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Matthew Linning and Gemma JacksonVolunteer Scotland, Research and Evaluation W www.volunteerscotland.org.uk
@VolScotland
Young People in Scotland Survey 2016Analysis of volunteering – full results
January 2017
Key points to cover
• Methodology
• ‘Good news’ story
• Why has volunteering grown?
• ‘Influences’ on youth volunteering?
• Why does volunteering decline in adulthood?
• Can we make volunteering more inclusive?
• Summary & implications for policy and practice
IPSOS Mori Survey (2016):
• Repeat of Young People in Scotland (YPiS) survey 2014
• Representative sample of over 1,500 young people in Scotland
• Aged 11-18 years (but core years are 12-17 years)
• 52 state-sector secondary schools across 24 local authorities
• Self-completion survey: Sept – Oct 2016
• Conducted in mixed ability classes such as personal and social education
(P.S.E)
• Large representative dataset - allows for robust sub-group analysis
Methodology
Further information on the methodology is provided in the separate ‘Technical Note’
Youth cohorts not included in survey:
• Young people in private secondary education (4.4%)
• Exclusions from state schools (c. 3.6%)
• Those in special schools (c. 0.8%)
• Youths aged 16 – 18 who have left school (19.3%)
Volunteering amongst 11-18 year olds could be higher or lower than recorded in the YPiS survey due to the above groups not being included. However, VS believes the impact of this is marginal and does not affect the overall findings from the YPiS survey.
Note: see ‘Technical Note’ for relevant data sources
Methodology
A ‘GOOD NEWS’ STORYYOUNG PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING
A ‘good news’ story – key findings
• Current engagement: 52% of young people volunteer (= 146,000 secondary school children1) – c. double the adult level of 27%2
• Future engagement: 21% of ‘non-volunteers’ would like to volunteer in the future
• Growth: strong growth trend in youth volunteering:– 33% in 2009 (Being Young in Scotland, 2009)– 45% in 2014 (YPiS, 2014)– 52% in 2016 (YPiS, 2016)
• Regularity: 31% of young people volunteer at least once a month – compared to only 17% of adults. Other evidence suggests that volunteering benefits are directly linked to ‘regularity’
• Health benefits: 49% of young people volunteering choose sport or exercise – associated with potential health benefits, combating childhood obesity, etc.
1 Source: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/TrendData (right click to open hyperlink)2 Source: Scottish Household Survey, 2015 (http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/16002) (right click to open hyperlink)
Levels of volunteering
• 52% of young people have formally volunteered, with the majority doing so in their spare time = 146,000 young people in total
• 15% of young people volunteer in both their spare time and in school time
Yes, in
school ti
me
Yes, in
my o
wn spare
time
No, but w
ould like t
o in fu
ture
No, and w
ould not consid
er doing so
Don't know
Prefer
not to sa
y0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%
27%
40%
21%12% 13%
3%
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e 52%33%
13%3%
YesNoDon't KnowNot Stated
n = 1,550
Trend in youth volunteering: 2014 to 2016
Being Young in Scotland survey reported 33% of 11-16 year olds had volunteered in 2009
Yes, in school time
Yes, in my own spare
time
No, but would like to in future
No, and would not consider
doing so
Don't know Prefer not to say
Total Yes0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
20%
34%
18%14% 17%
5%
45%
27%
40%
21%
12% 13%
3%
52%
2014 (n = 2,016) 2016 (n = 1,550)
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
Strong growth in volunteering participation from 33% in 2009 to 52% in 2016
Levels of volunteering: by gender
Yes, in school time
Yes, in my own spare time
No, but I'd like to in the future
No, and I'd not consider doing so in the future
Don't know Prefer not to say
Total Yes0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
21%
38%
20%17%
14%
3%
46%
35%
42%
23%
6%
12%
1%
58%
Male Female
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
n = 1,550
• Girls are more engaged in volunteering than boys – 55% compared to 44%• For ‘non-volunteers’, 17% of boys expressed no interest in volunteering compared to only 6% of girls
Levels of volunteering: by age
11 12 13 14 15 16 17/18
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
51% 54%
42% 41%
54%62%
67%
Age
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
n = 1,550
• Volunteering participation increases towards school-leaving age
• Reason for relatively strong engagement amongst 11-12 year olds is unknown
Frequency of volunteering(as proportion of those volunteering)
61% of young volunteers are volunteering on a regular basis (at least once a month)
25% of young volunteers are volunteering on an occasional basis
13% D/K; prefer not to say
Prefer not to say
Don't know
No more than once a year
A few times a year
Five or six times a year
At least once a month
About once a week
A few times a week
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
2%
12%
5%
12%
8%
12%
30%
19%
% of young people volunteering
n = 817
Frequency of volunteering: by age
11 - 13yrs 14 - 15yrs 16 - 18yrs0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
51%
59%
75%
30% 27%
18%
Regular Occasional
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e vo
lunt
eerin
g
n = 817
• 16-18 year olds volunteer the most frequently
• Reasons for increased volunteering:• drive to build experience, skills & CV• more volunteering opportunities for post 16 age group?
