Teenagers are almost twice as likely to have fundraised for good causes than adults, new figures released by the National Citizen Service has revealed.
The research, which was launched to coincide with National Volunteers Week, shows that adults are more likely to have participated in charitable activities than adults.
The government backed youth volunteering programme’s research shows that 58 per cent of 16 and 17 year olds have fundraised, compared to 32 per cent of those aged over 18.
It also revealed that 67 per cent of teenager respondents would like to volunteer in the future, and that almost two thirds (64 per cent) of 16 and 17 years olds said taking part in activities to help other people is important to them.
Other figures show that two in five teenagers (43 per cent) would like to be more involved in decisions that affect their local area.
The research was conducted by insight agency ICM on behalf of NCS. ICM conducted a survey of 1,002 16 and 17 year olds in England between 1 and 10 March 2017. Data was then weighted to be representative of 16 and 17 year olds in England. ICM also surveyed 2,000 nationally representative adults between 1 and 3 March 2017.
The research coincides with figures from the Office for National Statistics that show young people aged 16 to 24 have increased the time they devote to volunteering, going from being the least to the most active age group in this area over the past 15 years.
Karl Wilding, director of public policy and volunteering at NCVO, said: “Good, meaningful social action is of benefit to the young people themselves and the community. Whether it’s volunteering for a charity, caring for someone in their community, providing peer support online or fundraising for a specific cause, we want all young people to see the difference they can make. NCS has the potential to get young people started on what will hopefully be a lifetime of participation in communities and volunteering.”
Michael Lynas, chief executive of NCS, said: “NCS provides a brilliant way for young people to volunteer. To date, participants have given over seven million hours of volunteering to their communities and have raised an estimated £13.5m for good causes. Those who volunteer report a wide range of benefits, including higher levels of wellbeing, a greater sense of social cohesion and improved employability. We’re just three weeks away from tens of thousands more teens departing for their NCS experience – I hope they throw themselves into it, enjoy it, meet great people and discover how they can make a real difference to their communities.”
