A new report has found widespread levels of fatigue and anxiety among those who volunteered during the pandemic.
The latest research by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, which was published today, also found that some individuals have carried a sense of guilt after the height of the Covid-19 crisis.
The report, Time Well Spent: Impact of Covid-19 On the Volunteer Experience, found this feeling of burnout was exhibited by people who were already volunteers before the pandemic took hold and continued for them following the outbreak of Covid-19, as well as by those who volunteered for the first time during the coronavirus crisis.
The report said: “The evidence from this research has consistently shown an elevated level of anxiety and fatigue among pandemic volunteers as well as their strong sense of guilt. Guilt-stricken volunteers suffer from burnout.”
Among those who stopped volunteering during the pandemic, the report found that the main reason was a “combination of Covid-19 restrictions and health concerns”.
Charities recruiting volunteers “must therefore prioritise supporting and rebuilding the emotional wellbeing of volunteers before encouraging them to continue or return to volunteering”, the report said.
Elsewhere, the publication painted a mixed picture of volunteers’ experiences of digital technologies during the pandemic.
While moving online “helped them feel connected during lockdowns”, the report added that “the increased use of digital technology undeniably led to a low level of satisfaction amongst volunteers”.
The report was based on desk research, a practitioner workshop and four volunteer focus groups.
Last year, sector leaders called on the government to provide more support for charity staff and volunteers at risk of burning out after working through the first 12 months of coronavirus restrictions.
Rei Kanemura, research and insight manager at NCVO, said: “Our research shows that, while the pandemic changed the way we offer and receive help, people rose to the challenge of serving their community by volunteering at the most difficult of times.
“Under severe restrictions on social interaction, volunteer organisations used creative ways to recruit, communicate with and support volunteers, while fighting to preserve the essential channels of support for those who needed it.
“But we’ve seen that volunteers, and volunteering more broadly, are at a crossroads. As we move from the pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis, charities and other voluntary sector organisations are seeing decreasing funding and falling volunteer numbers coincide with increased demand for services.
“The message from our research is clear: organisations who rely on support from volunteers need to act quickly to address the wellbeing issues and come up with creative ways of re-engaging former volunteers.”