Feb 20 2020 3 mins
An overwhelming 88% of brits don’t feel part of their community, while 1 in 5 (19%) feel lonely. That’s according
to a recent survey by the charity Oxfam, in which people have opened up about how they really feel. Alongside
these feelings of isolation and loneliness, almost two-thirds of brits (61%) admitted that they do not feel happy,
together with only 10% feeling connected to those around them.
In 2018/19, 22% of people aged 16 and over in England took part in formal volunteering at least once a monthi.
The new research reveals that making new connections is one of the key reasons people volunteer, with 42% of
those surveyed believing that making new friends is the biggest benefit of volunteering. Over a quarter (26%) see
giving back to their community as a huge draw, with 38% motivated by the prospect of doing something meaningful.
Furthermore, nearly half of Millennials (46%) stated that learning new skills would encourage them to volunteer,
and a further 30% emphasized the importance of having a laugh.
Whilst many benefits would motivate people to volunteer, including an overwhelming 95% of respondents agreeing
that volunteering benefits the community, there are many perceptions that could be keeping people away. One
thing holding some people back is the perceived commitment required to volunteer, as one third (30%) of
respondents felt that volunteering would require too much commitment, alongside the one fifth who believe
volunteering requires a sizeable time investment.
Moreover, approximately 1 in 20 believe that volunteering is exclusively for older people, lonely people or
unemployed people. Whilst 1 in 5 (18%) of the UK feel ashamed by the lack of volunteering they participate in,
the perceptions on ‘how’ or ‘who’ can volunteer may be barring enthusiastic brits from supporting their
community, developing personal skills and building new relationships.