Volunteering participationYoung people vs. adults
Volunteering participation
Young People (YPiS 2016;
n=1,550)
Adults (SHS 2014; n=9,800)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
52%
27%% o
f pop
ulati
on
Young people (YPiS 2016;
n=817)
Adults (SHS 2014; n=2,670)-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
31%
17%13%
10%0.0716129032258065
0%
Regular vs. occasional volunteering
Regular volunteering
Occasional volunteer-ing
Don't know/ prefer not to say
% o
f pop
ulat
ion
Young people volunteer in the following areas:
Prefer not to say
Other (please say what)
Justice and human rights
Wildlife protection
Religious groups
Health or disabilities
Local community or neighbourhood groups
Children or young people (in school)
Sport or exercise
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
1%
6%
6%
2%
2%
4%
5%
5%
7%
8%
9%
11%
12%
23%
31%
39%
49%
% of young people volunteering
Sport, children, recreation and social clubs dominate young people’s volunteering
n = 817
Gender variations by type of volunteering (selected examples)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60% 57%
30%
23%
10%
4%
44% 46%
38%
7% 7%
Boys Girls
Type of Volunteering
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e vo
lunt
eerin
g
n = 817
Sport/exercise is the only area of volunteering where boys are considerably more engaged than girls
WHY HAS YOUTH VOLUNTEERING INCREASED?
YOUNG PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING
• Push factors: parents, teachers & friends
• Pull factors: skills, experience and CV
• Jobs market: increasingly tight employment conditions for young people since the economic recession of 2008. Linked to ‘pull factors’ above.
• Incentives: awards & recognition
• Targeted support: e.g. Project Scotland, The Prince’s Trust, Third Sector Interface Network, etc.
Possible explanations
Routes into Volunteering (2014):‘Push factors’
• Parents/guardians are most likely to help young people into volunteering, followed by teachers and then friends
• Only 6% of young people start volunteering on their own
[Note: this question was not asked in the 2016 YPiS survey]
n = 923Neighbour
Someone at local job centre
Someone else
Did it on my own
Someone at local org (e.g. library)
Someone from a scheme (e.g. DofE, Saltire)
Other family member
Someone at a club/group
Friend
Teacher
Parent/guardian
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
0%
1%
2%
6%
10%
11%
18%
24%
30%
32%
41%
% of young people volunteering
11 - 13yrs 14 - 15yrs 16 - 18yrs0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
16%13% 12%
8%
8%15%
12%
9%
8%
9%
7%2%
Other family member(s)Friend(s)Teacher(s)My parent(s) or guardian
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e vo
lunt
eerin
gRoutes into Volunteering (2014):‘Push factors’ by age (selected examples)
• Family & friends have greatest influence with 11-13 year olds
• Teachers have greatest influence with 16-18 year olds
n = 923
Actual benefits of volunteering
Having fu
n
Increas
ed co
nfiden
ce
Feelin
g happier
Feelin
g apprec
iated
Feelin
g part of a
team
Making new
frien
ds
Feelin
g I've m
ade a
differen
ce
Feelin
g better
about m
yself
Increas
ed tru
st in others
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%72%
48% 47% 45% 45% 43% 40% 37%29%
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e vo
lunt
eerin
g
Learning new
skills
Improve
d my j
ob prospec
ts
Learning how to
overco
me chall
enges
Increas
ed unders
tanding of w
hat ca
n achiev
e
Finding a paid
job
Feelin
g I've i
mproved m
y study p
rospec
ts0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%69%
34% 31%
22%
12% 11%
Wellbeing benefits Career benefits (‘pull factors’)
n = 817
• Career benefits are important – especially skills development• However, wellbeing, social capital & altruistic benefits are cited more frequently• This highlights the importance of volunteering in enhancing self-efficacy
2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/160
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
14,000
19,000
24,000
27,000
No. o
f cer
tific
ates
aw
arde
d
Proactive promotion of national awards such as ‘Saltire’ supports growth of youth volunteering
http://saltireawards.org.uk/
VOLUNTEERING – ‘INFLUENCES’YOUNG PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering – ‘Influences’ (2014)
Help to find opportunities
Volunteer with family
Volunteer outside school time
In charge of own volunteering
Consistency
Volunteer in school time
If someone asked me
'Taster' session
Close to home
Improve skills
Improve career prospects
Volunteer with friends
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
9%
9%
11%
11%
13%
18%
19%
21%
29%
29%
37%
56%
• Volunteering with friends would most encourage young people to volunteer, followed by ‘improving career prospects’
• 18% of young people would be more encouraged to volunteer if they could do so in school time, compared to 11% in their own time
n = 2,016
Volunteering – ‘Influences’ (2014)
More girls want to volunteer with their friends (62%) than boys (49%)
More girls would consider volunteering in their spare time (16%) than boys (7%)
29% of all young people would be more interested in volunteering if they could do so close to where they live
11-13 year olds are more interested in being able to volunteer with their family than older age groups
WHY DOES VOLUNTEERINGDECLINE IN ADULTHOOD?
