Opinion Leader

The Commission on the Future
of Volunteering was established

by the England Volunteering
Development Council in order to
develop a long-term vision for
volunteering in England.
Understanding how to engage

people in volunteering
A report prepared for The Commission on the
Future of Volunteering by Opinion Leader
© The Commission on the Future of Volunteering, 2008

Volunteering England
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The Commission on the Future of Volunteering
The Commission on the Future of Volunteering was established by the England

Volunteering Development Council in order to develop a long-term vision for
Chair
The Baroness Neuberger DBE
Members
Professor John Annette - Pro Vice Master, Birkbeck College, University of London
Bishop John Austin - Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Leicester *
Lord Bruce-Lockhart of the Weald OBE – Former Leader of Kent County Council and
Former Chairman, Local Government Association
Alistair Burt MP - Shadow Minister for Local Government & Regeneration
Professor Justin Davis Smith – Director, Institute for Volunteering Research
Kathleen Duncan OBE - Independent Consultant
Stephen Dunmore - Chief Executive, Big Lottery Fund
Joseph Gordon – Former member of v20 and Trustee of Young Achievers Trust
Professor Margaret Harris - Professor of Voluntary Sector Organisation, Aston
University
Andrew Hind - Chief Executive, Charity Commission
Tom Levitt MP - Chair, All Party Group on the Community and Voluntary Sector
Imam Monawar Hussain - Muslim Tutor, Eton College
Barbara Monroe - Chief Executive, St Christopher's Hospice
Fiona Reynolds CBE - Director General, The National Trust
Mary Riddell – Columnist, The Observer
David Robinson OBE - Founder, Community Links
Georgina Watts – Independent Consultant
Advisors
Baroness Hanham of Kensington DBE – Chair, England Volunteering Development
Council
Baroness Pitkeathley of Caversham CBE – President, England Volunteering
Development Council and Volunteering England
Christopher Spence CBE – Former Chief Executive, Volunteering England
Secretariat
Provided by Volunteering England
Meta Zimmeck – Former Public Affairs Strategist, Volunteering England
Suzie Curran - Events Organiser, Volunteering England
Andy Forster - Former Policy Strategist, Volunteering England
Lorraine Prince - Administrative Assistant, Volunteering England
* Sadly Bishop John Austin became ill and died during the course of our work
A report prepared for The Commission
on the Future of Volunteering
by Opinion Leader
Contents
1 Executive summary 1
2 Introduction 3
2.1 Background 3
2.2 Objectives 3
2.3 Approach 3
3 Perceptions of volunteering 5
3.1 What volunteering means to people 5
3.2 Images of a volunteer 7
4 How can volunteering fit in with leisure

activities? 8
4.1 The link between volunteering and leisure activities 8
4.2 What people get out of leisure activities 9
4.3 The perceived benefits of volunteering 10
5 Triggers and barriers to volunteering 13

5.1 Triggers to volunteering 13
5.2 Barriers to volunteering 15
5.3 Overcoming barriers to volunteering 17
6 The ideal future of volunteering 20
7 Conclusions and recommendations 21
8 Appendices 23
Understanding how to engage people in volunteering 1
1 Executive summary
Perceptions of volunteering
> Perceptions of volunteering are influenced by the level of contact people have had
with volunteering activities and their cultural background.
> There is a core understanding of volunteering that includes helping other people in
your community, or society more generally, and is associated with unpaid work that
is carried out in your free time and is often connected to a charity, formal
organisation or group.
> People do not feel that volunteering extends to favours for others or activities that
are socially expected of people.
Volunteering and leisure activities

> Volunteering is not generally considered to be a leisure activity because of the
perceived differences in motivation between volunteering and engaging in leisure
activities.
> However, people are able to identify many benefits in volunteering that overlap with
leisure activities.
> Often these benefits are not top-of-mind perceptions when people think about
volunteering but they could become more so if they were communicated strongly.
> But volunteering will always be more than just a leisure activity and, although it is
important to emphasise the leisure aspect of volunteering, it is also crucial to
highlight the ways in which it is different and the other benefits that volunteering
brings.
Benefits of volunteering
The key benefits that people identify for volunteering are:
> escapism and ‘me time’
> developing new friendships and social networks
> excitement and doing things that are out of the ordinary
> keeping fit and improving health
> developing an interest in something you love
> developing yourself and your skills
> a sense of achievement
> developing self-confidence and self awareness
> making a valuable contribution to society
> gaining the respect of your community and peers
Barriers to volunteering
There are some negative perceptions of volunteering and volunteers that need to be
addressed before people will consider volunteering, including a stereotypical image of
volunteers as do-gooders and the perception that volunteering is a sacrifice rather
than something to be enjoyed.
2 Understanding how to engage people in volunteering
In addition, people identify the following barriers to volunteering:

> lack of information about what opportunities are available and how to get involved
> time pressures from work and family
> access problems: both distances to travel and ability to accommodate disabled
people
> health: older participants perceive volunteering as energetic and too physically
demanding
> lack of motivation: many younger people cannot see any active reasons why they
should volunteer and do not feel attracted to volunteering
> lack of confidence: some can be intimidated by their perceptions of volunteers and
volunteering
> family and community expectations and commitments
Ways of overcoming barriers to volunteering

People identify some ways the barriers to volunteering can be overcome:
> getting the message out: using communications to make people aware of the
variety of opportunities that are available to them, where they are and what their
contribution would mean
> creating the time for volunteering: helping people to find the time to volunteer
> making volunteering personal to people: matching specific interests or skills to
volunteering and helping people to understand why they should get involved
> fitting volunteering in around family life: finding ways to enable people to
volunteer that do not make them feel like they are missing out on family life
> making volunteering feel fun: highlighting the personal benefits to people of
volunteering
> making sure everyone can get involved: ensuring that volunteering is as
accessible as possible and that it does not exclude anyone
The future of volunteering

Few people advocate compulsory volunteering but they feel that the social structures
and norms should be put in place to make it central to society; for example,
introducing volunteering to children, creating more family-oriented volunteering
opportunities and allowing time off work to volunteer.
The future of volunteering would incorporate a wider range of facilitators than at
present to reflect a social movement towards volunteering, which includes individuals,
groups and corporations who do not benefit from volunteering but are embedded in
the community.
2 Introduction
2.1 Background
The Commission on the Future of Volunteering was established by the England
Volunteering Development Council, following the Year of the Volunteer in 2005. The
Commission, as an independent body, has the task of reporting on the shape of
volunteering in England today and ways that it may be encouraged and expanded in
the future. It produced its findings in January 2008.
One complexity the Commission has faced, is that ‘volunteering’ can be a difficult term
to define, and can mean different things to different people. The Commission has
classified the term to mean any time spent, unpaid, working for the benefit of others
(outside the bracket of close relatives) or the environment. This would include not only
formal volunteering, through clubs or organisations, etc, but also informal volunteering,
done on an individual basis.
To gain a picture of volunteering in the nation, the Commission called for evidence
from a range of individuals, organisations and commentators and held a variety of
consultations throughout England. However, this call for evidence does not include
non-volunteers, or lapsed volunteers, who are harder to contact than those currently
volunteering in the community.
Given their belief that volunteering is for everyone, it was important for the Commission
to know what barriers stopped non-volunteers from becoming active volunteers.
Consequently, the Commission asked Opinion Leader to organise discussion groups
to explore the thoughts and feelings of non-volunteers (with some active volunteers)
across England. Not only would these groups be designed to explore the barriers to
volunteering, they would also formulate and consider possible solutions to these
barriers as well as examining wider perceptions and definitions of volunteering.
2.2 Objectives
The objectives of the research were to explore:
> perceptions of volunteering and what activities are considered to be volunteering by
different communities
> reasons for not volunteering and barriers to volunteering
> how barriers could be overcome and what would attract people to volunteering
> how volunteering fits into leisure time and its relationship with other leisure activities
> whether there is a lifecycle to volunteering that stems from a range of attitudes,
experiences and priorities that may accompany views in different age brackets
> future-gazing with participants, to find out what their ideal volunteer experience and
their ideal volunteer facilitator would be
2.3 Approach
The project used discussion groups to explore the research objectives. Such groups
allow participants to investigate their thoughts, feelings and opinions, sparking off
each other and building on the opinions of other group members in a way that would
not be possible in quantitative or one-to-one interviews. The extended length of the
workshops (ranging from 1.5 to 2 hours) allowed more time for groups to connect with
each other and to use creative exercises to explore in detail the interactive nexus of
barriers and incentives to volunteering.
The eight discussion groups were held in three different locations, to ensure that the
research obtained views from both rural and urban areas, across the country:
> four discussion groups were held in Leeds on 4 and 5 July
> two discussion groups were held in Banbury on 28 June
> two discussion groups were held in London on 9 and 13 July
Each group had between four and eight participants, and one moderator who steered
and stimulated discussion. Whilst the moderator encouraged and examined
differences of opinion, participants were grouped with people of a similar life-stage (eg
pre-children, with children, or post-children), ethnicity or socio-economic grouping.
This level of homogeneity helped to sustain conversation and to maintain enough
cohesion and familiarity to make participants comfortable with sharing their thoughts
and feelings.
Each discussion group opened with an introduction from the group moderator,
explaining the aims of the research and the agenda for the session. Each participant
had been asked to keep a lifestyle diary to record their activities in the last week. The
first exercise explored these activities as a group, asking participants the motivations
for each activity and what participants got out of them. The group then explored how
participants understood the term ‘volunteering’ and the words and images they used
to describe a typical volunteer. This exploration was clarified by a pen-portrait exercise
in which the group were split into pairs and given three case studies of people being
active in their community. A discussion followed in the pairs and then as a group as to
whether these case studies were examples of volunteering. To explore barriers and
solutions to volunteering, two non-volunteers were asked to walk through a journey
towards volunteering imagining physical barriers and their solutions with the help of
the group. With this in mind, the group discussed how these solutions might work for
other non-volunteers and how volunteering might be fitted into their current lifestyles:
using some of the outcomes of this discussion the groups designed posters to
encourage others like them to volunteer. Finally, the groups engaged in a future
visualisation exercise, individually imagining their perfect volunteering experience
before sharing their vision with the rest of the group.
As with any research of this kind, the findings can provide insight only into the views of
those who take part rather than those who do not.
Who took part

