individuals to maximize opportunities, to persist in, and bounce back from, adversity, and to forge and maintain meaningful relationships. Recommendations included: the extension of the pupil premium into early years education; evidence-based parenting initiatives; mandatory participation by teachers in extra-curricular activity; incorporation of character and resilience into teacher training and continuing professional development programmes; encouragement of volunteering among young people; and initiatives to involve employers in developing and valuing character and resilience.
Source: Chris Paterson, Claire Tyler, and Jen Lexmond, Character and Resilience Manifesto, The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Mobility
Links: Report | CentreForum press release | BBC report
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the impact of volunteering on subjective well-being, drawing on the British Household Panel Survey. It was found that the impact of regular volunteering on subjective well-being was positive and increasing over time if regular volunteering were sustained. This effect seemed to be driven by reducing the unhappiness of the less happy quantiles of the well-being distribution for those who volunteered regularly.
Source: Martin Binder and Andreas Freytag, 'Volunteering, subjective well-being and public policy', Journal of Economic Psychology, Volume 34
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined trends in the level of membership in a range of voluntary associations from 1991 to 2007. The results for men showed lower levels of membership over time for the 1955-1964 and 1965-1974 cohorts in comparison with those of earlier cohorts. For women, levels of membership were only notably lower for the 1965-1974 cohort. The differences between cohorts in the probability of belonging to an organization were similar in magnitude to those between categories of social class and education.
Source: Andrew McCulloch, 'Cohort variations in the membership of voluntary associations in Great Britain, 1991-2007', Sociology, Volume 48 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the scale of student volunteering in the United Kingdom. It said that over 725,000 students currently volunteered (31 per cent of all students) and over two-thirds of those who did not volunteer said that they would be interested in doing so in the future. The report estimated the equivalent economic contribution to amount to £175 million a year. The report looked at motivations for volunteering, the range of preferred activities and organizations, and what might promote volunteering among students.
Source: Fiona Ellison and Helen Kerr, The Student Volunteering Landscape, National Union of Students
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Feb