New research tackles barriers to volunteering

3 Jun 2010

Cost is not the principal barrier for organisations wishing to engage volunteers from under-represented groups according to new research issued today by the Commission for the Compact. The groups include disabled people, refugees and asylum seekers, and single parents.

Findings from this research show that organisations should improve their monitoring of the numbers of volunteers from these groups. In addition, the research highlights the benefits of involving these volunteers and, although it recognises that there can be additional costs incurred in involving them, it recommends that funding bodies should recognise and support the potential extra costs and time.

The research was carried out by CSV Consulting (Community Service Volunteers) and Manchester Metropolitan University on behalf of the Commission for the Compact. It focuses on three groups, identified by the Commission on the Future of Volunteering in January 2008, as being under-represented in volunteering.

Nick Drew, Policy Adviser at the Commission, said:

“Our survey research found that the average real cost to organisations of involving a volunteer from an under-represented group is approximately £2,000. However, cost is not the main barrier to volunteering for either individuals or organisations.

“Individuals are likely to face access, childcare, transport or self-esteem issues and organisations can encounter issues such as the availability of CRB checks, language barriers and additional staff time required to support under-represented volunteers. Involving volunteers from these groups brings distinct benefits for organisations though such as specialist knowledge and language skills, as well as promoting community cohesion.”

Sir Bert Massie CBE, Commissioner for the Compact, said:

“Commitments 19.6 and 22.4 in the Compact specify that organisations should identify any groups of people who are excluded from volunteering and encourage their involvement. However, this research shows that a considerable number of organisations do not know how many of their volunteers come from under-represented groups.

“I urge organisations to ensure that equal opportunities and diversity policies are effectively monitored and implemented to reverse this trend. This is clearly an area for future development and I hope that more people from under-represented groups will be encouraged to become involved in volunteering as it is beneficial for both the volunteer and the organisations who rely on their support.”

The research contains 12 case studies highlighted as examples of good practice and showing how to involve volunteers from these groups. For example, Envision Newham, an organisation which involves refugees and asylum seekers in volunteering, worked closely with an ESOL teacher (English for speakers of other languages) linking volunteering opportunities with focused language teaching.

The title of this research report is The costs, barriers and benefits of involving volunteers from under-represented groups.

To order a hard copy of the report, please telephone 0121 237 5905.

Notes for Editors

  • The Compact was established in England in November 1998. It is an agreement that provides an overall framework for promoting effective partnership working between the Government and the third sector. A refreshed version of the Compact was published in December 2009. This retains all the key points of the original but takes into account recent developments in law, policy and practice.
  • Compact Commitment 19.6: Work with the third sector to identify and remove any barriers that prevent volunteering by people with protected characteristics.
  • Commitment 22.4: Identify groups that are in danger of being marginalised, excluded, or are currently under-represented in voluntary activity, and put in place measures to promote their involvement.
  • Established in April 2007, the Commission for the Compact is an independent public body responsible for overseeing the Compact. It was set up to improve awareness of the Compact and to address the barriers to its adoption and implementation.
  • This research on volunteering was commissioned by the Commission for the Compact and undertaken by CSV Consulting (Community Service Volunteers), working with the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) at Manchester Metropolitan University. Community Service Volunteers (CSV) is the UK’s largest volunteering and training charity. PERU specialises in applied research and evaluation for public and voluntary sector clients. http://www.mmu.ac.uk/ http://www.csv.org.uk/
  • The case studies in the report are: RAMFEL (Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Migrant Forum for East London), RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers), CSV East Riding, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Envision, Newham College, Inspire-Nottingham, Greater Manchester Police - Oldham Division, DIAL-Solihull and Home-Start Mid Suffolk.

Ends

Useful Downloads

Compact VURG Report 2010Compact VURG Report 2010
Press Release: VURGS ReportPress Release: VURGS Report

For media enquiries, please contact:

Catherine Byerley, Communications Officer
Commission for the Compact
Tel: 0121 237 5905
Email: catherine.byerley@thecompact.org.uk