In total 56 people took part in the discussion groups. Each group was recruited by a
recruiter in the area, according to the specification provided by Opinion Leader and
agreed with the Commission. The following chart details who attended each group:
Number of Life-stage BME/faith SEG Location
participants groups/other
8 Pre-family 2 x BME per group C2D Leeds
8 Family 2 x BME per group ABC1 Leeds
8 Post-family No quota ABC1 Banbury
8 Family No quota C2D Banbury
8 All Muslim All Leeds
8 All Hindu All Leeds
4 All Disabled people All London
4 All Disabled people All London
3 Perceptions of volunteering
There are varying perceptions of volunteering, which are influenced by the level
of contact people have had with volunteering activities and ethnic and cultural
perspectives. However, there is a core understanding of volunteering across all
audiences, which is
> helping other people, your community or society more generally
> unpaid work which is carried out in your free/leisure time
> often connected to a charity/formal organisation/group
> activities which are above and beyond what society expects of people in their
daily lives
> something from which participants derive a sense of achievement and
satisfaction
3.1 What volunteering means to people

What is volunteering?
Volunteering is first and foremost thought to include activities that contribute towards a
specific charity or cause. Activities can be one-off or those that are carried out on a
regular basis – for example, raising money through a fun run or working in a charity
shop one afternoon a week.
Beyond this, most participants do recognise a broader definition of volunteering and
feel that it can also include a range of activities that help individuals and the
community; for example, driving a minibus to day centres or being a Cub/Brownie
leader. There is some debate, however, as to whether certain activities, which people
appear to do as a favour, can be considered volunteering.
Participants in Banbury, a semi-rural location, feel that volunteering has a different
meaning in small towns and villages because it is more likely to be ad hoc and done
through friendship networks in small communities where people know and trust each
other. In larger towns these networks don’t necessarily exist and so volunteering is
perceived to be done through organised groups/clubs/charities.
In discussions, participants were presented with scenarios, all of which would be
considered volunteering by Volunteering England. These included
> someone who coaches an under-12s football team on a Saturday morning
> a lady who regularly visits her elderly neighbour who had a bad fall
> someone who was asked by her friend to make cakes for a community street party
All participants considered the scenario about helping to coach a football team to be
‘volunteering’ because this person is giving up their free time and is not paid, and the
activity is connected to an actual group or organisation. There is less agreement about
whether the other activities can be considered truly volunteering. A number of
participants argue that in these circumstances the person is simply acting as a good
neighbour and friend should, and that they are therefore doing only what society
expects of them as a decent human being.
Certain activities are not considered to be volunteering because they are activities that
one is expected to do out of kinship and friendship, or they are simply considered
good manners. This is particularly true for practising Hindu and Muslim participants.
They may not therefore perceive helping a neighbour or contributing to a community
activity to be volunteering. Rather, helping family, friends and your wider ethnic
community is considered to be an integral part of being a member of that community –
it is something you just do. One participant, for example, regularly helps with
translation at a local JobCentre but does not consider this to be volunteering, as it is
carried out for the benefit of his community. Similarly, providing care to the extended
family (eg elderly relatives), which might otherwise be provided by health and social
services, is not considered volunteering but rather what is culturally expected.
‘I’ve helped interpreting, you know with people like JobCentres and how to write
letters, and filling in forms. But to me that was like good will.’ Practising Muslim, Leeds
‘Because my dad’s had a stroke and my mum’s not well. And it’s like my sister-in-law,
she needs to go somewhere. And so I go down to cook for them, and you know, pick
up their kids from work and stuff. But I don’t see that as voluntary.’ Practising Muslim,
Leeds
How people feel about volunteering

People who do not volunteer can have some negative perceptions and associations
with volunteering. Many acknowledge that volunteering has its own intrinsic rewards,
such as a feeling of achievement and satisfaction, but some also feel it can be onerous
and require a certain degree of self-sacrifice. Volunteering requires individuals to ‘give
up’ something – their free time, resources, expertise – for what they may feel is an
unequal and non-tangible reward. This perceived inequality between sacrifice/effort
and reward can lead to a sense that volunteering is a less valuable activity than paid
work or other leisure activities.
Some participants define volunteering as helping others ‘less fortunate’ than oneself. A
number of people feel that volunteering helps ‘put things into perspective’ or ‘makes
you realise how lucky you are’. Volunteering can be seen therefore as an unequal or
patronising relationship whereby the volunteer is in a position of superiority by virtue of
their being ‘more fortunate’ than those they are helping.
‘Makes you appreciate what you’ve got more of, you know, especially when you’re
helping disadvantaged children, disabled children, anything like that.’ Practising
Muslim, Leeds
However, participants from the groups of practising Hindus and Muslims and of
disabled participants perceive volunteering as a well-respected and highly valued
activity. Key to this for Hindu and Muslim participants is the important role played by
community and kinship in these cultures. Many consider the values embodied in
volunteering to be closely aligned with the values and expectations of their families
and communities, which emphasise the importance of helping others.
‘Within my community we do make sure we look after each other, even if you find them
in the street, especially if they are elderly. We make sure that we look after them,
without being asked, because that’s the way we've been brought up to, say, look after
your elderly, but within the same street there could be another community that have not
been brought up to do that.’ Practising Hindu, Leeds
For disabled participants, volunteering is seen as a mechanism whereby people can
make a valued contribution to the lives of others, their community and society. It is
thought to provide a real sense of achievement for those who are involved, and
enables the development of new skills and self-confidence. Volunteering is also
perceived as a means for developing social networks with people one might not
otherwise come into contact with. Importantly, volunteering is perceived by disabled
participants as a mutual, equal exchange between parties: volunteers give their time
and effort to help others in return for a range of rewards, including a sense of
achievement, learning new skills, increasing in confidence and building social
networks.
3.2 Images of a volunteer

The word ‘volunteer’ can conjure up both positive and negative images. Many
participants have a stereotypical image of who a volunteer is – usually a retired lady
who works in a charity shop.
‘I always imagine the little old dears that are in the charity shops.’ Empty nester,
Banbury
Negative images of volunteering do exist and can contribute to the reasons why some
people are deterred from becoming a volunteer. However, most participants do
recognise that, in reality, volunteers can come from all walks of life and are generally
motivated by a genuine desire and enthusiasm to help others. For most people a
volunteer could be ‘someone like me’.
Positive images of volunteers are to a large extent based on people’s personal
experiences of volunteering themselves or people they know who are volunteers.
> Volunteers are thought to be caring, helpful and community spirited, characteristics
that predispose them to volunteering.
> They are also considered to be active, enthusiastic and positive people.
> A volunteer can be someone from any cultural, ethnic or social background, and any
age.
‘A lot of them are sort of church goers as well do a lot of charity stuff, don’t they.’
Empty nester, Banbury
Negative images of volunteers seem to be based less on personal experience and
more on received opinions and stereotypical images of volunteers, and are generally
connected to the perceived motivations people have for volunteering. Negative
perceptions of volunteers include:
> lonely/depressed people who find it difficult to get paid work and who lack social
skills to build up relationships outside the supportive environment of volunteering
> do-gooders – people with a holier-than-thou attitude, for whom volunteering is
about getting praise and recognition from others for their efforts
> wealthy people who do not need to work and feel they should do something to help
others less fortunate than themselves; these people are considered to be quite
patronising and snobbish
‘You get the ones that think they’re doing well because they want to keep busy, right,
sense of duty. Makes them feel better.’ Empty nester, Banbury
‘I always think of an “anorak”. I just get this image of an anorak, you know what I
mean?’ Empty nester, Banbury
‘Actually, I’ve thought of one, this is somebody else I know, somebody who loves the
limelight and has to have their face in the paper every week.’ Empty nester, Banbury
‘Wealthy people that have got a lot of time on their hands, have people that do
everything for them, so it’s just getting a feeling and to save face, so you do charity
work.’ Pre-family, Leeds
Those who are volunteers themselves or who consider volunteering to be a valuable
and well-respected activity are less likely to have negative perceptions of volunteers,
although they are aware that these are views held by other people in society. Some of
the disabled people who took part in the research, for example, feel that whilst they are
proud to call themselves volunteers others may have less positive impressions, which
can affect their overall perception about the value of volunteering and the contribution
it can make to society.
4 How can volunteering fit in with

