Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, has had a profound effect on the Voluntary Sector in regards to recruiting and sustaining volunteers.
A drop in the numbers of volunteers has been seen, due to many factors including how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting volunteers themselves, and their availability to prioritise their volunteering role, over increasing their work hours, or caring for their families and other reasons.
Volunteers are also feeling the pressure on services in the sector that are seeing an increased demand in services, sometimes beyond their remit, for example around mental health support. It’s so important that volunteers’ wellbeing is looked after and supported in the same as employed staff.
Looking at the longer-term impact this will have on recruiting and retaining volunteers, we need to ensure that volunteering across Wiltshire is sustainable in the longer term and that volunteers feel fully supported, and voluntary organisations also have the support to manage and support their volunteers.
Wessex Community Action can support volunteers, and voluntary and community groups, and social enterprises to develop their organisation infrastructure to ensure they are running effectively and sustainably, so they are able to get the funding they need to operate smoothly. This includes support on ‘Managing Volunteers’ via information, advice, and training.
For more support on becoming a volunteer, or support with managing volunteers in your organisation, please click here to fill in an enquiry form and we will get back to you to discuss.
Keep checking this page, as content will be regularly updated.
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has recently published the key findings from the 2023 “Time Well Spent” research focusing on volunteers and their experience.
Time Well Spent is NCVO’s research programme focusing on volunteers and their experience. The survey explores:
"The data shows the impact of covid on volunteering has been profound. People who were lifelong volunteers broke their habit during the pandemic and haven’t yet got back to it. Given how important volunteering is to our social fabric - and how much people get out of it - we need an urgent focus on helping people find opportunities that suit them.
There are also positives with high levels of satisfaction among volunteers. This is a testament to the hard work of volunteer-involving organisations. Many have had to adapt their volunteering opportunities over the last few years to respond to social distancing measures as well as new need in communities."
