Introduction
This bulletin reports on key findings from research which was
commissioned by the Home Office to inform the Russell Commission
on the attitudes towards volunteering and extent of involvement
in voluntary activities of young people in England.
Over 2,000 young people were consulted during the course of the
research, which included both qualitative and quantitative elements.
The research was conducted by Dubit, Kikass, Youth Action Network,
YouthNet UK, Metro, and the Research, Development and Statistics
Directorate within the Home Office, on behalf of the Institute
for Volunteering Research.
Young people’s attitudes towards, and practice of volunteering
The extent of volunteering by young people
The 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey (HOCS) found that 40%
of 16-24 year olds had been involved in formal volunteering and
73% had been involved in informal volunteering in the 12 months
before interview. These results suggested that young people volunteer
at a similar, or higher, rate when compared to older people. This
contrasts with earlier research findings which suggested a slump
in young people's voluntary participation.
Young people are involved in a range of voluntary activities,
especially sport, hobbies, recreation and arts, and social clubs.
They also volunteer in children's activities, both in and outside
schools. Their most common type of activity is organising or helping
to run an activity or event, followed by raising or handling money,
and offering practical help or giving advice or information and
counselling.
Perceptions of volunteers and volunteering
Most young people have positive views of volunteering - helping
people out, being a good citizen and a way to gain skills and experience.
However, perceptions that volunteering is boring and 'not cool'
are held by a minority. A narrow, stereotypical view still prevails
among many who do not volunteer, particularly among disaffected
(hard to reach and marginalised) young people, because of a very
limited knowledge of what volunteering involves.
Young people who do volunteer have a wider appreciation of its
scope and potential, and are less likely to label volunteers according
to traditional stereotypes. In fact, while some young people continue
to see volunteering as the domain of older people, others emphasise
that volunteers are likely to be younger people because they have
more free time.
There is a general feeling among many young people that the volunteering
'brand' needs an overhaul to enlarge its appeal. While the term
itself is seen as problematic, the alternatives - such as community
service - are no better. Therefore volunteering needs rebranding
to reflect young people's lifestyles and its relevance to them,
and to emphasise the opportunities it offers to everyone. It should
be promoted as being cool, progressive, respected, beneficial,
relevant and enhancing.
Motivations and benefits of volunteering
Young people volunteer for a range of reasons and get a host of
benefits from volunteering. These group broadly into personal feelings,
such as satisfaction and a desire to meet new people; personal
needs, including gaining a pastime, respect, and interaction with
others; altruism expressed in helping others and doing good; experience,
skills and career prospects; and personal inducements in the form
of certificates, rewards, qualifications and jobs.
The importance of different motivations and benefits vary with
age. Those who are already volunteering often find that their expectations
are exceeded by the experience, particularly in the amount of enjoyment
and fun they have.
Barriers to volunteering
Young people who are not currently volunteering are often unaware
of the potential benefits and this acts as a barrier to involvement.
They feel that having more knowledge of what volunteers can gain
from their activities might motivate them to become volunteers.
This is just one of several barriers to volunteering for young
people. They also point to lack of time; negative peer pressure;
lack of confidence; and problems with finding out information about
volunteering.
Time is one of the biggest barriers. Volunteering is just one
of many competing demands on their time, including studying and
paid work. Their view that volunteering is very time-intensive
means that it has to justify itself by giving them clear returns
for their investment. Additionally, time spent volunteering is
time not spent earning money, and many young people feel they cannot
afford to volunteer.
Cost is also a factor in other barriers, particularly travel and
childcare. Many young people lack transport and tend to favour
volunteering activities close to home. Those with children find
childcare and associated costs a major barrier.
Negative peer pressure can be a considerable barrier to volunteering.
Many young people are conscious of the low status of volunteering
among their age group and speak of the stigma of looking 'sad'
or 'not cool'. Tackling this barrier is seen as central to any
future efforts to mobilise young people to volunteer.
Some young people are put off volunteering by lack of confidence
and fear of rejection. They feel that they have nothing to contribute
and that other people will not value their efforts and achievements.
This is particularly strongly felt among disaffected young people
and those in the youngest age groups, and is a reflection of a
broader feeling of disempowerment and social disapproval.
Access to information is another problem preventing greater voluntary
involvement. This has two dimensions: first there is an apparent
lack of information but, once found, there seems to be so much
information that it becomes confusing and difficult to digest.
Young people would welcome easier routes to finding something they
are interested in and guidance on what they would be best suited
to.
Mobilising volunteers
Most young people get into volunteering through word of mouth
- being told about it or asked by someone already involved. They
feel that this approach should be used more widely to mobilise
others to volunteer. Encouragement by friends, people they know,
celebrities and the media would help introduce them to volunteering.
Friends are particularly important and peer advocacy is seen as
the key mechanism to stimulate volunteering.
Schools are an important site for promoting volunteering, but
volunteering should not solely be school-based or school-led, and
it certainly should not be 'required' or compulsory.
Promotional campaigns involving celebrities, not just as national
figureheads but involved locally, could help increase public recognition
of volunteering and raise its status. The message within campaigns
should combine all the attractions for young people - have fun,
make friends, meet people, give help, get experience, gain skills,
be rewarded, do something interesting and exciting – and
should vary according to the target age groups.
Incentives and rewards
There is no clear consensus among young people on incentives and
rewards for volunteering, although most agree that getting training,
awards and certificates, and working with friends would encourage
more volunteering. Some are concerned that offering rewards would
devalue the activity, reduce people's sense of purpose and satisfaction
and undermine the essence of volunteering. Most emphasise that
recognition and tokens of appreciation would be useful incentives.
They want more respect to be paid to the existing contribution
of young people, particularly for employers to recognise the value
of their volunteering.
Opinion is divided on whether offering cash would act as an incentive
to volunteer, but it is generally regarded as being highly problematic.
Out of pocket expenses should definitely be reimbursed but most
feel that cash incentives would undermine the concept of volunteering,
attract people for the wrong reasons, or simply be insufficient
to attract them at all. Some, however, recognise that offering
some financial support would help those who cannot afford to volunteer
and that certain types of volunteering, for example overseas work,
should have an associated cash incentive. Many feel that offering
educational credits as an incentive would have only limited appeal.
The organisation of volunteering
In terms of how they want their volunteering organised, young
people show strong support for group and team activities, taster
sessions and new types of voluntary activities. They place high
priority on flexibility in the types of work and the times they
can volunteer, but some want a relatively structured programme
which they can timetable into their lives.
They feel it is important to have some say in planning and decision
making in their volunteering but many do not want to be overburdened
with responsibility. They want practical and emotional support
and back-up from adults, which allows them to progress to leadership
roles at their own pace. However, there are those who do not want
the pressure of leadership because of their young age, lack of
time or the level of responsibility in other areas of their lives.
Clearly it is important that support and opportunities for progression
are tailored to each young person's needs.
Conclusions and implications
In conclusion, there is a need to reclaim the concept of volunteering
for young people, and this reclamation should be peer-led, using
young volunteers to show other young people the diversity of volunteering,
its relevance to their lives, and the benefits it brings to them.
This, however, needs to be backed up by a re-examination of the
ways in which organisations are seeking to engage with young people.
There is a need for organisations to provide meaningful opportunities
tailored to meet the needs of young people – opportunities
that enable young people to engage with issues of importance to
them, in ways which interest them, and which are flexible. A tailor-made
package of support and incentives, based on access to training,
skills development, and rewards, would further encourage young
people to volunteer. Once involved, the rewards provided by volunteering
itself are considerable.
The full report
The full report is available to order online from the Volunteering
England web site
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