leisure activities?
This section explores the potential benefits of volunteering and ways in which it
could be incorporated into people’s leisure activities.
> Volunteering is not generally considered to be a leisure activity because of the
perceived differences in motivation between volunteering and engaging in leisure
activities.
> However, people are able to identify many benefits in volunteering that overlap
with leisure activities.
> Often these benefits are not top-of-mind perceptions when people think about
volunteering but they could become more so if they were communicated strongly.
> But volunteering will always be more than just a leisure activity, and, although it is
important to emphasise the leisure aspect of volunteering, it is also crucial to
highlight the ways in which it is different and the other benefits that volunteering
brings.
4.1 The link between volunteering and leisure

activities
People do not automatically see volunteering as a leisure activity. For those who
volunteer, volunteering can be seen as important work and they do not want to belittle
it by thinking of it as a leisure activity. For those who do not volunteer, volunteering can
be seen as a sacrifice of your leisure time rather than an activity within it. Leisure
activities are often seen as somewhat selfish, while volunteering is considered to be
selfless.
However, once people begin to think about the benefits of volunteering, they identify
several areas where volunteering can provide the same benefit as leisure activities.
Introducing these benefits into communications about volunteering will help to
maximise their appeal and present them as alternative options to the leisure activities
people currently engage in.
People also identify benefits of volunteering that are different from those they identify
for leisure activities. For example, volunteering provides several benefits that are closer
to work than leisure, including their place on a CV. Volunteering also has its own unique
benefits, which are not perceived to be given by leisure or paid work, and these are
core to the way people define volunteering and what makes it different from other
activities.
Different groups respond in a variety of ways to the perceived benefits of volunteering:
although the benefits that are similar to leisure activities are very motivating for some,
the potential to gain work experience or to make a difference will be more important to
others.
The next sections in this chapter explore in more detail the benefits that people identify
in the leisure activities that they do and the benefits they perceive in volunteering.
These highlight the similarities and differences between volunteering and leisure
activities.
4.2 What people get out of leisure activities

Developing relationships
A great deal of participants’ free time is devoted to developing existing and new
relationships – with friends, family and new acquaintances. A number of activities can
deliver this benefit, including spending time with family, socialising with others, and
supporting friends and family. To a certain extent, life stage and culture can determine
which activities deliver the benefit of developing relationships and bonds with people.
Empty nesters, for example, especially those who have grandchildren, often prioritise
spending time with their family above other activities.
‘I think the highlight of my week is going to visit my grandchildren on Monday evening.
They only live around the corner and I see them most days but my visit on Monday they
absolutely love because I go to their house.’ Empty nester, Banbury
For pre-family participants, spending time with family delivers this benefit less than
does socialising with friends – for example, through going to the pub/clubbing or
playing sports.
Supporting (extended) family – for example, caring for elderly relatives or translating
documents – can take up a large amount of free time for practising Muslim and Hindu
participants. Whilst this can be an enjoyable experience and has the benefit of
strengthening family and community ties, some participants feel that this actually takes
up such a large amount of time it doesn’t leave much room for doing other things, such
as seeing friends or spending time by oneself.
Relaxation/escapism
Being able to relax and escape the daily routine is an important aspect of participants’
free time. Activities that enable this include more sedentary or passive tasks such as
reading, watching TV/films and playing on the computer, which allow people to switch
off and enter a different world. Physical activities, such as gardening or walking, which
are more relevant to older (50+) participants, are also able to deliver this benefit.
Escapism may take a different form for those with children living at home, for whom a
night out with friends can provide the opportunity to detach from family routine and
responsibilities.
‘I have a night out with the lads once every couple of months … Just letting your hair
down.’ Children at home, Banbury
Keeping fit and healthy

Many participants feel that keeping fit and healthy is an important way to spend free
time, although this can sometimes feel like a chore to some and is often hard to fit in
around other priorities, especially for those with younger children living at home.
Participants mention a number of activities that enable them to develop/maintain their
health and fitness, including going to the gym, walking, gardening, playing sports and
dancing.
‘It makes me feel good, keeps me young.’ Empty nester, Banbury
Being creative
Drawing, knitting, cooking and quilting are all identified by participants as activities
that allow them to develop their creative skills. This benefit appears to be particularly
relevant for participants over 50, who often have more time to pursue their creative
interests.
‘I really like watching cookery programmes and I find them quite enjoyable. Ideas. Yes,
the creativity, the ideas they come up with.’ Empty nester, Banbury
Excitement
Some participants, usually those with children living at home, seek excitement and
experiences out of the ordinary in their free time. Whilst a number spoke about wanting to
do things such as bungee jumping and abseiling, they in fact sought out less adrenaline-
fuelled experiences in their leisure time. Reading thriller/horror books and watching high-
adrenaline TV shows (eg CSI, 24) can deliver this benefit to a certain extent. These more
restrained activities are attributed with the benefit of excitement more by participants
with children living at home, whose time pressures and family/work responsibilities
prevent them from pursuing more out-of-the-ordinary experiences.
4.3 The perceived benefits of volunteering

Benefits that are similar to leisure activities
The following benefits are similar to those that participants identify for leisure activities.
While these benefits were identified by both volunteers and non-volunteers, they were
not generally thought to be triggers to volunteer in the earlier part of the discussion. This
suggests that these benefits are not top of mind and could be highlighted in
communications to encourage people to volunteer. This is particularly true for pre-family
participants and those in a family life stage, who may perceive volunteering as ‘boring’
or ‘hard work’ at present but would be more likely to take it up if they thought it was
more fun or fitted in better with their lives.
Escapism and ‘me time’

Many participants feel that they would like more time in the day for themselves, to get
away from the pressures of family and work life. Volunteering is perceived as providing
an opportunity to get away from it all through relaxing activities such as dog walking or
gardening but also simply by virtue of doing something different, with different people,
outside the day-to-day routine. More specifically, participants with children living at
home or those who look after family members (eg elderly relatives or grandchildren)
identify this as a key benefit of volunteering.
‘When you’ve got kids, you’re doing all kids’ stuff at the weekend, you’re not doing stuff
for yourselves, and I wouldn’t mind just a few hours to myself every now and again.’
Family at home, Leeds
Developing new friendships and social networks

The world of volunteering is generally perceived to be sociable and one that embraces
diversity. Volunteering therefore can enable people to meet others with whom they might
not ordinarily come into contact in their day-to-day lives, thus broadening their social,
and often cultural, horizons. This benefit is identified by most but is especially
emphasised by pre-family and disabled participants.
‘You can make friends as well out of helping somebody at times.’ Practising Hindu, Leeds
Excitement and doing things that are out of the ordinary

This benefit is connected to the perception that volunteering can open new doors and
provide opportunities to get involved with things one wouldn’t ordinarily do. Participants
with children living at home identify this as a benefit which they primarily believe can be
delivered through involvement with youth groups, which are thought to be dynamic and
energetic environments.
Keeping fit and improving health

A number of participants see volunteering as enabling health and fitness, and providing
opportunities to fit physical exercise into busy routines. For example, those with school-
age children might get involved in coaching their sports team once a week instead of
going to the gym. Older participants feel that volunteering activities such as walking a
neighbour’s dog or doing gardening for elderly people can deliver this benefit.
Disabled participants stress that volunteering can help ease existing physical
impairments because it keeps them active.
‘But the main thing I would truthfully say is it is good helping people but it is for myself
and it helps me with my joints.’ Disabled, London
The contribution volunteering can make to psychological well-being is also identified by
some participants, who believe it can help ease depression and build self-confidence.
Developing an interest or doing something you love
One of the triggers to volunteering is being able to do something that you love.
Volunteering can give people access to activities that they enjoy doing or bring them
closer to a cause they feel strongly about. Non-volunteers recognise that those with a
specific interest in wildlife, climate change, animals, etc, may be able to develop this
interest through volunteering, but they do not immediately think of volunteering as
enabling them to do leisure activities that they love, such as swimming, football or
visiting art galleries. However, volunteers mention doing something they love, including
leisure activities they enjoy, as one of the key benefits of their activities.
‘They should volunteer for interest, if you were interested in whatever it is that they are
volunteering to do.’ Children living at home, Leeds
‘I did just win the under-18s Player of the Year for Yorkshire because I'm a pretty good
player; that’s why we won it. It's outcomes like that that I enjoy; when you're rewarded
for it; it’s not like being voluntary; even if it's not paid.’ Pre-family, Leeds
Benefits that are similar to those you get from work or study
Volunteering is not just a leisure activity; for some it is their regular employment and they
value the work-related benefits it provides, such as training and skills development and
a sense of self-worth and confidence. Benefits that are similar to those you get from
work or study may be more appealing to people in a pre-family life stage – particularly
younger people who are looking to develop their CVs, people who have retired and
would like to continue being in a working environment, and those who for other reasons
do not have paid work.
Developing yourself and your skills

