Younger people & ethnic minority groups most likely to volunteer this year, report finds
Melanie May | 4 April 2024 | News
Young people and those from ethnic minority communities are the most likely to volunteer with their local communities this year, according to a new report from the National Lottery Community Fund.
The report reveals findings from the National Lottery Community Fund‘s latest Community Research Index, providing insights into the priorities and concerns of people across the UK, and their priorities and aspirations for their local community.
Topics covered included volunteering, and of the 8,000 people surveyed, half (50%) said they intend to volunteer – formally or informally – in their local community in 2024, with more than one in 10 respondents (14%) planning to volunteer for the first time.
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At least 73% of people from ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) said they intend to volunteer this year, compared to 45% of white respondents, and 58% of white minorities.
65% of people aged 16-34 said they intend to volunteer this year.
Favoured causes
Those who said they intend to volunteer were most likely to want to volunteer with food banks (30%), the environment (30%), supporting older people, (29%) charity shops (29%) and supporting young people (21%)
Younger people who said they intend to volunteer were most likely to want to help out in charity shops and food banks (both 34% for 16-24 year olds), while older respondents were more likely to prioritise the environment or supporting older people.
Community feelings
Seven in ten (72%) of those surveyed said that it is important to them to feel part of their local community. 64% are willing to work with others to improve their local community while a similar percentage (63%) think that people in their area can make a real change by getting involved. However, only around half feel they have the opportunity (52%) or ability to play a role (46%).
Funding for community groups
The National Lottery Community Fund has also announced that £12 million has been awarded to nine community groups across the UK through The UK Fund to tackle some of the big social issues facing communities.
David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said:
“We are committed to distributing at least £4 billion in National Lottery funding to UK communities by 2030 and using it to strengthen society and improve lives. Supporting people to come together is key to this. Feeling part of a community is a powerful thing and it’s great to see that reflected in both our report and the grants we’ve announced. Now, thanks to National Lottery players and our UK Fund, people will have even more opportunities to connect with others, enjoy the benefits of being part of a community and create transformational change.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.