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CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND
Policy Context
1.1. Achieving an increase in participation in volunteering among people of all ages and from all backgrounds is an objective for both the UK government and the Scottish Executive.
1.2. In May 2006, Prime Minister Tony Blair, announced the government's goal to encourage one million more young people to volunteer within five years.
1.3. In 2004, the Scottish Executive published its volunteering strategy, the aim of which is to embed a robust culture of volunteering in Scotland. The strategy sets out roles and responsibilities and outlines work to be taken forward between 2004 and 2009 to achieve this aim.
1.4. The strategy identifies key groups amongst whom it would be beneficial to encourage a higher level of volunteering.
- those from lower socio-economic groups
- the long-term sick and disabled
- the unemployed
- young people
- the poor
- those less skilled and less qualified.
1.5. These groups may be reluctant to volunteer as a result of a number of barriers. These include:
- a lack of confidence, leading to a failure to recognise that they could have a role to play
- a lack of awareness of the relationship between volunteering and social security benefits, and the role that volunteering can play in helping people making the transition to employment
- a lack of flexibility in volunteering opportunities
- concerns that mobility/disability and language problems (for example, equipment for people with sight or hearing problems) will not be catered for
- concerns that out-of-pocket expenses will not be reimbursed
- the middle class, middle-aged, image of volunteering.
1.6. One of the key aims of the strategy is to remove these barriers to volunteering for the groups noted above.
1.7. The strategy also aims to encourage more involvement among young people in volunteering, improve the volunteering experience and ensure that mechanisms are in place to allow ongoing monitoring, evaluation and research to analyse the current picture of volunteering in Scotland.
The Research
1.8. Blake Stevenson Ltd was commissioned by the Scottish Executive to investigate the level, type and intensity of volunteering in Scotland based on the Scottish Household Survey ( SHS) data.
1.9. The aim of the study was to analyse data regarding volunteering among target groups in the Executive's volunteering strategy, as well as information on attractions and barriers to participation in volunteering.
1.10. The key objectives of the study were:
- To carry out a detailed analysis of volunteering data among key groups in the volunteering strategy (those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the unemployed, the long-term sick and disabled, the poor and those lacking in formal qualifications).
- To carry out a detailed analysis of questions which identify potential attractions or barriers to volunteering. These conclusions will be tested by use of focus groups drawn from previous SHS respondents.
- To consider the comparisons that should be drawn from other volunteering data, for example Volunteer Development Scotland's annual national survey and the Home Office Citizenship Survey in England.
- To analyse the methodological performance of the volunteering suite of questions in the 2005 Scottish Household Survey.
- To provide recommendations regarding future research in the context of evaluating the volunteering strategy.
1.11. We have addressed all the above issues in this report. In reporting on our findings against the objectives we have however altered the order from the way it was set out in the brief.
1.12. The report is set out as follows.
Chapter 2
- This chapter considers the comparisons that may be drawn between the SHS and other volunteering data, for example Volunteer Development Scotland's annual national survey and the Home Office Citizenship Survey in England; this is done primarily by analysing the initial questions in each survey which identify the rate of volunteering amongst the survey participants.
- This chapter further analyses the methodological performance of the remaining volunteering suite of questions in the 2005 Scottish Household Survey.
- Finally this chapter suggests some potential changes to the content and structure of the current survey.
Chapter 3
- Chapter 3 compares SHS volunteering results with those of Volunteer Development Scotland's Annual Digest of Statistics.
Chapter 4
- Chapter 4 reports on the detailed analysis of questions which identify motivation for and propensity to volunteering. These conclusions are informed by the results of the focus groups carried out as part of the study.
- This chapter reports on the detailed analysis of volunteering data among key groups in the volunteering strategy (those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the unemployed, the long-term sick and disabled, the poor and those less skilled and less qualified).
Chapter 5
- Chapter 5 looks at the voluntary activities that volunteers undertake, and the primary activity of the organisation they volunteer with.
Chapter 6
- Chapter 6 reports on the intensity of volunteering - how frequently do volunteers volunteer and how many hours do they spend volunteering?
Chapter 7
- Chapter 7 discusses attractions to volunteering identified by current volunteers, former volunteers and people who have never volunteered.
Chapter 8
- Chapter 8 discusses barriers to volunteering as identified by current volunteers, former volunteers and non-volunteers. Chapters 7 and 8 are informed by analysis of SHS data and the results of qualitative research carried out as part of this study.
Chapter 9
- Chapter 9 provides a time series analysis of trends in volunteering between 1999 and 2006 identified through analysis of SHS data.
Chapter 10
- This chapter draws together the recommendations we make based on our analysis.
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