All participants feel that volunteering provides an excellent opportunity to learn new
skills and develop existing ones through sharing skills with others and training that may
be offered when one becomes a volunteer. For pre-family participants this is seen as
strong motivation for getting involved in volunteering, as it can add value to CVs and
help improve employment prospects.
Disabled participants in particular are aware of the training that is on offer for volunteers
and believe that the opportunity to learn and develop skills, which might not otherwise
be on offer to them, is a key benefit of volunteering.
A sense of achievement
One of the core characteristics of volunteering is that it gives those who take part a real
sense of achievement at having made some kind of difference to the lives of other
people. Many of those who currently volunteer stress the importance of this benefit for
keeping them motivated and committed to volunteering.
Disabled people in particular identify this as a key benefit of volunteering. A number of
participants volunteer for disability action groups and feel a strong sense of
achievement that they are making a difference to the lives of those they are helping
personally and also to the lives of disabled people more generally, on whose behalf they
may be advocating.
‘I lost my sight 13 years ago and that is why I got involved in it. I mean it was like to
promote stuff being put on tape and large print everything because when I first lost my
sight there was hardly anything around on tape. So like it was about fighting for stuff.
Fighting for people’s rights.’ Disabled, London
‘if you're part of a project or something, and you have volunteered and if you see
something happening because of that, you know you think ‘Ah, you did something’ to
get that outcome.’ Practising Hindu
Developing self-confidence and self-awareness

Whilst lack of self-confidence can be a barrier to volunteering, many feel that, once this
barrier is crossed, volunteering can enable people to become more confident and give
them the opportunity to achieve things they believed weren’t possible. This kind of
self-belief and awareness of one’s capabilities is extremely empowering. This benefit is
emphasised by disabled participants in particular.
‘I don’t know what to expect from a disabled child or somebody with cancer, or
somebody with drips coming from them or whatever it is and you think I cannot face it
but I think when you are faced with it, you get an inner strength and you can do it.’
Empty nester, Leeds
Benefits that are unique to volunteering

People recognise that, while volunteering provides benefits that are similar to leisure
activities and work, it has unique qualities that make it different to both. These can be
perceived in a negative light, as has been noted; however, they can also be strongly
motivating benefits, especially when combined with other benefits that are more
generic. A sense of making a difference, in particular, is thought to be a unique benefit
to volunteering, which could make people choose it over and above leisure activities
with similar leisure benefits.
Making a valuable contribution

Many believe that one of the key benefits of volunteering is the valuable contribution it
enables people to make to the lives of individuals, their community or society more
generally. The benefits to society are indirect, as well as direct – for example, through
providing services voluntarily which obviate the need for government money to be
spent in the future.
‘Making a difference. You know, feeling better in yourself like you’re doing your bit.
That’s one of the biggest buzzes and one of the biggest things about it [volunteering].’
Practising Muslim, Leeds
‘The benefits would be to make the kids happy, put a smile on their face; we feel good
and that is our reward, to see them happy.’ Children at home, Leeds
Gaining the respect of your community/peers

Volunteering for many is perceived as a virtuous, respectable activity and something
that is held in high regard by one’s community, as it is often carried out for the benefit
of that community. Getting involved in volunteering can therefore help people gain the
respect of their peers and achieve a certain standing within their community. Practising
Muslim participants stress this as a key benefit of volunteering, and believe that it can
help one become a ‘pillar of the community’.
‘You could be a face of the community, like a pillar of a community. So if somebody is
organising something, and the community respected you if you were doing something,
you could get more … respect.’ Practising Muslim, Leeds
‘Making a difference. And we put being a role model because if you're doing something
right they're going to look up to you and want to do it for themselves. It’s about
respect; you get a lot of respect for volunteering.’ Practising Muslim, Leeds
5 Triggers and barriers to

volunteering
Many of the participants in the research had some interest in volunteering and
claimed to have considered it. The key triggers to volunteering are:
> entering a new life stage; personal experience; personal interest and enjoyment;
perceived benefits
However, people cite several barriers that prevent them from volunteering even
though they may be interested:
> lack of Information, time and access
> health concerns
> lack of motivation or confidence
> family and community expectations and commitments
On prompting, participants could see ways in which these barriers might be
overcome, which would entail:
> getting the message out; making time for volunteering; fitting volunteering in
around family life; making volunteering personal; making volunteering feel fun;
making sure everyone can get involved
5.1 Triggers to volunteering

From participants’ discussions it is possible to identify four key triggers, as follows.
Life stage
For some participants, volunteering is perceived as easier to take part in or more
relevant at different times of life, and certain life events can trigger interest. Retirement,
for example, may prompt some people to look into volunteering, as they may have
more time on their hands. Similarly, empty nesters may wish to devote time they used
to spend looking after their children to do volunteer work.
‘As you get older you have more time, you’re more settled. When you’re young and you
just got married, you got kids … my God that takes every minute of your time.’ Empty
nester, Banbury
It must not be assumed, however, that, simply because someone is retired or no longer
has children living at home, they have time to spare: a number of participants in these
situations feel that lack of time is still a major barrier to volunteering.
People with school-age children may also become interested in volunteering through
the activities of their children; for example, driving a sports team minibus or making
refreshments after a rugby match.
‘When my children were growing up I got involved in what they were doing in the town,
so then you would get involved with their clubs and organisations.’ Empty nester,
Banbury
For pre-family participants, the perceived value that volunteering can add to their CV
may be the main trigger to volunteering. For disabled participants and older
participants, volunteering may be triggered by the benefits volunteering can bring to
health and well-being.
‘Well, I’m doing A Levels at the moment and I’ve to go to Uni, so like I have heard from
a lot of the teachers that are doing a lot of voluntary work – it looks good on your CV.’
Practising Hindu, Leeds
Life stage can influence whether or not people volunteer but also the type of
volunteering that people engage in. For example, people can move from more active
volunteering pursuits to less strenuous activities as they get older.
Susan is a mother of four. She always attended parents’ evenings and school
events. When she heard that her daughter’s secondary school was closing down,
she was anxious to do what she could to stop the closure. Forming and leading a
group of volunteers, she started a campaign to stop the closure. The campaign
required a lot of commitment but Susan’s determination to make sure her
daughter’s education was not affected kept her involved.
The campaign drove her to speak in front of large audiences, confront the council in
person and make appeals to the rest of the school. For Susan, this was a
completely new experience, which took her outside her comfort zone but left her
feeling confident and empowered.
‘It was a real adrenaline buzz, because I used to have to go to council meetings and
give speeches and things.’
Personal experience
Knowing someone who has been affected by certain circumstances, such as an illness
or bereavement, or having been affected by this oneself can act as a trigger to
volunteering. People may tend to get involved with charities and organisations that aim
to help those in situations of which they have personal experience.
However, disabled participants stress that it should not be assumed that their personal
experiences will trigger their involvement with organisations for people with the same
impairment as themselves. Just because a person is visually impaired, it does not
follow that they will be only interested strongly in volunteering for organisations that
help other visually impaired people.
‘I think you tend to choose a charity to suit yourself. My husband did that bike ride and
he did it for Martin House because one of our rugby lads died at 15 last year, and it was
at Martin House, and we have done a lot of events at the Rugby Club for that charity.
So it is always sort of close to home.’ Children at home, Leeds
‘Or I've had people say “you’ve got arthritis, why aren’t you volunteering for ARC, the
arthritis thing?” But I don’t want to just do one for that; I just want to do volunteering
with something that can help the whole community get money.’ Disabled, London
Amanda’s mother was terminally ill and was being looked after by a local hospice.
Sadly, her mother passed away but Amanda felt that the hospice had provided her
mother with comfort and peace during the last days of her life. For Amanda, the
hospice is a place of peace that is very close to her heart. She is keen to help the
hospice with their fundraising and she has recently raised £600 by throwing a party
for friends to benefit the hospice.
‘It’s just such a peaceful place … she got her wish that she died there. So it’s just we
do all we can for them.’
Amanda also cleans the fish tanks for the hospice: she had noticed that the fish
tanks were dirty when her mother was in the hospice and Amanda volunteered to
clean them. She now returns on a regular basis, so that the other occupants of the
hospice can enjoy seeing the fish.
Personal interest/enjoyment
Volunteering can help people pursue personal interests they may not otherwise be able
to. Participants stress the importance of linking volunteering opportunities to personal
interest and see matching skills and interests to volunteering as a key trigger to
involvement.
‘I absolutely loathe football and if somebody said to me do you want to coach under-
12s. I mean why would I want to do something I hate doing? In my own time, no. I think
when you [agree to] do something it’s about skill and enjoyment’. Empty nester, Banbury
Louise loves gardening and when she moved to a 10th floor flat she found she really
missed her garden. She found a volunteering opportunity that enabled her to carry
on gardening and doing the activity she loves. She also likes the fact that her
gardening improves the local park and public spaces so that other people can enjoy
them, too.
5.2 Barriers to volunteering

