New Kids on the Clock; Joe Saxton on the rise in youth volunteering and its impact on society

picture of young volunteers

New Kids on the Clock; Joe Saxton on the rise in youth volunteering and its impact on society

Our recent research showed that volunteering among young people (16-24) has doubled over the last decade. In 2003, around 14% of young people had volunteered in the last 3 months and by 2013 this figured has reached 32% in our polling. Indeed, as recently as 2010 our data showed that only 16% were giving their time and after that we saw an almost continuous rise.

So what is causing this rise and what does it mean for young people and society?

First, a word of caution. It is very difficult to prove cause and effect. In other words, we can’t say any specific activity led to the rise in volunteering, because we can’t ask people who now say they are volunteering why they didn’t volunteer a decade ago.

Possible reasons include:

  • A lot of money has been spent by the government encouraging youth volunteering. In particular, the V programme was the recipient of tens of millions of pounds in government funds
  • Schools are increasing their emphasis on volunteering, encouraged both by the PHSE (personal, health and social education) curriculum and the work of a number of charities in encouraging giving and volunteering in schools
  • The competition for university places has put increased emphasis on personal statements and the need to show a strong, rounded CV. Volunteering through formal programmes like Duke of Edinburgh and through less formal programmes in school, with sports clubs and the like, all play their part
  • Formal university programmes for volunteering have also increased the motives for giving your time. Many universities, like the University of Manchester, now have a volunteering programme which counts towards final degree assessments. Oxford University awards half-blues for volunteering and citizenship activities
  • The Olympics may also have played a role both before and after August 2012. I put it like that because much of the rise in volunteering took place before the Olympics and so it’s not possible to say that the event itself was the stimulant, but the build-up could have been
  • It’s also worth saying that the rise in our figures could have been down to people saying they are volunteering more, even if they actually aren’t. There is a plethora of voices (see all of the above) saying that volunteering is a good thing, so we shouldn’t be surprised if some people are tempted to say they volunteer when they don’t, or say they volunteer more often than they actually do

So if these are some of the reasons why volunteering might be rising, what are the implications for young people and the rest of society?

It is interesting to imagine what volunteering overall might be like 20 or 30 years from now if the high levels of volunteering among that cohort are maintained. The overall levels of volunteering in society will increase, with resulting benefits for both the volunteers and those they help. Indeed, if this scenario of young people being the volunteering powerhouse continues, will we begin to see older people as the volunteering backsliders? Will retired people be seen as the group who do the least for society, not the most as at present? It’s an intriguing possibility.

There is a gloomier scenario. The current generation of volunteers may have grown used to a higher level of incentives to give up their time. So will the current teenagers and twenty-somethings still volunteer in their thirties when there is no Duke of Edinburgh or personal statement motive, nor any Olympics euphoria to spur them on? If a surge in volunteering depends on sporting triumphs or hosting world class sports events, we really could be in trouble.

In the short term, the task is rather different. We need to make sure that the growth in volunteering among young people is maintained. We do need to try and understand better what is driving the growth in volunteering and do more of it. Crucially, we need to make sure that young people have a rich and positive experience of volunteering that means they will continue to give their time for the rest of their lives.

 
You can download our youth volunteering data free in the top right hand corner of this page.

Did you find this youthful? Or does it not fit with your data-day opinion? Leave us a comment below. 

Submitted by Jamie Darwen (not verified) on 1 Nov 2013

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"We shouldn’t be surprised if some people are tempted to say they volunteer when they don’t, or say they volunteer more often than they actually do" ... or call things that they do volunteering, when people might not have done 10 years ago, as the word is more prevalent.

"Will the current teenagers and twenty-somethings still volunteer in their thirties?" We hope that young people volunteering creates a taste for it that they will continue into later life - and there is some evidence that this is the case. However, we need to look at the transition post-university. Most of the reasons you cite are due to formal programmes supporting volunteering in structured environments. At school/university there is easy access to volunteering opportunities that have been designed for this audience. Once people leave (often moving to a new part of the country to work), they may want to carry on volunteering, but many will not know how to go about it.

Submitted by A Brown (not verified) on 6 Nov 2013

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I feel that the current climate when so many young people are jobless has contributed toward a surge in volunteering, where people are motivated to be part of organisations where there is a possibility of being taken on for work after their placement or volunteering time is over. Also volunteering leads to further training and CV building therefore is beneficial to have under your belt. What appears to be a difficulty for younger people to commit to regular volunteering is erratic work and shift patterns due to paid work that can hold them back. I'm glad to say that our charity has a cross section of volunteers from Duke of Ed, to Mums looking to volunteer whilst kids are at school, young adults looking for experience whilst in/out of work, and a lot of retired/mature volunteers looking to be able to contribute time to a valuable cause. Because of the amount of 20/30yr old volunteers we have presently, I have confidence that the next generation as such will participate in volunteering in future, if they found it a beneficial and enjoyable thing to do on a personal and professional level.

Submitted by Justin Ryan (not verified) on 6 Nov 2013

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Thank you for your article which is well write and raises many valid and important points. I'm quite shocked however that the vast numbers of unemployed young people arising from the recessionary economic climate since 2008 hasn't really had a mention. Isn't it obvious that this is likely to be the greatest driver of youth volunteering? Bill Climton's famous phrase comes to mind: "it's the economy stupid". Sorry - no offense intended.

Submitted by Brian (not verified) on 7 Nov 2013

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I'm a healthy cynic when it comes to certain aspects of the rise in 'volunteering'...however, I've seen some really positive and, to be honest, surprising social skills and self esteem development in relation to a group of primary aged children who have become involved in a 'Young Volunteers' group we run here at PYCP (Pilton Youth & Children's Project). We're finding that there are not so many 'volunteer support/recognition' services available for this age group. The youngsters involvement in the recent SRTRC (Show Racism The Red Card')fortnight of action was particularly stimulating to many of the group.Anyone else doing work with primary aged 'volunteers'?

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