Volunteering enquiries soar at British Red Cross

Finance | Vibeka Mair | 1 Jun 2009

Volunteering enquiries to the British Red Cross have quadrupled from an average of 300 per month in 2008 to around 1,400 per month in 2009, according to figures released by the charity this week in conjunction with Volunteers’ Week.

The majority of new enquiries in March and April came from young people.

Maryanne Burton, head of volunteering at the British Red Cross, said the charity had responded by increasing the number of internships and widened volunteering roles to use the skills that people are offering.

Animal charities most popular with volunteers

Meanwhile, animal charities are the favourite cause for volunteers, according to a survey conducted by insurance company Diamond for Volunteers' Week.

The poll - of more than 3,000 people - revealed that volunteering for animal charities was the most popular, followed by young people and giving time to the local community.

The survey also showed that under-18s were more likely to regularly volunteer their time than any other age group. Almost 60 per cent of under-18s have volunteered more than once over the last year.

Those aged between 50 and 55 were least likely to have volunteered in the last year, with 54 per cent in this age group not volunteering at all in the last 12 months.

The week of 1–7 June is the 25th anniversary of Volunteers’ Week.

Directory: British Red Cross
Who's Who: Vibeka Mair

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