Volunteer centres see enquiry numbers soar

Finance | Vibeka Mair | 21 Apr 2009

Nearly 90 per cent of volunteer centres have seen an increase in enquiries about volunteering opportunities in the last six months, according to the Institute of Volunteering Research (IVR).

Some 220 volunteer centres were quizzed by BMG Research on behalf of the IVR earlier this year.

87 per cent said that enquiries about volunteering had risen over the last six months, and 72 per cent expected to carry out work directly involving employability and training in the future.

Meanwhile, YouthNet, home of the UK’s volunteering website do-it.org.uk has recorded a staggering rise of 115 per cent in the number of people applying for volunteering opportunities, from 2007 to 2008, with the numbers of applications made in 2008 topping 60,000.

The latest statistics show a continuation of this trend with 38,592 and 40,143 applications made in January in February 2009 respectively – double the number of applications made for the same period last year.

CSV has also recorded a rise volunteers with full time volunteers offering 4-12 months up 55 per cent.

Route back into employment

Justin Davis Smith (pictured), chief executive of Volunteering England said: “The recession is having a major impact on the world of volunteering.

“Many thousands of people are now looking for volunteering opportunities as a way of making good use of their time and as a route back into employment.”

Volunteering England has also criticised an early day motion calling for the government to allow people to work an unlimited number of hours on a voluntary basis and still claim jobseeker’s allowance.

The EDM, tabled by Diane Abbot MP complains that those volunteering more than 16 hours per week are not entitled to jobseeker’s allowance.

However, a spokeswoman for Volunteering England has said this is incorrect:

"The “16 hour rule” which set a maximum time limit on volunteering by anyone claiming this benefit no longer exists.

"People receiving JSA can do as much volunteering as they want, as long as they remain available for and are actively seeking work. This means that claimants have to show that they are looking for work and applying for jobs where appropriate."

Who's Who: Vibeka Mair | Justin Davis Smith

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