What would you do if you could recruit more volunteers?

Volunteering - Some stats

Volunteering for all ages was severely hit during the pandemic when many people couldn't volunteer, and the numbers have never recovered. In just over a decade, the number of people volunteering at least once a year has dropped from almost 50% of the population to just over a quarter. Regular monthly volunteering has declined by over a third from over 27% to 16% of the population.

The Government uses the Community Life Survey to track formal volunteering, which is defined as those who have given unpaid help to groups or clubs, for example, leading a group, providing administrative support, mutual aid groups or befriending or mentoring people. This includes charities, churches, sports clubs and informal groups that don't have a legal status. The survey also tracks informal volunteering, for example, babysitting or caring for children, keeping in touch with someone who has difficulty getting out and about, or helping someone with their household tasks such as cleaning, laundry or shopping.

It includes interesting data on who does it, such as ethnicity and religious groups. Find out more here

In 23-24, 33% of adults in England (approximately 15.1 million people) participated in formal or informal volunteering at least once a month.

This represents a slight decrease of one percentage point from rates in 2021/22 (34%), and is the lowest recorded by the Community Life Survey for this measure since data collection began in 2013-14, when about 44% volunteered monthly.

54% of adults in England (approximately 24.8 million people) had taken part in either formal or informal volunteering at least once in the last 12 months, in line with levels in 2021/22 (55%), but in 2013-14 the number was 70%

Formal volunteering in England

This is obviously the most relevant for charities and community groups.

Monthly volunteering rates

The latest data shows that in 2023/24: 16%of adults (approximately 7.5 million people in England) had taken part in formal volunteering at least once a month in the last 12 months, in line with rates in 2021/22 (also 16%).

Participation rates in formal volunteering at least once a month have declined since data collection started on the Community Life Survey in 2013/14, when rates were 27%. This includes a notable decrease between rates in 2019/20 (23%) and 2020/21 (17%), when rates may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated restrictions and guidance introduced in the UK. Participation rates in 2023/24 were the lowest recorded since data collection started on the Community Life Survey.

Annual volunteering rates

In 2023/24: 28%of adults (approximately 12.9 million people in England) reported taking part in formal volunteering at least once in the last year, in line with rates in 2021/22 (27%).

Rates of participation in formal volunteering at least once a year have broadly followed the same trend as participation rates at least once a month, with a decline in rates over time since data collection started in 2013/14, when rates were 45%. Similarly to formal volunteering at least once a month, there was a notable decrease between 2019/20 (37%) and 2020/21 (30%).

Potential opportunities to expand the impact of volunteering

In the last year, the Government has announced policies relevant to charities or social enterprises that can engage younger volunteers in activities that will grow their confidence and ability to thrive in education and the workplace, and potentially help them develop some skills.

• The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) launched a new national youth strategy to improve youth outcomes. It includes £85 million from the Government and £100 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme to support youth services.
• The shift from the National Citizen Service (NCS) to more flexible, locally tailored youth support, which the Government has been implementing since March 2025, is a strategic move to meet the diverse needs of young people better and embed volunteering in new models of youth engagement.
• The announcement in August by Prime Minister Keir Starmer of £22.5 million over three years to help 400 schools offer "enrichment" activities—including volunteering—to boost engagement and skills

Additionally, a range of young people need opportunities to take part in worthwhile activities which they can add to their CV and use to boost their confidence and personal and professional skills

• There is a need for young people leaving university to build their credentials as graduate unemployment levels rise. The overall unemployment rate is 6% for UK graduates 15 months after completing their studies, but recent graduates face a higher unemployment rate of 12.7% equating to over 96,000 unemployed graduates each academic year
• The 948,000 young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET)—up from 800,000 in 2019. Almost half of NEET youth are disabled, up from less than a quarter in 2011—driven mainly by mental ill-health
• The unemployment rates of young adults (18-24) are 14.3% compared to the general population (16-64), 4.8%

The potential impacts of volunteering for young people

Volunteering can be a powerful catalyst for youth employability—especially when it's framed strategically. Here’s how it builds real-world value for young people:

1. Develops transferable skills

• Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management are all sharpened through volunteer roles.
• Even informal volunteering (e.g. helping at a local event) builds confidence and initiative.

2. Boosts CVs and interview readiness

• Employers value real-world experience—even unpaid—especially when candidates can reflect on challenges and outcomes.
• Volunteering shows commitment, adaptability, and a willingness to learn.

3. Expands networks and opportunities

• Young volunteers often meet mentors, professionals, and peers who can offer guidance or job leads.
• Some charities offer structured pathways into paid roles or apprenticeships.

4. Clarifies career direction

• Trying different roles helps young people discover what they enjoy—and what they don’t.
• Exposure to sectors like health, education, or creative arts can spark long-term interest.

