Trends in Volunteering NI A changing environment for volunteering - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Trends in Volunteering NI A changing environment for volunteering

Volunteer Now Volunteer Now is the lead organisation which works to promote, develop and support volunteering across Northern Ireland by:  supporting volunteers to find volunteering opportunities;  influencing policy in relation to volunteering including the Volunteering Strategy for NI;  providing training and information to organisations to help them develop good practice in involving volunteers and safeguarding those they work with;  engaging in promotional campaigns to increase awareness of volunteering in particular among older people, young people and those involved in sport;  supporting organisations to access national standards such as Investing in Volunteers National Standard for Volunteer Management.

Nyree Tubritt • War On Want Fair Trade Manager • NI Hospice Asst Area Manager • AgeNI Area Manager • Oxfam Ireland District Retail Manager • Concern Retail Development Manager • Volunteer Now Social Prescribing Project Officer

• Sources • Mapping Volunteer Involving Organisations 2011 – Volunteer Now • Volunteering in Northern Ireland – Dept for Communities June 2017 • Workforce Report – CRA 2017 • Shopping for good: the social benefits of charity retail – Demos commissioned by the CRA and Carnegie UK - 2016 • Volunteering and society in the 21 st century – Colin Rochester 2009 • Rediscovering voluntary action – the beat of a different drum – Colin Rochester 2013

The Issue for Charity Retailers

• Overall rates of volunteering in NI • 27% of adults in NI indicated they had volunteered in the previous 12 months • The rate has remained stable since 2012 • UK rates (census) have remained stable for over 40 years. • The rate is comparable with Scottish figures but slightly below England and Wales (Community Life Survey)

• NI volunteering the detail • 46% with a church or faith group, 21% with a sports organization • Protestants volunteer slightly more than Catholics (but it’s thought it is in churches) • 47% have had an AccessNI check carried out • 18% of the disabled volunteer • 17% of the ‘most deprived’ and 36% of the ‘least deprived’ volunteer. • 31% of the employed and 22% of the unemployed volunteer • 28% of women and 26% of men volunteer • Most volunteering opportunities are in Belfast, Derry and Newry District Council areas

• How many hours?

• Where do people volunteer in NI?

• The Volunteer Experience

• How do people come to volunteering?

• Overall rates of volunteering have remained stable for over 40 years • Little opportunity to increase overall rates • How, where and when people choose to volunteer is changing……

• The way we live today • Weakening of social ties • Growing social isolation • An ageing population who are working longer • Pressure on public services • Digital revolution • Generation X and Y • GIG economy

• New models of volunteering • Episodic volunteering • Digital volunteering • Changes in the kind of activity volunteers are involved in • Supporting the shrinking state • Likely to be fewer committed long term volunteers or ‘stalwarts’

• Implications for Policy and Practice • Where to site shops? • Retention of volunteers - £18.79 per vol. per annum? • Volunteer Coordinators/ Managers • Training for staff • Investing in Volunteer standard. • Recognition of volunteers – Queens/Millenium awards • Cover the basics/ensure you have the basics • Recruitment – currently and in the future • ‘Stalwarts’ declining in numbers – how to respond to more episodic and short term volunteering

• Don’t mention the ‘B’ word!