Why do so few people volunteer now?

There is a large element of self-interest in my volunteering. I love making a difference (for the better) to people's lives and I love it when they appreciate the help given. It also help add structure to my life. I would hate to just drift from day to day.

I agree Kitty although its very easy to get sucked in to doing more than you intend.

I volunteered for one organisation for about fourteen years until my husband’s health deteriorated and he needed my care and attention. I did start again briefly then he died. Since then I have had neither the time nor the head space for the emotionally demanding work. I have not finally decided but if I do go back, I shall certainly need a refresher course on the changing technology needed to do the admin side of the work. Although I am no Luddite, I am not sure I want to do that, so I probably won’t go back, but maybe find something else.

Grammaretto

I agree Kitty although its very easy to get sucked in to doing more than you intend.

It is, as well as being taken for granted.

I think many retired people also now do daycare for their 'grandchildren'

Cabbie21

I volunteered for one organisation for about fourteen years until my husband’s health deteriorated and he needed my care and attention. I did start again briefly then he died. Since then I have had neither the time nor the head space for the emotionally demanding work. I have not finally decided but if I do go back, I shall certainly need a refresher course on the changing technology needed to do the admin side of the work. Although I am no Luddite, I am not sure I want to do that, so I probably won’t go back, but maybe find something else.

You give invaluable advice on here, though (which was very much appreciated by me!)

Maybe as so many on GN are busy looking after GC any free time is used for personal activities or to recover.

rafichagran

Some people like myself who have the new state pension plus a occupational pension like to travel or do their hobbies.
I don't want to appear selfish but I worked all my life, lived by a time table, had to do things I did not like. I dont want to do that especially if I am not paid for it. People who I have spoken to about volunteering have to commit to certain hours and days and I don't want to do that. If they call for people to help clear a river or litter in a local park I would be up for that.

This. My working life was in the NHS and my husband's job had social elements that were easier with my support and honestly I am peopled out. I don't want to be tactful to idiots, to do stuff I have to, to commit to regular days and times, or generally get involved. Basically I am done with doing.

The safeguarding procedures and all the rigmarole involved before you can become a volunteer’s are endless.Charity shop work I find not relaxing,using the till, shop lifting, donations being dropped off, sorting through clothes,not being allowed to sit.I gave it up. Help in school I love.However,the safeguarding, the protocol ! National Trust guide ? Exhausting and dealing with rude people .🤣🤣 You’ve got to enjoy it ,whatever you do!

I volunteered a great deal when I was younger, with my local church which was child focused. On moving away I volunteered at another church helping to run events. I also worked with a local charity who provided homes for the homeless and less well off. It was a drop in centre dealing with all sorts of difficulties people were having, including addiction. I found all my volunteering roles extremely interesting and rewarding. I moved away again and volunteer at a food bank for one day a week. My local church is small and not very well attended so not much opportunity there unless I want join the flower arranging team or tea/coffee club! I don’t really fancy working in a charity shop or taking on anything where too much commitment is involved (I help look after my GC two of which are special needs). I do wish though that I could find a role where I could help more with the homeless. The local charity here is excellent but I think would require more time and emotional investment than I think I could give now.

My volunteering is once a week for 5 weeks at a time helping to run information courses for people caring for people living with dementia. So probably more flexible than people imagine. I also help at a Memory Cafe once a month.

M0nica

I think one reason is that many more people over pension age are working, at least part time, the other is the lack of people of working age at home during the day and fit and healthy and thirdly, I think charities are becoming more and more dependent on volunteers doing work that they previously would have paid workers to do

Finally, there are so many charities now using volunteers that demand just outstrips supply.

My thoughts exactly. Totally agree.

Younger couples both have to work nowadays to afford a mortgage and older people like me without a decent pension have to work past retirement age to top ou the state pension. I’d love to volunteer if I had the spare time, but at 66, still working, I’m too tired to volunteer on top!

Perhaps because everyone needs to work due to the cost of living crisis.

I felt I was treated like an idiot. I was a teacher with years of experience.

I belong to a Lions Club and you do what you can when you can…. We were new to the area well 2 years but both working so still had a social life through work, but then I had a medical discharge from work- due to migraines but wanted to do something. Saw an event being advertised and went along with an ex work colleague… a great night and it just went on from there…. About 20 years now…. 4 years ago I started Central West British Isles 2020 Virtual Lions Club, online via Zoom, catering for everyone. People who don’t drive, people who are on their own, people with medical issues, people with children or Grandchildren etc etc.. no problem at all…

lionsclubs.co/Public/
lions105cw.org.uk/what-we-do/
lions105cw.org.uk/lionsclubs/

I have four voluntary roles. I'm the independent examiner of accounts for two local charities; I reckon it's about a week of my time per year for each one. Some accountants charge for this work but I'd feel quite bad about making small charities fork out for such stuff. Then I'm on the grant awards committee for a charitable trust - which is quite hard, intensive work for a couple of weeks per year. And finally I'm a public governor for a local NHS trust - only just started, mostly mounds of paperwork plus six meetings per year. That's probably enough for me, particularly as I'm still working part time.

