Majority of volunteers are women and older peopleSurvey finds that over fifty percent of the nation gives time to community causes
A new new report published by the financial services firm Zurich has found that more than half the nation volunteered in some capacity last year.
Researchers YouGov surveyed 2,000 people on behalf of Zurich and found that 55% of those responding had volunteered at least once in the previous twelve months. In London the figure was slightly less as 54%. Volunteers were engaged in a range of activities including fund-raising, school activities or helping out at a hospital or a community project.
Of the 55% of those volunteering the majority were women and older people, follwoed closely by 18-24 year olds.
A spokesman for Zurich said that the results were promising given the current economic climate but called for more ways to make it easier to get involved and find out what's available to get involved in.
Zurich Financial Services has a long established history of corporate volunteering, with over 40% of their staff donating 39,000 hours of time estimated to be worth over £1m a year.
Civil Society Minister Nick Hurd welcomed the report. He said: "It's very positive news to hear that lots of people did voluntary work last year - especially in a time of economic difficulty.
"It just goes to show that we all want a bigger, stronger society where people get involved and do their bit so it's vital that we keep up the pace of reform and make it easier for more people to take part."
"The Government wants to support volunteers and to make it easier for people to do their bit.
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Comments
Interesting.
However, we all know that how you ask the question affects the response. So what methodology did they use? Did they ask people if they volunteered or ask them a series of questions on how they are involved in their community? Without that kind of context it is hard to draw any conclusions from the data, especially in regard to other studies of volunteering.
Also, if Nick Hurd is so encouraged by these figures why have the government scrapped the citizenship survey, the main yardstick by which we could have measured the effectiveness of the big society agenda in increasing volunteering against the trends of the last 11 years?
Agreed Rob, the citizenship survey should have stayed. Also, the headline title in the Zurich survey is a bit misleading.2000 respondents is a good return but its a bit much to say 'half the nation' etc. As we all know, stats can mean many things and can be misinterpreted, missed and massaged to follow an agenda. I'm not suggesting that's the case here, just that we need more context as Rob has pointed out.
This link gives a bit more info on the above http://www.civilsociety.co.uk/governance/news/content/11405/study_shows_over_half_of_brits_volunteered_last_year
Good to see some questioning and querying of these Mickey Mouse surveys - if there's a useful 'survey' on volunteering conducted by an insurer/bank/dog food manufacturer, I've yet to find it. A bit embarrasing that our Minister could even muster up a few words about it: it's garbage and insulting to the sector.
A couple of UC considerations
Have you ever cut slices of fruit cake to share, only to find that some slices have very little fruit in them, whilst other slices have a great deal! And so it is with surveys; as such are we looking at a metaphorical slice of fruit cake with a disproportionate amount of fruit in the single slice compared to the whole?
Equally, surveys are often completed by people who complete surveys, and rarely reflect genuine consensus, as such the thoughts, feelings and opinions of those who don’t, are never reflected.
The old maxim still applies:
‘There are lies, damn lies - and statistics.’
Samuel Langhorne Clemens a.k.a Mark Twain 1835 – 1910
However, I would add to Mr Twains words
There are lies, damn lies- statistics, and surveys, lest we forget
“fruit cakes”
Think about it ;)
UC
My maths is not my strong point but do we live in a nation of around 4,000ish People?
Wish 50% of my area were volunteering!
or if only 1% responded making 2000 replies that still doesn't add up!
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