07 September 2007
More than half of British people perform some type of voluntary work, according to a survey.
Almost 3,000 people were interviewed for Helping out, which was commissioned by the Cabinet Office's Office of the Third Sector and conducted by the National Centre for Social Research in partnership with the Institute for Volunteering Research.
It found that 59% of people had volunteered in the past year, with 39% giving up their time at least monthly. Those in their mid-30s to mid-40s and in their mid-50s to mid-60s were more likely to volunteer, as were women, the employed and people of religious faiths.
Third sector minister Phil Hope said: 'Many still feel unable to volunteer, particularly those on the fringes of society. There's also a clear gap when it comes to opportunities for training and qualifications being offered to volunteers. That's why the government will continue to focus our efforts on knocking down the barriers that exist to volunteering.'
Justin Davis-Smith, acting chief executive of Volunteering England and an author of the report, said it was heartening to see so many people choosing to give up their time to help others.
'However,' he said, 'it is vital that we… commit sufficient resources to volunteering infrastructure.'
The survey also revealed that 81% of people made a charitable donation in the past four weeks. The most popular causes were health and disability, followed by overseas aid and disaster relief.
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