Volunteering changes similar to changes in television viewing

Volunteering is not declining, it has just changed. Data shows that rates of formal volunteering have been declining across the UK for a few years now, but does this actually mean the desire to volunteer is declining? The short answer is no. Volunteering is not declining but the culture of volunteering has fundamentally and permanently …

The Volunteering Multiplier Principle

Have you heard of the Volunteering Multiplier Principle? The Volunteering Multiplier Principle states that changes to the overall level of volunteering lead to a much more significant change for society and the economy. For example, if the general level of volunteering for the UK increased by 1% the knock-on multiplier effect would lead to a …

London Vision for Volunteering

Since May last year I have led the ‘London Vision for Volunteering‘ programme and in March 2025 we launched the final report and its 36 recommendations. I am so proud of this work. Not just because I think it has produced some great recommendations that act as a blueprint for developing volunteering across the capital, …

Community CVS the First Volunteer Infrastructure Organisation to Obtain the Lead Volunteering Organisation (LVO) Quality Standard

The first volunteer infrastructure organisation to obtain the new national Lead Volunteering Organisation (LVO) is Community CVS in Blackburn with Darwen. Awarding body Works4U CEO Dominic Pinkney presented the LVO award to Volunteering Manager Kate Lee and her colleagues at Community CVS.

Initial Response to Kruger ‘Levelling up Communities’ Report

Last week the government published the ‘Levelling up our communities: proposals for a new social covenant’, report by Danny Kruger MP which has recommendations and suggestions for developing civil society based on the amazing response by the voluntary and community sector to the Covid-19 pandemic. In late June Danny was asked [note: I am not …

Stop Calling it the ‘Third’ Sector

It is increasingly bothering me, to the point of driving me crazy, that people refer to the sector I work in as the ‘Third’ sector. It just seems wrong and symptomatic of a sector that is under-appreciated and undervalued. But we accept it, as that is what our sector does, we do not make a …

Trustee – Probably the best volunteer role there is

More people should be trustees. They really should. It is often forgotten as a volunteer role, but it is absolutely one of the best ways to volunteer your skills and experience and make a real significant contribution to a charity. This truly fantastic volunteer role suffers, in my view, due its name. The word ‘trustee’ …