Volunteering in Scotland: Evidence from the Scottish Household Survey 2000

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The Scottish Executive collects statistics through the Scottish Household Survey, using a sample of 14,500 households, on a variety of different subjects, including participation in voluntary activity. Questions on voluntary activity were first added to the Survey in 1999 and these were expanded from 2000. The 1999 results are available from the Scottish Executive's Central Research Unit or from the Scottish Executive's website at www.scotland.gov.uk/shs This paper contains information specifically related to volunteering in Scotland collected from the 2000 Survey.

Where do volunteers live?

• There is a clear rural/urban difference:

• 35% of volunteers live in small towns
• 34% live in rural areas
• 24% come from the four cities.

 

• Urban and rural volunteers are involved in the same range of activities and show the same commitment to volunteering in terms of hours.

What type of organisations do volunteers get involved with?

• Most people volunteer for one organisation, but 32% help out at two or more.
• The most popular groups or organisations that attracted volunteers were those working with young people and children (26%). Next came those connected with church or religious activities (18%), followed by those working in health-related projects, sports and with people with disabilities (12%). Those working with disabled people accounted for 10%.

FINDINGS

How many people volunteer?

• Last year, 27% of adults in Scotland were taking part in a voluntary activity on a regular basis.

Who volunteers?

• 28% of women and 25% of men.
  • Men do more management committee administration than women, who tend to concentrate on fundraising.
• 23% of white people volunteer as do 24% of Indian and Pakistani people and 18% of people from other minority ethnic communities.
• Over 50% of volunteers are under 44 and 21% are in the retired-from-work category.
  • When older people volunteer, they are very committed with 45% of older people spending between 11-20 hours per week volunteering.
• Volunteers come from all income brackets but people in higher income brackets are more likely to volunteer than those in lower income brackets:
  • 36% of people earning £20,000 or more compared to 20% of those earning less than £20,000.

SUMMARY

Scotland has a thriving and well-established tradition of volunteering. Men and women are taking part almost equally in a range of activities. Young people and students are playing a very active part in their communities and busy, self-employed people are over represented in terms of their commitment.

We need to encourage more city dwellers, people on lower incomes and people who are out of work and seeking employment to take part too.

The Scottish Executive is supporting volunteering through:

• grant funding Volunteer Development Scotland, the national centre for volunteering, and the national network of Local Volunteer Development Agencies;
• the promotion of the Active Communities Initiative that seeks to increase the number and broaden the range of people taking part in volunteering and community action;
• the Millennium Volunteers Programme, which promotes and supports volunteering opportunities for 16-24 year olds;
• supporting the Unemployed Voluntary Action Fund, which provides grants to projects across Scotland;
• celebrating the International Year of Volunteers 2001.

ADDRESSES

Voluntary Issues Unit
Scottish Executive 3-H Victoria Quay
Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
Tel. 0131-244 3649
E-mail viu@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Internet www.scotland.gov.uk
IYV2001 www.scotland.gov.uk/society/volunteer

SCVO
18/19 Claremont Crescent
Edinburgh EH7 4QD
Tel. 0131-556 3882
E-mail enquiries@scvo.org.uk
Internet www.scvo.org.uk

Unemployed Voluntary Action Fund
Comely Park House
80 New Row
Dunfermline Y12 7EJ
Tel. 01383 620780
E-mail. uvaf@uvaf.sagehost.co.uk
Internet: www.uvaf.org.uk

Volunteer Development Scotland
Stirling Enterprise Park
Stirling FK7 7RP
Tel. 01786 479 593
E-mail vds@vds.org.uk
Internet www.vds.org.uk

Volunteer Bureaux Scotland
Stirling Enterprise Park
Stirling FK7 7RP
Tel. 01786 479 593
E-mail norrie.murray@vds.org.uk
Internet www.vds.org.uk

CSV Scotland
Wellgate House
200 Cowgate
Edinburgh EH1 1NQ
Tel. 0131 622 7766
E-mail. scotinfor@csv.org.uk
Internet: www.csv.org.uk