Olympics were a 'missed opportunity' to engage young volunteers

05 Apr 2013 News

Organisations have “missed the opportunity” of the Olympics to inspire young people to volunteer, claims Joe Saxton as he said that “more than six months after the Games they still don’t seem to have been presented with opportunities”.

Joe Saxton, driver of ideas at nfpsynergy

Organisations have “missed the opportunity” of the Olympics to inspire young people to volunteer, claims Joe Saxton as he said that “more than six months after the Games they still don’t seem to have been presented with opportunities”.

His comments come as nfpSynergy releases its latest research into the appetite for volunteering post-Olympic Games, where 44 per cent of the 11 to 16-year-olds responding to the survey said that as a result of the Olympics, they would like to find out more about volunteering but had not volunteered yet.

Saxton said: “I find it sad and disappointing that nearly half of young people would like to find out more about volunteering, but more than six months after the Games they still don’t seem to be presented with opportunities.”

He added that: “The time to act was right away to build on the momentum of the games and it looks like the government and the Olympic legacy organisations have either tried and failed, or missed the opportunity completely.”

Asked whether he thought it was a question of there not being opportunities, or that young people were not being directed to the ones that existed he said “it was a bit of both”. He told civilsociety.co.uk that what was needed was a “10-year plan” and that there needed to be “continuity” of the organisations involved in offering volunteering opportunities that “can be relied upon – there is nothing better than word of mouth”.

But Justin Davis Smith, executive director for volunteering and development at NCVO said the results of the survey were not all bad news for volunteering.

He said: “I don’t think Joe Saxton needs to be sad and disappointed. One in nine adults told his survey they have started volunteering or are doing more since the Games, and one in six would like to find out more. And among young people one in five have started volunteering or are giving more time, and getting on for half of young people would like to find out more. If that was scaled up, it would be impressive.”

Both agreed that investment in volunteering was crucial to build on the legacy of the Olympics and create meaningful opportunities.

Last year the government invested £2m in launching the Olympic legacy charity Join In, with support form Davis Smith and Lucy de Groot from CSV. Saxton said one of the issues is that “this seems to be just getting going”.

Davis Smith said: “Join In showed in August 2012 how 300,000 people could be encouraged to get down to their local sports club to check out volunteering opportunities and activities. We are looking forward to working with them this summer to connect up more opportunities and more prospective volunteers.”

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "This survey conflicts with the rigorous national Community Life Survey which showed a spike in volunteering after six years of decline. We are committed to making sure the Games has a lasting legacy in this country, with our support for initiatives like Join In to encourage people to get involved with their local sports clubs."
 
The Charity Awareness Monitor – Volunteering, February 2013, which is complied by nfpSynergy found that volunteering among adults dipped slightly from 22 per in September 2012 cent to 21 per cent January 2013, but that frequency of volunteering had slightly increased.

Seventy per cent of adults said they had not been inspired by the Olympics, 17 per cent said they were but had not done anything, 10 per cent said yes – they were already volunteering and give more time and 2 per cent started volunteering for the first time.

Two-thirds of 11 to 16 year-olds were not motivated to start or do more volunteering, 14 per cent were already volunteering and increased their activity and 6 per cent started for the first time as a result of the games.

nfpSynergy surveyed 2,031 adults and 496 11 to 16-year-olds.

 

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