A number of barriers exist that prevent or deter people from becoming volunteers once
their interest is triggered. Certain barriers may be more or less relevant for people from
different communities, for disabled people or for people at different stages of their
lives. The key barriers to volunteering participants identify are outlined below.
Information
Many participants feel that volunteering does not have a very high profile and that
information about how to get involved is not readily available. If people cannot find the
information they are looking for quickly and easily, a large number are likely to be
deterred from pursuing volunteering any further.
For disabled participants and those from black and minority ethnic communities, this
barrier can be compounded by the fact that what information is available is often not in
accessible formats, such as Braille or community languages.
‘I’ve been trying for ages to help disabled children, but I’ve looked everywhere and
there’s nothing, nothing; nowhere I can find like somewhere to go to actually help. I’ve
looked on the internet, there’s nothing on there, no telephone numbers or anything like
that.’ Practising Muslim, Leeds
‘You’ve got to know where your needs are. You can’t volunteer when you don’t know
what to volunteer for.’ Empty nester, Banbury
Time
Time is mentioned frequently as a barrier to volunteering. For many, becoming a
volunteer is perceived as giving up your free time. To become a volunteer would mean,
in many people’s eyes, sacrificing doing something else that may be considered more
important (eg spending time with family), and this may be a trade-off they are not
prepared to make. Almost all participants share this view but it is most common
among those who have children living at home, whose days are taken up with running
a household, taking children to and from school and other activities, and often working
full time.
‘I don’t think, there aren’t enough hours in the day, that’s how I always feel, I've always
felt. There aren’t enough hours in the day. You go to work, you come home, you’re
shattered, you want to put your feet up, watch the box and sometimes do something.’
Practising Hindu, Leeds
‘Yes, that that regular commitment of I’m going to do one Wednesday, or … that’s hard,
I suppose most people round this table would find that very hard. … You know, it’s not
like I’m committing a full day, I couldn’t commit a full day.’ Empty nester, Banbury
However, time is not necessarily the main barrier for all. Pre-family participants admit
that lack of time is not necessarily a barrier for them as much as is lack of motivation to
get involved.
Making a commitment
Engaging in volunteering is seen by many as making a commitment to regular
activities. People can be afraid to start volunteering because they do not want to let
people down if they are unable to turn up regularly. People with young families, in
particular, can feel that they already have a lot of commitments that they are unable to
avoid and therefore can be reluctant to take on more, which could make them feel
burdened and guilty if they were unable to fulfil it.
‘Just committing regularly and maybe long term is the barrier.’ Family life stage, Leeds
‘I wouldn’t say I would be able to commit to something regularly every week and
commit and stick to it; things always crop up that take priority I suppose.’ Empty nester,
Banbury
Access
For disabled people, lack of access is a key barrier. This can be in terms of lack of
access to information, as well as lack of physical access because volunteer
organisations do not always provide facilities to enable the participation of disabled
people.
Other participants feel that lack of transport, or the ability to pay for transport that may
be required to volunteer, can act as a barrier. By the same token, many stress the
importance of volunteering opportunities being local, and feel that having to travel long
distances would prevent their involvement.
‘My dad has given up driving; he was always willing to volunteer to help people and do
things but then when he stopped driving it was like harder to get to places.’ Family life
stage, Leeds
‘Can I just say something else which I think is a barrier and I think that sometimes it’s
transport. Sometimes people don’t drive and they’ve got to get from A to B and they
tend to think well if I’ve got to get taxis and try and get there, so if they haven’t got
transport they would find it very difficult.’ Empty nester, Banbury
Health
Some older participants (50+) acknowledge that as people grow older they may not
have the physical fitness or strength to get involved in volunteering activities. This
concern can be connected to the perception that volunteers are people with lots of
energy who often take on physically demanding roles such as coaching a children’s
football team or helping very elderly people around the house/garden. Lack of
information about volunteering and the breadth of activities available that people can
get involved in regardless of physical ability makes this barrier harder to overcome.
Lack of motivation
Some people may lack the motivation to take the first step to becoming a volunteer.
This can often be due to a lack of appreciation of the benefits that volunteering can
have for them and for others in their community or society more generally. Compared
with other things one could be doing, volunteering may not be seen as such an
interesting, exciting or rewarding activity. This is particularly the case for pre-family
participants.
Others may be unmotivated because of previous negative experiences of volunteering,
such as being made to feel unwelcome or being taken advantage of in terms of
workload, which can put people off volunteering in the future.
‘I think there’s a fine line between a volunteer, a friend and a mug.’ Empty nester,
Banbury
‘I am a greedy person, [unclear] personal, I am a greedy person and I personally

wouldn’t like to do anything for nothing.’ Pre-family, Leeds
‘It’s easier not to get involved.’ Family life stage, Leeds
Lack of confidence
Volunteering is often perceived as something that is connected to a group or
organisation of people, and, for some, joining a group where you don’t know anyone
can be quite daunting. Others may lack confidence to volunteer because they doubt
that they have the skills or abilities to make a valuable contribution.
‘I think there are a lot of shy people out there who would want to come out, you know,
cross over the line and do something, but the shyness of that person might hold them
back from actually volunteering to do something.’ Practising Hindu, Leeds
Family/community expectations and commitments

Practising Hindu participants stressed that there are certain expectations that come
from within families and their community, which can make volunteering outside these
units quite difficult. Within this community, looking after extended family must come
first, and participants felt it would be difficult to justify taking on a voluntary role that
might be perceived as taking time away from their duties towards the extended family.
5.3 Overcoming barriers to volunteering

Participants identified a number of solutions for overcoming the key barriers of time
and fitting volunteering into family commitments, which would set them on the path to
realising the benefits involved in volunteering. As well as individual efforts, many of
these solutions require working in partnership with or the agreement of others, be it
family members, community or employers.
Getting the message out

Information is thought to be key to overcoming several barriers to volunteering. People
want more accessible information about:
> what activities are available and how to get involved
> what the value of those activities will be and how they will make a difference
> how their skills and interests match the volunteering activities available: specifically
why they are needed rather than anyone else
> information in accessible formats such as Braille and different languages
Participants suggest that poster campaigns and widespread access to information
through the internet, mobile phones and within the local community (eg in
supermarkets) would help to get the message out about volunteering and could
broaden people’s perceptions of what volunteering is and who can do it.
‘Raising awareness: not everyone is aware that people have problems or there are
disadvantaged people around you or whatever.’ Practising Muslim, Leeds
People think that messages about volunteering could be effectively communicated by
respected public figures who are well known for their volunteering work or by members
of the public who have first-hand experience of volunteering, who could also allay fears
and help people feel confident in getting involved. However, figures of authority such as
government ministers or charity chief executives should not be used to promote
volunteering – these are seen as too distant and are harder for the public to relate to.
‘If you use a more prominent figure, you need a [community of] someone who’s popular
on television – it would just be something that people respect and you know that
people are going to listen and people are going to have time for them.’ Practising
Muslim, Leeds
‘If you see somebody doing it like a sports person or a pop star that is doing that kind
of thing, it might sort of stimulate you to do it.’ Family life stage, Leeds
They also suggest a local volunteering bureau like a JobCentre that matches people’s
skills and interests to volunteering activities in their local area. The importance of
familiarising children with volunteering and the range of activities available to them is
thought to be key to changing the image and perceived role of volunteering in society.
Making the time for volunteering

Lack of time is a major barrier to volunteering for many, yet participants do envisage a
number of solutions that they feel would enable them to make time in their lives to
volunteer, including:
> incorporating volunteering into the working day through agreements with companies
that give employees the right to take time off for volunteering activities
> helping people to manage their time better and use free time more constructively;
for example, instead of watching TV for four hours every evening, use this time to
volunteer even if for only one night a week
> volunteering opportunities need to be flexible in terms of the commitment required from
individuals; most participants would like the option of being involved on an ad hoc
or regular basis depending on the amount of time they can commit to volunteering
‘We put we can do it evenings or weekends and maybe a couple of hours, not too
scheduled, maybe so many hours per month you could give to it and do it in holiday
times.’ Empty nester, Leeds
‘Making me aware of something that I could do just as a very small slot of my hectic
life.’ Empty nester, Banbury
Fitting in volunteering around family life