YOUNG PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING
11 - 18 16 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 59 60 - 74 75 +0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
52%
29%
24%
31%28% 28%
19%
Youth vs. adult volunteering participation
Age category
% o
f peo
ple
Trend in volunteering by age
YPiS, 2016, n=1,550
SHS, 2015, n=9,410
See separate ‘Technical Note’ on age cohort coverage
Possible explanations for drop-off
• Absence of the ‘ASK’ factor when young people leave education
• Demand for skills / CV building reduces when in employment
• Lack of time – increased career / personal responsibilities in adulthood (yet, adult volunteering is highest for 35 – 44 age group, which is usually the busiest time of people’s lives)
• Peer pressure/influence – perhaps volunteering is less appealing for young adults
Addressing the drop-off: Can the ‘good practice’ lessons from youth volunteering be used to grow adult volunteering?
Inclusive volunteering: key findings
Deprivation: ‘U-shaped’ curve for volunteering in school by SIMD quintile: a surprising but welcome finding. However, there is a major decline in the volunteering rate out of school:
• 50% for schools with no pupils in lowest SIMD quintile• 16% for schools with 60 – 100% of pupils in lowest quintile
Physical/mental health condition: volunteering is highest amongst those with a physical or mental health condition of at least 12 months (61% vs. 53%) – a major finding. This is counter-intuitive and at variance with adult volunteering (equivalent SHS 2015 data are 17% vs. 27%)
Rurality: volunteering highest in rural areas compared to urban (65% vs. 49%)
Religion: volunteering participation and interest in volunteering is highest amongst members of religious groups
Ethnicity: volunteering participation by white and non-white ethnic groups is similar
Gender: girls are more engaged than boys - 58% vs. 46% (see earlier graph)
Volunteering by deprivation(Based on Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation)
None 0-20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-100%-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
50%
39%34% 34%
16%
Proportion of pupils in lowest SIMD quintile (by school)
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
None 0-20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-100%-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
33%
23% 24% 22%
33%
Proportion of pupils in lowest SIMD quintile (by school)
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
n = 1,550
Deprivation data based on proportion of pupils in the lowest SIMD quintile for each school.
Data source: Scottish secondary schools contact database
Volunteer in spare time
Volunteer in school time
None 0-20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-100%0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%62%
48% 47%41%
47%
Proportion of pupils in lowest SIMD quintile (by school)
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
Total number of volunteers
Volunteering by health condition
n = 1,550
Yes, in school time
Yes, in my own spare time
No, but I'd like to in the future
No, and I'd not consider doing so
in the future
Don't know Prefer not to say Total Yes0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
36%
44%
14%12% 12%
2%
61%
28%
42%
22%
11% 11%
2%
53%
Yes No
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
Physical or mental health condition?
Volunteering by urban/rural
n = 1,550
Yes, in school time
Yes, in my own spare time
No, but I'd like to in the future
No, and I'd not consider doing so
in the future
Don't know Prefer not to say Total Yes0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
26%
36%
22%
12%14%
3%
49%
32%
56%
16%
9% 9%
2%
65%
Urban Rural
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
Volunteering by religion
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
35%
45%
17%
8%10%
1%
27%
39%
29%
8%10%
7%
25%
39%
23%
14%12%
2%
Christian Non-Christian No Religion
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
n = 1,550
• Christian faiths have highest volunteering participation• However, 29% of non-Christian faiths would like to volunteer in the future• Those with ‘no religion’ have lowest participation
Volunteering by ethnicity
n = 1,550
Yes, in school time Yes, in my own spare time
No, but I'd like to in the future
No, and I'd not consider doing so
in the future
Don't know Prefer not to say0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
27%
40%
21%
11%13%
2%
33%
38%
19%
11% 12%
5%
White Non-white
% o
f you
ng p
eopl
e
Volunteering embraced fairly equally by young people in white and non-white communities across Scotland
SUMMARY & IMPLICATIONSYOUNG PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING
Summary highlights
• Scotland’s young people are very ‘volunteer active’, with the potential for further growth in volunteering
• A variety of push / pull and other factors appear to have supported this growth
• Volunteering confers significant benefits to young people: wellbeing, social capital, altruism and career advantages
• Young people are particularly interested in sport-related volunteering opportunities and volunteering with their friends
• Age is a key factor – volunteering participation increases as pupils approach school-leaving age
• Boys and girls’ current and future interest in volunteering is different - playing out some gender stereotypes
• Youth volunteering has both inclusive and exclusive elements:
– Strong engagement amongst those with a physical/mental health condition is a real positive
– Very low ‘out of school’ volunteering levels for those in the lowest SIMD quintile is a major concern
Key implications
• Focused support from parents, schools, national awards, etc. appears to have been remarkably successful in achieving a high and growing volunteer participation rate amongst young people
• What lessons, if any, could be applied to engage adult volunteers?
• Other opportunities and challenges:
– Whether further growth in young people volunteering can, and should, be achieved?
– Is the balance of support between youth and adult volunteering optimal?– How can we retain the high level of youth volunteering engagement into
adulthood ? Opportunity for potential ‘adult returners’? – Can we make youth volunteering more inclusive ? – In particular, how can we reach the most disadvantaged young people in
the lowest SIMD quintile?