5. Builds digital and sector-specific skills

• Many charities can offer remote roles involving social media, data entry, or virtual outreach.
• These experiences are especially valuable for young people without formal qualifications.

BE READY to take advantage of the opportunities

1. Review your short and longer term goals as an organisation
2. Consider how you could achieve these goals if you could access more volunteers and particularly if you could get funding
3. Develop outline project ideas or role profiles outlining:

• the impact on your area of activity e.g. the people you help
• the impact/benefits to the volunteers particularly how you could provide opportunities to achieve the impacts for young people listed above or the fit with the government strategies such as "enrichment activities" to boost engagement and skills for the schools funding

1. Cost the ideas so you can be ready to respond when funding opportunities appear. If you can do a small pilot of the project to show what you could do if you could access significant funds. Even if it is only how you recruited one volunteer the impact on them and the impact on you achieving your mission.
2. Consider your goals for numbers of volunteers with and without additional projects and develop clear role descriptions for the vacancies you want to recruit (see below recruit for specific roles)

Getting the volunteers

Understanding why people volunteer

The Community Life Survey, which tracks the number of volunteers (see above), also investigates motivators and barriers to formal volunteering.

The most common reasons for volunteering were:

• 'I wanted to improve things/help people' – 47%
• 'I had spare time to do it' – 32%
• 'The cause was really important to me' – 30%
• 'I wanted to meet people/make friends - 25%
• 'I thought it would give me a chance to use my existing skills' - 24%
• 'I felt there was a need in my community' - 23%

Other relevant reasons people volunteered in terms of recruitment were:

• 'It was connected to the needs of my family/friends' - 17%
• 'I thought it would give me a chance to learn new skills' - 16%
• 'I felt there was no one else to do it' - 8%
• 'It helps me get on in my career' - 6%

Barriers to formal volunteering

The top reasons given by adults not engaged in formal volunteering at all/not engaged frequently, for not taking part in formal volunteering at all

were linked to a lack of time:

• 'I have work commitments' – 51%
• 'I do other things in my spare time' – 33%
• 'I have to look after children' – 22%

However, some reasons suggest that new volunteers might be attracted by good marketing and communications. I have listed in order of importance, and they range from 16% of people down to 6% but total 68%

• 'I never thought about it'
• 'I have an illness or disability that I feel prevents me from getting involved'
• 'I don't know any groups that need help'
• 'I haven't heard about opportunities to give help/I couldn't find opportunities'
• 'I'm not the right age'
• 'I'm new to the area'

Barriers for the young in terms of volunteering

Research commissioned by DCMS shows that socio-economic background, lack of awareness, and accessibility issues affect youth participation in volunteering and other activities.

Marketing and communications - the key to success

Laying the foundations - explain how you change the world

Whatever you have on your Charity Commission page or said to the CIC regulator, it's crucial to explain your mission in a way that powerfully connects with your target audience.

Research from McLean & Company underscores the significant impact of a well-crafted explanation of your mission statement. It reveals that people identifying with their organisation's mission are 3.71 times more likely to be engaged. This means your mission statement can be a powerful tool to boost volunteer involvement, making each volunteer's role even more crucial.

Use simple, everyday language to communicate your mission. Focus on the positive difference a volunteer can make. One environmental NGO rewrote its mission statement in plain, emotive language, highlighting the concrete impact of each hour volunteered—their new tagline—"Plant one tree. Grow one future."—drove a 25% rise in web enquiries.

Make your statement resonate by clearly expressing your charity's core values and showcasing your significant impact on those you serve. Let your message inspire and reflect your commitment to transformative change.

Display your mission statement prominently on your website and marketing materials. This helps potential recruits connect with your cause and motivates them to get involved.

Recruit for specific roles

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) stresses that transparent role descriptions help volunteers see where they fit and what they'll achieve. A health charity created tiered volunteer tracks—"Fundraiser," "Peer Mentor," "Digital Ambassador"—each with a one-page role sheet outlining tasks, skills needed, and time commitment. This clarity cut drop-outs by half.

What smaller groups can do:

• Draft concise role sheets (no more than one A4 page)
• Include time expectations, required skills, and potential growth pathways.
• Review and update roles annually based on volunteer feedback.

Highlight impact for example "help bring our community together by using your artistic and woodworking skills" is more engaging than "volunteers needed" if you are doing a project to create a games table and need someone to create the tops to paint and attach them and others to paint interesting games.

Social media

Use social media, either by using ads or just by posting.

• Choose one or two platforms where your audience is most active, but also where you will naturally be and can maintain content, e.g. don't just start TikTok if you hardly use it. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are great for promoting roles to local communities, while LinkedIn works well for professional or skills-based volunteering.
• Post a mix of impact stories, role spotlights, and behind-the-scenes glimpses using photos and videos.
• Respond promptly to comments and DMs to keep interactions genuine.