People may be less inclined to volunteer because they would rather spend any spare
time with their family. These are usually older participants (50+), many of whom have
grandchildren, and people with children who work full time who would like to see more
of their families. Finding volunteering opportunities in which the whole family can get
involved and have fun together is perceived as one way of getting over this barrier.
‘You can take the family and friends and you can do a bigger bit, couldn’t you.’ Family
life stage, Banbury
Hindu and Muslim participants suggested that volunteering that does not relate to
family expectations can be enabled only if the extended family is convinced of the
benefits of volunteering. Muslim participants believe that stressing the benefits that
volunteering can bring to the whole community and encouraging other family members
to get involved could help volunteering fit into their lives.
Making volunteering personal

People respond much better to appeals for skills they possess or for causes that are
relevant to them personally. If the message to volunteer is not personalised, people
can feel that others will take up the challenge and that they do not have anything
distinctive to contribute. A personal call to volunteer can cut through the other
demands on people’s time and encourage them to make time for volunteering.
‘It is just basically saying to people, “Could you do this?” and giving them different
examples of helping people and every little bit helps is just basically the case.’
Practising Muslim, Leeds
‘I got involved with this child charity; we do the football tournament now every year. Not
because it was a child's charity, it was because somebody asked me to get involved, it
was a friend and it was a social as well.’ Family life stage, Leeds
Making volunteering feel fun and accessible

At present, non-volunteers tend to see volunteering as a heavy commitment that is
based on the desire to ‘do good’. However, this is not a strong enough motive for many
to get involved, and this image of volunteering is intimidating for people who lack
confidence.
People feel that volunteering needs to combine benefits to the individuals with tangible
value to others in a way that feels fun and appealing. Key to this will be:
> providing evidence of the value provided by each volunteering opportunity
> emphasising the benefit of volunteering to the individual
‘Perhaps give on a trial basis, you know, come and try and see and you do not have to
be committed at first. Do not ever feel guilty or pressured into doing it. Come and try
and see if it works into your life, see if a Tuesday night is not any good you know,
perhaps you could fit it in.’ Family life stage, Leeds
Making sure everyone can get involved

Volunteering can feel inaccessible to some people. To make volunteering accessible it
is essential to ensure that volunteering facilities can be easily accessed, are
conveniently located, accessible for disabled people and with information/signage in
appropriate community languages. It is also important to ensure that there is a range of
opportunities available to people with differing skills sets and abilities so that everyone
can make a contribution.
People also suggest that establishing mechanisms which give the flexibility for people
to choose where, when and how they volunteer will overcome some of the barriers to
volunteering. This will make it easy for people to fit volunteering into their lives, and will
allow them to choose which activities and what level of commitment are appropriate
for them at a particular time.
6 The ideal future of volunteering

During discussions, participants were asked to look into the future and imagine a
scenario whereby everyone volunteers, as a normal part of everyday life. Participants’
descriptions of volunteering in the future give some insight into the conditions that they
believe would enable everyone to fit volunteering into their lives. A number of common
themes emerged during this exercise and below is a summary of what participants
imagine the ideal volunteering experience to be like.
> Volunteering is a completely normal part of life and everyone takes part in some kind
of volunteering activity. Because it is the norm, there are no negative associations
with volunteering and people are happy to do it.
‘It was like the norm, companies had their employees do it as part of their every day.’
Family life stage, Leeds
> So that this level of volunteering can continue into the future, children get involved in
volunteering at a young age, through school and with their families.
‘Maybe it could be organised in school, start off young, kind of educating people you
know, youngsters, teenagers, making it part of school life.’ Family life stage, Leeds
> To enable everyone to volunteer, information about people’s skills and interests is
held by a central data bank. People can visit local volunteering centres (often
likened to JobCentres or Citizens Advice), which match their interests, skills and the
time they have available to volunteering opportunities.
‘I imagined walking into a shop as opposed to the Citizens Advice Bureau; it would
be like the volunteers advice bureau, so you could get advice on what you could do.’
Family life stage, Banbury
> Volunteering is well advertised and information about volunteering is readily
available to all and enabled by technology; for example, the internet, mobile phones
and huge advertising screens in public places.
‘You went on the internet in the evening and everything will come up in your area,
things to do under various headings of things that you might fancy.’ Family life stage,
Leeds
‘You would get most of the information from huge great screens on the side of
buildings.’ Family life stage, Banbury
> Whilst some people suggested volunteering should be enforced by government,
others thought that it should be encouraged by social structures and norms, and
there should be choice and flexibility about when, where and how people can get
involved, which enables everyone to volunteer to some degree at any one time.
‘Final choice is the people’s choice, their choice is final, but it is educating them, it is
letting them know it is available.’ Practising Hindu, Leeds
> The advocates of volunteering would not just be the organisations who benefit from
volunteers but also individuals, groups and corporations who are able to facilitate,
encourage and prompt people. For example, notices in the supermarket suggesting
that you think about shopping for those who are not able to get out to the shops.
> This level of volunteering engenders a more caring, selfless society where people
are peaceful and happy, and where there is less anti-social behaviour because
people have respect for and help each other.
7 Conclusions and
recommendations
The findings from this research have implications for the ways in which volunteering is
communicated to people, the kinds of volunteering opportunities that are offered and
the ways in which society can foster volunteering.
The ways that volunteering is communicated

In order to increase the appeal and take-up of volunteering, people need help to
understand the broadest sense of volunteering and to move it on from stereotypical
perceptions they may have.
People need to understand the value of volunteering and why they personally should
volunteer. This entails demonstrating the difference their involvement will make and
explaining why they personally are the best people to do that particular activity.
As well as providing universal messages about the difference that volunteering can
make, there are specific messages that would be effective with specific audiences:
> Pre-family: people who are young and single often see volunteering as unappealing
and possibly boring. There are two messages that would be effective with this
audience:
- emphasising the fun, excitement, sociable and personally rewarding aspects of
volunteering and
- presenting volunteering as an opportunity to learn skills and gain work experience
to put on their CV
> Family life stage: people who have children at home can feel burdened with
commitments and that they do not have enough time to volunteer. It may be
effective to focus communications with this group on:
- explaining that volunteering can be an escape from the demands of the family
- pointing people towards opportunities that allow them to spend time with their
family (such as coaching their child’s sports team)
> Empty nesters: empty nesters can feel that they do not have the time or energy to
volunteer. It may be helpful to emphasise:
- that volunteering does not necessarily involve energetic or physical work
- that volunteering can allow them to develop an existing interest
- the skills development potential of volunteering
> Practising Hindus and Muslims: can be reluctant to engage in activities that take
time away from their family and community obligations, however many of those
obligations could be considered to be volunteering. To enable people to engage in
volunteering activities outside their community it would be helpful to:
- communicate the benefits of volunteering to the whole community, not just
individuals, to ensure that individuals feel their activities will be valued in their
community
> Disabled people: can be very keen to volunteer but find that opportunities are not
open to them. Communications should emphasise:
- volunteering opportunities that will be accessible
- volunteering opportunities that are outside disability organisations
- the potential of volunteering to provide skills, and the mutual nature of the
benefits of volunteering
Tailoring volunteering opportunities to people’s lives and needs

Volunteering organisations also need to offer volunteering opportunities that fit in with
people’s lives; in particular:
> offering flexible volunteering opportunities that allow people to vary the commitment
and regularity of their volunteering activity
> providing opportunities to volunteer that include the whole family
> matching volunteers’ skills and interests to volunteering opportunities so that they
feel they are making the best of their time
> ensuring that activities are accessible to all, including disabled people and those
who are not fluent in English
Fostering volunteering in society

Participants in the research felt that for volunteering to become ubiquitous it needs to
be encouraged by the social structures that are in place; this includes:
> allowing people time off work to engage in volunteering activities
> introducing children to volunteering to ensure that the habit of volunteering
becomes ingrained
> an organisation, like the JobCentre, to match people to volunteering opportunities,
which has offices on every high street
> organisations, groups and individuals who do not personally benefit from
volunteering encouraging and facilitating volunteering (eg supermarkets, celebrities
and social networks)
8 Appendices
Engaging people in volunteering

Recruitment questionnaire
Good morning/afternoon. I am recruiting people to take part in a discussion on

volunteering and helping out in your community, and we would like you to take part.
You don’t need any specialist knowledge or involvement with volunteering yourself –
we are just keen to hear about your views and experiences. [Recruiter – if asked,
explain that the discussion is on behalf of Volunteering England.]
The discussion will last two hours and will take place nearby in [group discussion
address]. You will receive £45 as a thank you for taking part, and everything said during
the workshop is treated confidentially.
If you are interested, I just need to ask you a few questions first.
Q1 Have you or any member of your family or close friends had paid
employment in any of the following?
Advertising Market research
Marketing Public relations/media
Journalism Charity/voluntary organisations
IF YES TO ANY OF THE ABOVE – CLOSE
Q2 Have you attended a market research group discussion in the past
12 months?
YES CLOSE
NO Continue
Q3 Do you do any of the following activities at present?
TICK HERE
Volunteering
eg serving on the board of a charity, fundraising for charities
and other charitable activities, organised volunteering
Helping out neighbours or other local people
eg doing their shopping for them, helping with gardening or
other domestic tasks, keeping them company
Helping out with church or other religious groups
eg fundraising, organising community events
Getting involved with (your) children’s organised activities
eg helping to run local Brownie/Scout groups, helping
with football/cricket/rugby training, organising teas and minibuses
GROUPS1–4: RECRUIT 3 PEOPLE WHO TICK AT LEAST ONE OF ANY OF

THE ABOVE AND RECRUIT 5 PEOPLE WHO DO NOT TICK ANY OF THE
ABOVE
GROUPS 5&6: RECRUIT AT LEAST 3 PEOPLE WHO TICK AT LEAST ONE OF
ANY OF THE ABOVE
GROUPS 7&8: RECRUIT 1 PERSON WHO TICKS AT LEAST ONE OF ANY OF
THE ABOVE
RECRUIT 3 PEOPLE WHO DO NOT TICK ANY OF THE ABOVE
Q4 Record gender:
MALE
FEMALE
GROUPS 1–6: RECRUIT 4 MEN AND 4 WOMEN

GROUPS 7–8: RECRUIT 2 MEN AND 2 WOMEN
Q5 Which of the following age brackets do you fall into?