M0nica

I think one reason is that many more people over pension age are working, at least part time, the other is the lack of people of working age at home during the day and fit and healthy and thirdly, I think charities are becoming more and more dependent on volunteers doing work that they previously would have paid workers to do

Finally, there are so many charities now using volunteers that demand just outstrips supply.

Yes, you are right Monica I am 71 and still work part time in a high dementia care home and love it 😁

I did a lot of volunteering when both myself and my children were younger, I was Brown Owl, Rainbows leader, chair of various groups but nowadays with the COL so high, I m 67, I childmind for my daughter to save them money and I work part time to help make up the deficit with not getting my pension until 66 so sadly I afford the time or the money to volunteer, if I m working I need to get paid for it 🤷‍♀️

I volunteer weakly and have seen a shift over the decade. It’s an all women organisation and they are now struggling to fill the training course. It had a waiting list and two courses not one a year . The service is well used but volunteers have to be committed to their hours and supervision once a month. Also extra training is on top . Mums now go back to work earlier and take paid work rather than use time to volunteer. People are time and money poor. I see some do a few months and some a bit longer but voluntary work isn’t always possible due to lots of reasons. I feel lucky I can do what I do and I give and receive a varied amount from it all . The training has helped with friends and family.

I have volunteered for the past 10 years by now is the time that I am thinking of stepping away. The day job is manic and I would like to have some me and more family time to do what I want to do. Now is the time to think of me for a change rather than others

The NCVO publish a UK Civil Almanac. For 2023, it reported on how things were in 2021/22. Bear in mind, that covers the period of the tail end of the pandemic and beyond.

There were almost 164,000 voluntary organisations from micro (income less than £10,000) to super-major (income more than £100 million). See the chart.

This suggest to me that human resources are being spread a little thinly.

NCVO report that:

•An estimated 14.2m people in the UK have volunteered through a group, club or organisation at least once in 2021/22.

•Levels of formal volunteering have declined since 2020/21. They remain well below pre-pandemic levels, although the rate of decline has slowed.

•Slightly over a quarter (27%) of people over 16 years old in England have volunteered formally with a group, club or organisation at least once in 2021/22. Based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) population estimates, this means 12m people in England have formally volunteered at least once in the last year, which which is estimated 14.2m people in the UK.

•Under one in five (16%) people report volunteering formally at least once a month, about 7m people in England, (8.3m in the UK).

Importantly:

•Informal volunteering (giving unpaid help without being involved in groups, clubs, or organisations) is less visible. In 2021/22, 46% of the population (approximately 21m people in England, 25m in the UK) have volunteered informally at least once a year and 26% (12m in England, 14.2m in the UK) did so at least once a month.

• Informal volunteering includes activities like going shopping, providing childcare or doing housework for someone for free who is not a relative or a friend.

I volunteered for 10 years with a museum and that was interesting and mostly enjoyable. But there are many volunteer roles across various charities that have replaced paid employees and I think that is wrong. Too much activity that should be a public service has been pushed onto charities during and since Mrs T's time as PM.

I’ve been a volunteer ever since I retired. I am a volunteer visitor for my local council. At the moment my client is even older than me. I’m 78 but she is 95. She is as sharp as a tack and I really enjoy my visits. I see her every Wednesday afternoon and it’s definitely time well spent. When carers come in they only have time to do the job in hand and not much time for chatting. Her family tell me she really looks forward to my visits and so do I.

I volunteer with a number of organisations. It does nvolve a certain amount of expense - driving there and driving doing deliveries for the foodbank. They do allow us to claim for those things especially if we have to pay for parking, but I don't claim for my petrol as I see it as part of my charitable giving. The foodbank I volunteer with are also very flexible about availability. Every month we get an email asking our availability and then a rota is prepared. We have a Whatsapp group so if someone is ill or something comes up, we can swap shifts or fill in a gap. I find it very rewarding as I have made new acquaintances with other volunteers so it increases my social connections too. It suits me well as I do occasional work as an exam invigilator so at exam time my availability falls but I'm not committed to any rigid times or days. It is quite a small charity though so maybe the bigger ones are less flexible.

When my children were young I was a SAHM so volunteered listening to readers and helping with lots of things at the school. Back then there were no checks whereas now you require a DBS check for most volunteering roles as well as maybe doing safeguarding training etc. But for me the advantages in keeping active, busy and having social contact are worth all the effort, as long as I have flexibility to also live my own life as well. I also have very limited granny responsibilities as my GC live 200 miles away, but I like being busy. It keeps me feeling younger and when I do have the odd day with no commitments I can relax in front of the TV without guilt or boredom setting in.