Charity bosses have warned that Covid-19 had a “profound” impact on volunteering after polling found a sharp fall in the number of people giving their time for free.
The proportion of the public taking part in sponsored events, organising charity activities and campaigning for good causes have all halved since 2018, according to polling by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
But sector leaders also pointed to “green shoots” of recovery in volunteer numbers after the success of recent volunteer recruitment schemes by some large charities.
The polling, commissioned by NCVO, found that the proportion of people raising money or taking part in sponsored events dropped from 11 per cent to 6 per cent in the last five years, while the proportion organising or helping run charity activities fell from 14 per cent to 7 per cent.
The number of people campaigning on behalf of an organisation or club was down from 8 per cent to 4 per cent.
At the same time the polling found that people reported very positive experiences from their volunteering, with three quarters saying it improved their mental health and more than 7 out of 10 agreeing it gave them new skills and experiences.
The data has been released ahead of the Big Help Out day of volunteering being held as part of the coronation.
Sarah Vibert, chief executive of NCVO, said: “The impact of Covid-19 on volunteering has been profound.
“People who were lifelong volunteers broke their habit during the pandemic and haven’t yet got back to it. Millions more who would have committed to longer term volunteering didn’t have the chance.
“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.”
Vibert added: “The continued high levels of volunteer satisfaction is also testament to the hard work of volunteer-involving organisations that satisfaction levels with volunteering are so high.
“Many of these 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.”
NCVO also highlighted more encouraging trends in volunteer numbers, with The Scouts adding 3,500 people to their volunteer lists in the last year and a record-breaking month for recruitment by Reach Volunteering this March.
Matt Hyde, chief executive of The Scouts, said: “From our own volunteering numbers we think we’re starting to see some of the green shoots of a volunteering recovery but the Big Help Out is the much needed shot in the arm the sector needs.
“It would be an amazing legacy if the coronation were to be a turning point in national volunteering rates.”