Four out of five people believe volunteering improves their wellbeing, a major new survey has found.
Research conducted among almost 29,000 people who volunteer for 10 large charities including the National Trust, RSPCA, British Red Cross and Trussell Trust, found that 80 per cent agreed that their lives were enriched by giving up their time to help others.
The study has been published today by Shaping the Future with Volunteering, a group of 31 charities working to make volunteering easier for people.
The research, which was carried out in the 12 months to October, found that almost seven in 10 people said they had gained new skills and knowledge through the training they have received while volunteering.
Almost eight in 10 said they felt they had the right level of training to fulfil their volunteering role, while 85 per cent of respondents said they would recommend their charity as a great place to volunteer.
Almost nine in 10 people said they “feel comfortable being myself while volunteering and/or can express my opinions freely”.
The survey found 71 per cent of respondents said the charity they volunteered for communicated well with them.
Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of Royal Voluntary Service and co-chair of Shaping the Future with Volunteering, said: “The powerful voice of these shared results is that volunteering is good for you. That’s why campaigns such as The Big Help Out that put volunteering centre stage and showcase the opportunities available to all are so important to get behind.”
Tina Lewis, people director at the National Trust, said: “We want everyone who volunteers with us to have a positive experience, so every year we survey the views of our volunteers to understand what is going well and ideas for improvement.
“Now, for the first time, we can compare what our volunteers are telling us with those of other charities, and can work together as a network to share ideas and support each other.
“It’s a great opportunity to collaborate and improve volunteer experiences for all.”
The 10 charities that took part in the study were: Citizens Advice, Girlguiding, National Trust, RNIB, Royal Voluntary Service, RSPCA, RSPB, Scouts, British Red Cross and Trussell Trust.
All of them are part of Shaping the Future with Volunteering
The group said that in the summer it planned to publish further analysis of research conducted since October.