# Volunteering facts and figures - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/05/27/volunteering-facts-and-figures/ - Published: 2008-05-27T11:23:03+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake I must admit to enjoying reading facts and figures about the voluntary sector – how big it is, how many people it involves, what it achieves, and so on. So, thank you to [Volunteering England](http://www.volunteeringengland.org) for sharing these figures on volunteering in the run up to [Volunteers Week](http://www.volunteersweek.org.uk): · In 2007 73% of all adults in England and Wales volunteered (formally or informally). Almost half the population (48%) did so at least once a month. In 2007, 63% of adults in England volunteered informally, while 45% of adults volunteered formally ## Advertisement · Volunteering is popular with young and old. 53% of young people aged 16-19 have volunteered with a club or organisation at least once in the last 12 months, while 78% have given unpaid help on an informal basis. 28% of over 75’s have volunteered with a club or organisation at least once in the last 12 months, while 46% have given unpaid help on an informal basis. · Women are more likely to volunteer than men. In 2007 31% of women regularly volunteered formally compared to 24% of men · Black African (31%), White (29%), Black Caribbean (28%) and Indian (27%) people were all more likely to volunteer formally on a regular basis than those from the Pakistani (14%) or Bangladeshi (12%) groups. · According to Helping Out: A national survey of volunteering and charitable giving carried out by IVR and NatCen for the Cabinet Office in 2007 found that 36% of employees worked for an organisation with an employer-supported volunteering scheme. Of these employees, 29% had participated in the scheme over the last year. · Over 42,000 students volunteer through organised volunteering programmes at their university or college. Each student volunteer gives on average 82 hours per year to their community, contributing nearly £1,000 per year to the economy · Sport and recreation accounts for 26% of all volunteering in the UK and provides a workforce equivalent to 180,000 fulltime workers. · Volunteering is good for you. 63% of 25-34 year olds and 62% of over 65’s say volunteering helps them feel less stressed, while 71% of volunteers who offer their professional skills and experience say volunteering helps combat depression. Nearly half of all volunteers say volunteering has improved their physical health and fitness · Volunteering helps you lead a healthier life. Twenty-two percent of 18 to 24 year olds say volunteering helps them cut down on alcohol and 30% say volunteering helps them smoke less Levels of volunteering relate to levels of happiness. Research published in 2004 indicated that people living in areas with a high level of civic participation were happier with their lives. · One survey found that volunteering was the second greatest source of individual joy, behind dancing · Six out of ten volunteers said volunteering gave them an opportunity to learn new skills. · Annually volunteering was worth over £48 billion in England and Wales. This is the equivalent contribution to the economy made by people involved in their local community based on the national average wage. · Volunteers spend an average of 3 working weeks a year giving unpaid help through groups, clubs and organisations. This is the equivalent of around 1 million full- time workers involved in their local communities. · 82% of non-volunteers stated ‘not enough spare time’ as a reason for not volunteering in 2007 * **[New guidance on CRB checks for volunteers available](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/06/05/new-guidance-crb-checks-volunteers-available/)**( 5 June 2008) * **[The Charity Trustee's Handbook (Starter Guide)](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/06/05/amazon-141/)**( 5 June 2008) * **[Vote on trustees for Institute of Fundraising](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/06/09/vote-trustees-institute-fundraising-613/)**( 9 June 2008)