What have we learned when it comes to mobilising young adult volunteers?
Mhairi Holland, Policy Manager
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the voluntary and community sector (VCS) and without them much of the work that charities and community groups do would simply not be possible. In positive news for the sector, recent surveys indicate that more young adults are planning to volunteer.
The National Lottery Community Fund’s Community Research Index is an annual survey of over 8,000 adults across the UK and is designed to find out how people feel about their communities. The latest survey shows that almost half of us (49%) intend to volunteer in 2023 and young people are leading the way with their community-minded efforts, with seven in ten (69%) 18 to 24-year-olds intending to volunteer this year.
A separate piece of polling commissioned by Pro Bono Economics has found that one in six 18 to 34-year-olds plan to start volunteering in 2023, which means charities could see up to 2.5 million new volunteers donate some of their time.1
Charities along with community and voluntary organisations have a wonderful opportunity this year to capitalise on these positive intentions and mobilise young adults to volunteer. As of November 2021, The National Lottery Community Fund had funded 4,865 volunteering projects for young people. Drawing upon our learnings, here are some key considerations when it comes to mobilising young adult volunteers:
Emphasise the benefits of volunteering
Volunteering can increase young adults’ confidence and skills, prepare them for future careers, and give them a sense of connection and purpose. For example - funded through Our Bright Future - UpRising’s environmental leadership programme coached and mentored young adults aged 18-24 to become green leaders, after which participants volunteered on a campaign of their choice.
Over 3,000 young volunteers engaged with the programme’s 62 campaigns on topics such as conservation, body image, mental health, and supporting ex-offenders. Baseline and post-course surveys illustrate the impact on UpRising participants. Across the programme, they reported a 14% improvement in confidence, 28% increase in knowledge, and 43% increase in skills. One in five reported an increase in wellbeing.
Participant Agathe Dijoud said, “UpRising has challenged me, pushing me outside my comfort zone but this has helped me to significantly improve my confidence in a lot of areas. As well gaining skills which I think will help me in my future career.” 2
Each young adult can have different motivations for getting involved, so emphasising all the benefits of taking part can boost engagement.
Access to opportunities
Not all young adults have the same access to volunteering opportunities. Charities should consider the different possible barriers and see if they can be removed. For example, think about specific needs of carers and disabled people. Look at rural areas and young adults who are often side-lined and think about where and when your sessions are running to make them accessible. Consider transport options and representatives working in different regional areas. Think about whether digital exclusion is preventing young adults from accessing opportunities and tailor your engagement.
Volunteer management
No matter how many volunteers an organisation has – whether it’s 2 or 200 - good volunteer management is key to maintaining quality services and enabling volunteers to thrive. Our funding supports organisations to better manage their volunteers. This includes things like hiring a volunteer coordinator, providing training, or involving volunteers in decision making.
Assist Sheffield supports over 140 refugees and asylum seekers each year. Assist wanted to better manage and support the 300 volunteers that make this wrap-around service possible. With part of their National Lottery Community Fund grant they created a new Client Support Manager role which has enabled them to restructure how their volunteers and staff work together, as well as improve on the support, recognition and training the volunteers receive. This reduced volunteer turnover as they felt happier and more fulfilled in their roles.
Safeguarding and safe culture practices are also important aspects of volunteer management. The Safeguarding Training Fund is a jointly funded programme in England developed by us and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). It has seen the ‘Safer Social Sector Partnership’ - led by National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) - produce and launch a suite of free online resources to help charities improve their safeguarding and safe culture practices. The resources are suitable for all charities both big and small. View the resources.
Good volunteer management means that charities can fulfil their duty of care to their volunteers, making sure they’re not overworked or dealing with situations they aren’t trained for or comfortable with. This can help to avoid stress and anxiety, and means volunteering remains enjoyable and fulfilling.
How are young adults hearing about your opportunity?
- Advertising – make sure you advertise where young adults are. For example, on social media and in colleges and universities.
- Role models – think about showcasing young adults in the local area and from previous volunteering programmes.
- Run live sessions or webinars before programmes begin so that young adults can understand what the volunteering opportunity is.
How are you talking about your opportunity?
- Create content and share success stories – showcase what volunteering is in videos featuring young adults and include past achievements to highlight what is possible.
- Inspire - use social media to share your content of the amazing work being done including images, videos and infographics. Make sure you research which platforms are most popular with your target audience.
Further reading
We have produced a number of reports and evaluations where you can learn more about youth volunteering, the benefits of volunteering, and mobilising volunteers. Please see the following:
Power in purpose - The difference we make in mobilising volunteers
Top tips - how to make youth social action more accessible
Our-Bright-Future-_-UpRising-Project-Evaluation-Report.pdf
Our-Bright-Future-Final-Evaluation-Report_FINAL.pdf