What if Everyone Stopped Volunteering?

by Denise Hayward, Chief Executive, Volunteer Now

In a new report by Works4u this question is considered in detail.  It is something I know that people who understand the true level of volunteering have often reflected on.  We are a society which is dependent on people gifting their time to others.  However, I think that is not well understood – many people see volunteering as peripheral and something which can be safely taken for granted.  This report shines a light on the strategic impact of volunteering and considers the vast range of activity which would simply stop if volunteers stopped and the wider impact that would have.

In the volunteering sector we know that things have changed since the pandemic and people are looking for greater flexibility and less formal volunteering options.  However, people are still keen to volunteer and so we need to make sure we can welcome them into meaningful, flexible roles.  What this report shows is the need to take support for volunteering seriously as a strategic, public policy issue and to recognise the risk to us all if volunteering is not well supported.

View the report here.