The value of volunteering in the North

Article

The bedrock of civil society is its core of small and informal groups where people have come together to make a difference to their local areas. Most of these organisations have no employees and their financial resources are often very limited. But they survive and thrive because of the hours of work put in by their unpaid volunteers.

In the first report from the Third Sector Trends 2016 study, we found that the contribution of third sector volunteers to the Northern economy is significant. In this short briefing paper we will build upon this, in order to explore in greater depth:

  • the extent of volunteering in the third sector in the North of England and assess the value of its resource in terms of the voluntarily given time: that is, its ‘people power’
  • the characteristics of those third sector organisations that are most reliant on volunteers, and how this varies by place
  • lessons for policy makers from this analysis.

Related items

  1. Adults standing in a circle and talking to each other about their mental wellbeing. There is a staff member sitting to the left of them in the frame sitting next to a table. The community centre is located in Seaton Deleval in the North East of England.

    What is the left for?: The case for a politics of reciprocism

    Liberal democratic capitalism has failed to give many people good lives, and the future looks less promising than the past. 

  2. Wildfires and climate change | Dave Hawkey from IPPR Scotland speaks to Lewis Goodall on LBC

    Europe’s heatwaves and the wildfires in the Cairngorms are a stark reminder that climate extremes are here.  The Scottish government must act now with a clear plan to prepare for what's coming.

  3. “I feel quite unsettled and unsafe”: Young people, belonging, and the broken promise of childhood

    Young people in England feel less secure, supported and connected than a decade ago. Based on nearly 200 conversations, this blog explores why childhood feels more stressful and less joyful.