Volunteering among young people has fallen back to 2008 levels, and could be made worse as funding is diverted to the National Citizen Service, according to research consultancy nfpSynergy.

Results from its Youth Engagement Monitor found that in May 2011, 14 per cent of 11-25 year-olds had volunteered in the previous three months, compared to 19 per cent in November 2010.

Before that point, participants’ volunteering levels had grown in the previous five twice-yearly surveys.

nfpSynergy head Joe Saxton (pictured) said: “This drop may well reflect a cut in investment in youth volunteering initiatives like v, suggesting a possible link between government funding and volunteering levels – and thus highlighting the urgent need for a better understanding of what volunteer recruitment and retention strategies do and do not work.

“Moreover, the dip in youth volunteering could yet be made worse by ongoing cuts to youth services, despite worryingly high levels of youth unemployment; and by the National Citizen Service, if it hoovers up any new investment in this area, only to produce a limited number of volunteers, whatever their supposed higher quality.”

Pain at local level

The results lend credence to NAVCA chief executive Kevin Curley’s suggestion that the diversion of funding to the National Citizen Service is harming volunteering at local levels.

Speaking to the Public Administration Select Committee on the Big Society earlier this month about the end of local authority support for youth volunteering in areas such as Liverpool and Swindon, Curley said: “Putting this alongside the cost of National Citizen Service, does it justify all the pain of the loss of support for volunteering at a local level?”