Job and volunteer boards

There are national and local volunteering platforms where you can promote roles such as Do-it.org, Reach Volunteering, CharityJob, or your local Volunteer Centre can help widen your reach.

When you need/want to keep it local

Focusing on local candidates is essential if you're not explicitly looking for digital volunteers. Use local networks and partnerships to your advantage. For example, a children's literacy charity successfully collaborated with schools, libraries, and youth clubs to host "Volunteer Open Houses." By co-hosting book readings and mini-training sessions, they leveraged existing networks and experienced a 40% increase in recruits within two months.

Lessons for smaller organisations:

1. Identify nearby community groups such as faith centres, sports clubs, and community centres.
2. Offer to present at existing meetings or events instead of organising separate sessions.
3. Provide "bring-a-friend" incentives to encourage current volunteers to introduce their peers.
4. Tap into student unions, Further Education Colleges and career services for youth engagement
5. Partner with businesses offering employee volunteering programmes

For smaller communities, consider placing posters in local pubs, bus stops, or GPs waiting rooms to attract potential volunteers.

Be welcoming and make it easy to apply and be a volunteer:

• Follow up with interested volunteers quickly.
• Streamline your application and onboarding process.
• Ensure accessibility and fairness—especially for neurodiverse or disabled applicants.
• Offer induction, peer support, and ongoing feedback.
• Recognise contributions publicly and privately.

Learn what works - test and adapt

• Track what works: Which posts get clicks? Which roles fill fastest?
• Use surveys or informal chats to refine your approach.

The things you learn over dinner - the story of the Samaritans

I was chatting with a bridge partner of Bob's over dinner when he asked what I thought of the way the Samaritans were behaving. I had not heard about it, but he explained that a friend volunteered in Barnsley for the Samaritans. His friend had complained that they were looking at closing branches, meaning he would have to travel much further. Apparently, there were issues where volunteers ended up alone in small branches and under their rules could not answer calls. Then I see it is in the news that the Samaritans has confirmed plans to close and merge branches across the UK as part of a major restructuring effort aimed at modernising its services and improving sustainability.

It is not clear what impact it will have on call answering. The charity receives about 10,000 calls a day and has around 23,000 volunteers. I know I interviewed one person as part of my volunteering with Healthwatch Doncaster, who said they had called a helpline when they felt suicidal and had got no answer, but they did not say which service they called.

What's happening?

• The charity is piloting changes in three regions—South East England, Yorkshire and Humberside, and Scotland—to test new models that include branch closures, mergers, and scaling up remote support. I assume this is why the volunteer in Barnsley
• These pilots will inform decisions for the rest of the UK, but no further closures will happen before the end of 2028.
• By 2036, Samaritans expects to operate with fewer than its current 200 branches.

Why the change?

• CEO Julie Bentley said the current setup—with over 200 branches varying widely in size—is "not sustainable" and doesn't reflect how the service operates today.
• The charity is shifting toward remote night-time volunteering and expanding its online chat service, aiming to reach more people in crisis when they need it most.

Concerns from volunteers

• Some volunteers have expressed fears of a "mass exodus" due to reduced access to local branches.
• Critics argue that local presence is vital for community-based mental health support and early intervention.

Over dinner, my immediate response was the potential to keep the branches open by finding other small charities to collaborate with to share venue costs and support volunteers when they were on their own. This could be a win-win, easing the financial pressure for both organisations.

Strategic lessons

Other charities can draw several strategic lessons from the volunteer response to Samaritans' branch closures—especially if you're navigating restructuring, digital transformation, or service redesign:

1. Local identity matters

• Volunteers felt blindsided by the closures, with many saying the decision came "out of the blue".
• Branches weren't just operational hubs—they were community anchors. Removing them risks severing emotional ties and local networks.

Lesson: Treat local branches as part of your brand's emotional infrastructure. Engage early and often when considering structural changes.

2. Transparent communication is critical

• Volunteers expressed confusion and frustration over the rationale for closures, questioning how fewer branches would improve service.
• Some directors called for a vote of no confidence, citing a lack of consultation.

Lesson: Communicate the "why" behind decisions with clarity. Use two-way channels to gather feedback and validate concerns.

3. Volunteer retention hinges on accessibility

• Surveys showed 74% of Welsh volunteers wouldn't move to another branch if theirs were closed.
• Many feared isolation and burnout without local peer support.

Lesson: Invest in virtual community-building and flexible engagement options when shifting to remote or centralised models. Consider collaboration to keep a local venue. NB Use collaboration optimiser(c) to ensure a good fit

4. Mission alignment isn't enough—experience matters

• Volunteers remained committed to the cause but felt disconnected from the delivery model.
• Some saw the shift toward regional call centres and remote volunteering as impersonal.

Lesson: Align operational changes with the lived experience of volunteers. Co-design new models with frontline input.

If you would like developing a project that links to the potential funding then maybe start by considering where you are on the ROC and you can always contact us for a chat.

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