TICK HERE
Under 18 CLOSE
18–29
30–49
50–70
70+ CLOSE
GROUP 1: ALL AGED 18–29 OBTAIN A GOOD SPREAD OF AGES

GROUP 5: OBTAIN A GOOD SPREAD OF AGES
Q6 Which of the following best describes your situation?

TICK HERE
I don’t have any children
I have children living at home with me
I have children but they don’t live with me, they live with
another parent or carer
I have children but they have left home
GROUP 1: ALL TO NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN

GROUP 2: AT LEAST 6 TO HAVE CHILDREN LIVING AT HOME WITH THEM
NOT MORE THAN 2 TO HAVE CHILDREN WHO LIVE WITH ANOTHER
PARENT/CARER
GROUP 3: ALL TO HAVE CHILDREN WHO HAVE LEFT HOME
GROUP 4: AT LEAST 6 TO HAVE CHILDREN LIVING AT HOME WITH THEM
NOT MORE THAN 2 TO HAVE CHILDREN WHO LIVE WITH ANOTHER
PARENT/CARER
GROUP 5: OBTAIN A GOOD SPREAD WHERE POSSIBLE
Q7a What is your occupation, and is that full- or part-time employment?

OCCUPATION OF RESPONDENT WRITE IN
FULL TIME (30+ hours)

PART TIME (18–29 hours)
NOT WORKING/UNEMPLOYED
FULL-TIME CHILD CARER
RETIRED
FULL-TIME EDUCATION
PART-TIME EDUCATION
Q7b What is the occupation of the chief income earner, and is that full- or
part-time employment?
OCCUPATION OF RESPONDENT WRITE IN
FULL TIME (30+ hours) CONTINUE TO ‘RECORD SOCIAL CLASS’

PART TIME (18–29 hours) CONTINUE TO ‘RECORD SOCIAL CLASS’
NOT WORKING CONTINUE TO ‘RECORD SOCIAL CLASS’
RETIRED CONTINUE TO ‘RECORD SOCIAL CLASS’
FULL-TIME EDUCATION CONTINUE TO ‘RECORD SOCIAL CLASS’
PART-TIME EDUCATION CONTINUE TO ‘RECORD SOCIAL CLASS’
Record social class

A
B
C1
C2
D
E
Recruit
GROUP 1: 8 x C2D
GROUP 2: 8 x ABC1
GROUP 3: 8 x ABC1
GROUP 4: 8 x C2D
GROUP 5: RECORD AND CONTINUE – TRY TO ACHIEVE A SPREAD IF
POSSIBLE
POSSIBLE
POSSIBLE
POSSIBLE
Q8 Which of these best describes your ethnic origin?
❏ White British ❏ Indian

❏ White Irish ❏ Pakistani
❏ Any other White background ❏ Bangladeshi
❏ Mixed: White and Black Caribbean ❏ Any other Asian background
❏ Mixed: White and Black African ❏ Caribbean
❏ Mixed: White and Asian ❏ African
❏ Any other mixed background ❏ Any other Black background
❏ Chinese
Any other (please write in below)
GROUPS 1–4: RECRUIT 2 BLACK AND ETHNIC MINORITY PER GROUP GO

TO Q10
GROUPS 5 & 6: RECRUIT 8 ASIAN PARTICIPANTS GO TO Q9
GROUPS 7 & 8: NO QUOTA GO TO Q10
Q9a ASK ONLY FOR GROUPS 5 &6: Do you practice any of the following
religions?
Islam Go to Q9b
Hinduism Go to Q9b
Christianity CLOSE
Sikhism CLOSE
Buddhism CLOSE
Other religion CLOSE
No religion CLOSE
GROUP 5: ALL TO PRACTISE ISLAM

GROUP 6: ALL TO PRACTISE HINDUISM
Q9b ASK ONLY FOR GROUPS 5&6: Do you consider yourself to be actively
involved in your religious and/or cultural community?
For example, do you attend religious ceremonies and/or observe religious and
cultural festivals with your community and/or keep cultural traditions that are
important to that community?
YES
NO CLOSE
GROUPS 5 & 6: ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN

THEIR RELIGIOUS OR CULTURAL COMMUNITY
Q10a Do you have a disability?

YES
NO
GROUPS 1–6: DO NOT EXCLUDE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. GO TO Q 11

GROUPS 7–8: ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE A DISABILITY. GO TO Q 10b
Q10b ASK GROUPS 7&8 ONLY: What kind of disability do you have?
TICK HERE
Mobility impairment
Vision impairment
Hearing impairment
Long-term illness
Learning disability
Other (record)
GROUPS 7&8: TRY TO OBTAIN A RANGE OF DISABILITIES
Q12 Do you have any special requirements (eg because of a disability)?

YES
NO
[Do not exclude people with special requirements; please record special
requirement and inform Opinion Leader.]
Requirement
Q13 Finally, I just need your name, address and telephone number.
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS (include postcode):
DAYTIME TEL NO:

EVENING TEL NO:
Volunteering England – Engaging people in volunteering

discussion guide
TIMING TASK Reason
10 minutes Introduction
> Introduce OLR and background/aims of the project. > Set up a non-judgemental
> Reassure about confidentiality. atmosphere that allows both
> Emphasise that there are no right or wrong answers and that volunteers and non-volunteers
people have been recruited to have a range of opinions. We to feel comfortable expressing
are not here to judge each other, but to listen to each other’s their opinions.
points of view.
> Participant introductions.
15 minutes Exploring people’s leisure activities and lifestyles > Understanding how people
> Moderator asks participants to look at the lifestyle diaries they spend their free time and what
kept before coming to the group discussion. they get out of the activities
> As a group, brainstorm all the activities that people have done they do – ie understand the
recently outside work. benefits and motives behind
> For each activity, explore people’s leisure activities/non-
> Do they do it regularly or was it a one-off/less frequent work-related activities.
activity (if so, why?) > This information will help us,
> Why they do it – is it because they want to or they feel later, to understand what role
they have to? volunteering can play in
> What do they get out of it – do they enjoy it? Get a sense people’s free time and what
of achievement? See it as a chore? benefits it can provide from
> Are there any things they feel are currently missing from the pool of benefits people
their lives that they would like to do more of? currently get from leisure
> Why don’t they currently do those things? activities.
20 minutes Attitudes to volunteering

Brainstorm (10 minutes)
> Brainstorm what ‘volunteering’ means to the participants. > Benchmarking current
> Probe whether they have an image of a type of person who perceptions of volunteering.
would volunteer. > Understanding how close they
> Would it be people like them? Why/why not? personally feel to volunteering.
> Probe whether they associate volunteering with any specific > Benchmarking perceptions of
types of activities. whether they volunteer using
> Take a vote of hands: who thinks they volunteer at present? their own definition of
Who thinks they do not? volunteering.
Scenario exercise (10 minutes)

> Moderator hands out SCENARIOS (each scenario features > Scenarios will help people to
a person and a type of activity eg helping train the youth imagine a more diverse set of
football club, running a stall at a church fete, helping an activities that could be
elderly neighbour with their garden/shopping, etc) and READS volunteering.
THEM OUT (making sure everyone has understood them). > We will first understand where
> Participants work in pairs to discuss the scenarios – which of people draw the line about
the following would be volunteering? Why/why not? what is and what is not
> As a group, discuss the scenarios – which are volunteering volunteering and then help
and which are not? If they are not volunteering, what are they? them to understand that all of
> Moderator explains, at the end of the discussion, that the scenarios could be
Volunteering England would see all these activities as volunteering – this will widen
volunteering and that these activities, as well as more the debate for the next
‘traditional’ volunteering activities, will be what we will be exercises.
thinking about today.
> Take a vote of hands again: who now thinks they volunteer at
present? Who still thinks they do not?
> The second vote of hands will measure whether more people
now think they volunteer.
TIMING TASK Reason
20 minutes Barriers/triggers to volunteering

Brainstorm (5 minutes)
> As a group, brainstorm what might make them interested in > It will be important to ‘dump’
volunteering. the barriers to volunteering at
> And brainstorm what might stop them from volunteering. this point in the discussion so
that we can start to work
through how to overcome
them.
Walk into the future (15 minutes)
> Moderator asks two participants who don’t currently > This is our first future visioning
volunteer to stand up, and designates a start point for them to exercise and it is designed to
stand at – this is how they feel now about volunteering – and take individuals through a
an end point at the other end of the room – this is a future time hypothetical journey to
when they have to imagine they are volunteering. volunteering – understanding
> First the moderator explores with the participants what is what the barriers are on the
preventing them from taking that first step towards way and exploring as a group
volunteering – the first barrier; they have to imagine that it is a how to move beyond those
physical barrier stopping them from volunteering. barriers/get over them.
> And what might help them overcome that barrier (the rest of
the group is encouraged to provide suggestions); once they
feel they have come up with a good suggestion that could
help them overcome the barrier, they take a step forward.
> This process is repeated until participants get to the end of
the journey (and the room) and are volunteering.
> Moderator explores – how do you feel now you are
volunteering? Looking back on the journey, what were the
hardest parts?
> The group is encouraged to comment on the journey – what
are the really big barriers, and what were the best suggestions
for overcoming them?
25 minutes How can volunteering fit into your life?

Lifestyle diaries revisited (5 minutes)
> Participants are asked to look back over their leisure diaries > This exercise will help people
and think about what they said about what they get from each develop some of the ideas
leisure activity, and what they would like do more of. from the previous exercise
> Moderator probes on each benefit/reason for doing the about how to get over some
activity participants identified from their leisure activities and of the barriers to volunteering,
asks whether or not volunteering could provide that benefit. focusing them on how
volunteering can fit into
Poster exercise (20 minutes) people’s lives.
> Participants split into pairs and choose one benefit of > We will use the exercise on
volunteering that they have identified, which they think is the motives and benefits for
particularly motivating to people like them. leisure activities as a start
> Each pair designs a poster that gets this benefit across to point to understand what the
people like them, expressing: motivating benefits of
> what they will get out of volunteering volunteering could be that
> how it can fit into their lives would help it slot into people’s
> who the message would come from (organisations/ free time.
individuals) – be creative and think outside usual suspects > The poster exercise will help
(church, big charities, etc). people to express these ideas
> When they have finished, each pair presents their ideas back creatively and bring them to
to the room. life and will reveal what they
think the really key messages
will be.
TIMING TASK Reason
25 minutes Future visioning exercise

Moderator explains: During this exercise I’ll ask you to really start > The second future visioning
imagining what the future might be like. In a moment I’m going to exercise asks people to think
ask you to close your eyes and I’ll guide you through a about how people in general
visualisation that will take you forward into the future. We’ll start off can be encouraged to
with some relaxation. Then I’ll ask you to skip forward into the volunteer and what the ideal
future and I’ll ask you to imagine a future where everyone conditions for volunteering
volunteers and to observe what is happening. I’ll ask you about would be.
what you can see and hear, and what is happening. It is important > We will explore the issue of
during this exercise to remember not to be restrained by what you volunteering in the round,
think is possible or probable for the future but the absolute IDEAL including information,
and DESIRABLE future. Do not think about the present or the past organisations and type of
but start from the future. volunteering opportunity.
> The exercise will finish with
Moderator reads out the following: participants developing
I want you to close your eyes and relax (or keep eyes open and principles for how to
look down if not comfortable closing them). Find a position in your encourage people to
chair that is most comfortable, feet flat on the floor. Just spend a volunteer.
minute or two concentrating on your breathing – take a few deep
breaths deep down. Relax all your muscles – starting from your
feet, up your legs, torso, arms, shoulders, back and neck. [Pause]
Now imagine you are going forward on a train into the future. You
have speeded through 2008, 9, 10, 11, etc, and it is now the year
2016. Much has happened over the last ten years – the UK has
now had a man on the moon, the Olympics in London has been
and gone, technology has really advanced so that everyone has
mobile phones, cameras, computers, ipods all in one. Imagine that
this is a world where everyone in England takes part in
volunteering and it is just an accepted part of everyday life. [Pause]
I want you to go to the point of when people find out about
volunteering. Who tells people about volunteering? What
information and support are they offered at this stage? Who by?
[Pause]
Now I want to focus on the volunteering itself. I want you to think
about where people can go to volunteer. When do they do it? Who
do they volunteer with – alone, with friends, with family, neighbours
or people they don’t know? What kinds of organisations do they
volunteer with? [Pause]
Finally, I want you to think about what people get out of
volunteering – why is everyone doing it? What role does it play in
their lives? How has it changed their lives? [Pause]
Now I want you to get back on the train and come back through
2015, 14, 13, 12, 11, etc, back to the here and now. Take a few
minutes to think about everything you’ve considered. When you
are ready, open your eyes. I’d like you to write down, or draw if
you prefer, any images or thoughts/ideas you had. A ‘stream of
consciousness’ of what you pictured
As a group discuss the future of volunteering:

> What is their vision of the future of volunteering like?
> Explore in detail how people find out about volunteering, how it
fits into their lives, who they volunteer with, what they get out of
it, etc.
> As a group, develop some principles for encouraging
volunteering.
TIMING TASK Reason
5 minutes Final comments

> If you had one piece of advice for Volunteering England on > This section is an attempt to
how to get people like you interested in volunteering, what encapsulate what people have
would it be? seen, heard and said and to
> Thank and close. distil it into the most important
elements.
The Commission on the Future
of Volunteering was established
by the England Volunteering
Development Council in order to
develop a long-term vision for

A report prepared for The Commission on the
Future of Volunteering by Opinion Leader
© The Commission on the Future of Volunteering, 2008

Volunteering England
Regent’s Wharf
8 All Saints Street
London N1 9RL
tel +44 (0)20 7520 8900
fax +44 (0)20 7520 8910
email volunteering@volunteeringengland.org
web www.volunteering.org.uk
Volunteering England is a Registered Charity No. 1102770
A company limited by guarantee Registered in England
and Wales No. 4934814
Printed on Revive 75 paper
ISBN 978-1-906111-05-2
made from 50 per cent de-inked post consumer waste
25 per cent pre-consumer waste January 2008
and 25 per cent FSC virgin pulp

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The Commission on the Future

of Volunteering was established

Understanding how to engage

© The Commission on the Future of Volunteering, 2008

The Commission on the Future of Volunteering was established by the England

4 How can volunteering fit in with leisure

5 Triggers and barriers to volunteering 13

6 The ideal future of volunteering 20

7 Conclusions and recommendations 21

Volunteering and leisure activities

In addition, people identify the following barriers to volunteering:

Ways of overcoming barriers to volunteering

The future of volunteering

Who took part

3.1 What volunteering means to people

How people feel about volunteering

3.2 Images of a volunteer

4 How can volunteering fit in with

4.1 The link between volunteering and leisure

4.2 What people get out of leisure activities

Keeping fit and healthy

4.3 The perceived benefits of volunteering

Escapism and ‘me time’

Developing new friendships and social networks

Excitement and doing things that are out of the ordinary

Keeping fit and improving health

Developing yourself and your skills

Developing self-confidence and self-awareness

Benefits that are unique to volunteering

Making a valuable contribution

Gaining the respect of your community/peers

5 Triggers and barriers to

5.1 Triggers to volunteering

5.2 Barriers to volunteering

‘I am a greedy person, [unclear] personal, I am a greedy person and I personally

Family/community expectations and commitments

5.3 Overcoming barriers to volunteering

Getting the message out

Making the time for volunteering

Fitting in volunteering around family life

Making volunteering personal

Making volunteering feel fun and accessible

Making sure everyone can get involved

6 The ideal future of volunteering

The ways that volunteering is communicated

Tailoring volunteering opportunities to people’s lives and needs

Fostering volunteering in society

Engaging people in volunteering

Good morning/afternoon. I am recruiting people to take part in a discussion on

GROUPS1–4: RECRUIT 3 PEOPLE WHO TICK AT LEAST ONE OF ANY OF

GROUPS 1–6: RECRUIT 4 MEN AND 4 WOMEN

Q5 Which of the following age brackets do you fall into?

GROUP 1: ALL AGED 18–29 OBTAIN A GOOD SPREAD OF AGES

Q6 Which of the following best describes your situation?

GROUP 1: ALL TO NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN

Q7a What is your occupation, and is that full- or part-time employment?

FULL TIME (30+ hours)

FULL TIME (30+ hours) CONTINUE TO ‘RECORD SOCIAL CLASS’

Record social class

Q8 Which of these best describes your ethnic origin?

❏ White British ❏ Indian

GROUPS 1–4: RECRUIT 2 BLACK AND ETHNIC MINORITY PER GROUP GO